Adaptation to climate change in Nepali communities
Saturday, 5 September 2009
The Fattepur village was washed away by the flood in 2006. 90 per cent of land was lost. The land was completely inundated and paddy field, the main means of survival for all of the community, disappeared. After the flood the community was given a shelter hut and an early warning system to enable people to have some warning if the community ever faces flood again. The village moved 2 km to another site. Most of the men left for India and other places in Nepal to seek work in labour gangs leaving the women to develop a new community. With enthusiasm, entrepreneurial flare and a degree of resilience plus straight-forward thinking women started growing new cash crops such as peanuts after contact with the NGO Practical Action. This success has been called "feminisation of villages.
Peanut farmer Pratima says: "I grow peanuts for market, because we can no longer grow rice or maize; we had to change and adapt. In Rapti we women now have a greater say in the community and have more respect and make decisions for the benefit of community."
Although the village is not better off financially than it was before, it has a future and it is likely that people here are more able to adapt to the changing modern world and to any future impact of climate change. In the same village a man who is now a chicken farmer also diversified from rice growing and was one of only a handful of men who didn't seek work elsewhere. He can understand and communicate what he and other villagers think about the community's environmental impact.
Chicken farmer Ramu says: "This Biogas plant helps the village cut our carbon output and we burn less wood now and I think every village should have one of these. The government should encourage communities to be self-sufficient and communities should be self-sufficient. We know about the link between carbon and climate change."
Thus this villager is not only demonstrating adaptation but also carbon mitigation so reducing impact taking responsibility as well. This case history shows not only resilience but dynamic action to mitigate carbon footprint and understanding of the relationship between carbon and sustainability.
The Ramche village in the high hills of Rasuwa is approximately 4 hrs ride from Kathmandu. A landslide brought on by extreme monsoon rains had killed 20 soldiers about two years ago. Some local people believe this happened because soldiers killed a big snake. Landslides and extreme rains are making life hazardous for travel and are impacting on agriculture and daily life. The community demonstrates resilience in adapting to the changes in climate. The floods which wash away roads are frequent and these local people help each other repair roads.
One man explained how he was adapting to climate change: "I have had to take on extra work mainly carrying bags for tourists, because my crops aren't as reliable as they used to be. With more rain in a short time in the monsoon soil gets washed away and my farm produces less to sell and for me to eat..."
While adapting to climate change, they also turned to community forestry, the benefits of which are immense.
A forest project supported by DFID-funded Livelihood Forestry Programme combats deforestation in Nepal. The forests conserved under it work as carbon sink. The LFP initiative produces non-timber forest products for sustainable livelihoods. This can help communities benefit from carbon finance.
An LFP project on a river floodplain (lowland forestry) is aimed at creating viable stable soil on the river bank after change in river levels and flood impact on washed away land. Floods previously eroded soil, but this is now protected by reforesting banks of the river basin and local people can grow other plants for market and utilise new non-timber forest products.
However, micro-level hydro-power is a huge potential vehicle for sustainable growth for rural communities in Nepal. The investment is significant for the community but in common with developing world examples. It is cost effective from the start as it provides numerous economic opportunities immediately. Finance can be paid back within a timeframe of 3-8 years. Advantages are numerous and together make an overwhelming case for uptake. Micro Hydropwer is also consistent with a low carbon footprint and future as it reduces fire wood use as a fuel for heat which significantly reduces de-forestation.
The head of a village hydropower committee says: "This was a poor village. We didn't have enough food to feed ourselves. Now with micro hydro and the irrigation system we mill our own wheat, grow crops all the year round and have light for our children to study in the evening. The village has more income and is self-sufficient and happy."
The challenges of Climate Change are far too great for Nepal to face alone. The situation requires international cooperation to help Nepal respond to climate change. DFID is already helping protect the poorest people in Nepal from the impacts of climate change. Through the existing £19m Livelihoods and Forest Programme DFID is helping many thousands of people to manage their forests for future generations, capture carbon and provide fuel for rural communities. These forest income generation activities allow communities to escape from poverty and develop their resilience to climate change. DFID will expand this work in the future.
DFID is also supporting Nepal to develop its capacity to influence Climate Change negotiations and develop, fund and implement its climate change plans and gain access to climate funds for forestry and renewable energy - worth at least £50m.
