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Climate Change Risk, VulneRability and adaptation stRategies at Community leVel in nepal
Mor e t h a n r a i n :
Te consequences of global waiming and a
changing climate can be seen and felt by the Nepali
people. Te gieat glacieis in the Himalayas aie
giadually melting, causing a swelling of glaciei
lakes followed by fash foods. In the study aiea
communities aie alieady expeiiencing unusual
changes such as waimei tempeiatuies, alteiations
in monsoon patteins and eiiatic iainfalls. Tese
changes constitute additional thieats to Nepali
faimeis and iuial population, who aie dependent
on iegulai iainfall and tempeiatuie foi theii
agiicultuial pioduction.
Nepal - a country of diversity
The small landlocked nation north of India and south of China and Tibet,
is host to eight of the worlds ten highest mountains, ranging from an
altitude of 60 m above sea level in southern plains to the raving 8848 m
of Mount Everest in the North. There are fve climatic zones in Nepal; the
tropical and subtropical; the cool, temperate zone; the cold zone; the
sub arctic climatic zone; and the arctic zone. Nepal has a population
of approximately 26 million people. More than 50 ethnic groups are
accommodated in the country and 126 languages are registered to
be spoken there. The main crops are rice, maize, wheat and millet.
C
limate change is at the top of the agenda
woild wide. Scientists, academics and
ieseaicheis pioduce iepoits on the
piospected consequences of vaiious scenaiios.
Rising tempeiatuies, changing weathei patteins
iesulting in huiiicanes, laige foods, as well as
intense dioughts, has alieady become moie
noimal than befoie. Howevei, theie aie few
iepoits fiom the people who daily have to deal
with the consequences of climate change. Tis
fact sheet will tell the stoiy of climate change and
its consequences fiom the view of local Nepali
faimeis. We will show how faimeis use biological
diveisity and tiaditional knowledge associated to
this diveisity to oveicome these climatic changes.
Nepali faimeis have foi thousands of yeais had
to adapt to changing conditions, howevei faced
by the cuiient climate ciisis this will be an even
gieatei challenge. It is impoitant to build on such
local expeitise and knowledge when designing
the way foiwaid. Tis case will give an oveiview
of the cuiient climate changes in Nepal and what
impact this has on faimeis. It will also piesent how
the innovating faiming techniques developed by
local faimeis and development pioject aie helping
faimeis to iespond to these changes. With theii
expeiience and knowledge, and in collaboiation
with a local NGO, Local Initiatives foi Biodiveisity,
Reseaich and Development (LI-BIRD), the Nepali
faimeis have piovided Te Development Fund
with fist hand infoimation on the iisks of climate
change, vulneiability and adaptation stiategies at
community level.
Climate Change Risk, VulneRability, and adaptation stRategies at Community leVel in nepal
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Famers and poor in
rural areas of Nepal
Moie than 8o of the countiys total population
eain theii income thiough agiicultuie. Te main ciops
aie iice, maize, wheat and millet as well as a vaiiation of
vegetables and legumes. : aie landless and a laige pait
of the landless aie Dalits the lowest caste in Nepal. By
not owning land, faimeis and theii families aie fuithei
maiginalized. Many families iepoit that they only have
food self-sumciency between and 8 months of the
yeai. Te changing climate and monsoon pattein pose
additional thieats to the faimeis livelihoods which aie
laigely dependent on natuial iesouices and climate
sensitive sectois such as agiicultuie, foiestiy and fsheiies.
Climate risks
Te climate iisks in the study aiea include changes
in tempeiatuie and changes in aveiage piecipitation oi
iainfall. Meteoiological data collected shows that fiom
:o, to :oo, theie has been an aveiage tempeiatuie
inciease of :., C. Aveiage iainfall has incieased by
:,, mm. Rainfall pattein is eiiatic and unpiedictable.
Although aveiage iainfall in the study sites shows a slight
inciease, monsoon patteins and iainfall intensity and
duiation have changed. Faimeis peiceived that iainfall
intensity incieased the iainfall is intense, but of shoit
duiation. Tis has seveie efects on ciops and haivests.
At the same time, faimeis in the neaiby Pumdi VDC
has expeiienced diought foi the last fve yeais. So even
though aveiage iainfall has incieased, dioughts also aie
occuiiing moie ofen. Shoit peiiods of heavy iains do
not give the soil enough time to absoib the watei that
then iun of the felds and land iesulting in devastating
fash foods. Between :oo: and :oo, theie has been
less iainfall and moie dioughts, leading to lowei iice
yields foicing faimeis to change theii ciopping pattein.
Dioughts and shoit heavy iains ieinfoice each othei
causing a constant deteiioiation of aiable land.
Moie intense hail-stoims destioy wintei ciops and
vegetables. Also events of fiost and fog have incieased.
Te fog has led to an outbieak of blight disease in potato
and the pioduction has declined. Additionally the heavy
moining fog makes it dimcult foi the faimeis to woik on
theii faims.
Global warming has created many new challenges and problems all
around the world. Climate change is predominantly noticed through
changes in weather patterns, temperatures, amount of precipitation
etc. For many poor farmers this has direct affect on their livelihoods,
forcing them to change their agricultural techniques. This change
is neither easy nor cheap, creating more insecurity for the already
marginalized farmers.
In this analysis we consider past and current climate stress by looking at
subjective experiences of climatic events. The subjective perceptions
of climate are more appropriate to show how people have been
affected by the climatic conditions in diverse ways. The experienced
climatic variability and change is crucial in an adaptation analysis,
because the outcomes depend not only on the meteorological
qualities of a weather pattern or extreme event, but on contextual
factors that infuence peoples vulnerability to it and their capacity to
adapt. Thus, a minor drought might have serious consequences for
some, while others may experience relatively small consequences
of a serious drought. Such understanding makes it possible to design
measures that support poor people in their own efforts and make use
of existing strengths and opportunities. The analysis therefore argue
that adaptation measures needs to move beyond climate risks and
physical adaptation measures, to include the social context and
peoples perception of climate change, in order to build their capacity
and resilience to cope with barriers and thresholds.
Social dimension and peoples
perception of climate change
Project areas
The LI-BIRD projects that have been included in this study are situated
in the Kaski and Tanahun Districts in the centre of Nepal