Regionally DFID is supporting a South Asia Water Management Programme to help the countries in the region make better use of their water resources for the beneift of all in South Asia.
These activities are all part of the UK's commitment to help tackle Climate Change, as set out in the UK Prime Minister's recent speech and call to action on the 'Road to Copenhagen'.
-- Internet
Peanut farmer Pratima says: "I grow peanuts for market, because we can no longer grow rice or maize; we had to change and adapt. In Rapti we women now have a greater say in the community and have more respect and make decisions for the benefit of community."
Although the village is not better off financially than it was before, it has a future and it is likely that people here are more able to adapt to the changing modern world and to any future impact of climate change. In the same village a man who is now a chicken farmer also diversified from rice growing and was one of only a handful of men who didn't seek work elsewhere. He can understand and communicate what he and other villagers think about the community's environmental impact.
Chicken farmer Ramu says: "This Biogas plant helps the village cut our carbon output and we burn less wood now and I think every village should have one of these. The government should encourage communities to be self-sufficient and communities should be self-sufficient. We know about the link between carbon and climate change."
Thus this villager is not only demonstrating adaptation but also carbon mitigation so reducing impact taking responsibility as well. This case history shows not only resilience but dynamic action to mitigate carbon footprint and understanding of the relationship between carbon and sustainability.
The Ramche village in the high hills of Rasuwa is approximately 4 hrs ride from Kathmandu. A landslide brought on by extreme monsoon rains had killed 20 soldiers about two years ago. Some local people believe this happened because soldiers killed a big snake. Landslides and extreme rains are making life hazardous for travel and are impacting on agriculture and daily life. The community demonstrates resilience in adapting to the changes in climate. The floods which wash away roads are frequent and these local people help each other repair roads.
One man explained how he was adapting to climate change: "I have had to take on extra work mainly carrying bags for tourists, because my crops aren't as reliable as they used to be. With more rain in a short time in the monsoon soil gets washed away and my farm produces less to sell and for me to eat..."
While adapting to climate change, they also turned to community forestry, the benefits of which are immense.
A forest project supported by DFID-funded Livelihood Forestry Programme combats deforestation in Nepal. The forests conserved under it work as carbon sink. The LFP initiative produces non-timber forest products for sustainable livelihoods. This can help communities benefit from carbon finance.
An LFP project on a river floodplain (lowland forestry) is aimed at creating viable stable soil on the river bank after change in river levels and flood impact on washed away land. Floods previously eroded soil, but this is now protected by reforesting banks of the river basin and local people can grow other plants for market and utilise new non-timber forest products.
However, micro-level hydro-power is a huge potential vehicle for sustainable growth for rural communities in Nepal. The investment is significant for the community but in common with developing world examples. It is cost effective from the start as it provides numerous economic opportunities immediately. Finance can be paid back within a timeframe of 3-8 years. Advantages are numerous and together make an overwhelming case for uptake. Micro Hydropwer is also consistent with a low carbon footprint and future as it reduces fire wood use as a fuel for heat which significantly reduces de-forestation.
The head of a village hydropower committee says: "This was a poor village. We didn't have enough food to feed ourselves. Now with micro hydro and the irrigation system we mill our own wheat, grow crops all the year round and have light for our children to study in the evening. The village has more income and is self-sufficient and happy."
The challenges of Climate Change are far too great for Nepal to face alone. The situation requires international cooperation to help Nepal respond to climate change. DFID is already helping protect the poorest people in Nepal from the impacts of climate change. Through the existing £19m Livelihoods and Forest Programme DFID is helping many thousands of people to manage their forests for future generations, capture carbon and provide fuel for rural communities. These forest income generation activities allow communities to escape from poverty and develop their resilience to climate change. DFID will expand this work in the future.
DFID is also supporting Nepal to develop its capacity to influence Climate Change negotiations and develop, fund and implement its climate change plans and gain access to climate funds for forestry and renewable energy - worth at least £50m.
Regionally DFID is supporting a South Asia Water Management Programme to help the countries in the region make better use of their water resources for the beneift of all in South Asia.
These activities are all part of the UK's commitment to help tackle Climate Change, as set out in the UK Prime Minister's recent speech and call to action on the 'Road to Copenhagen'.
-- Internet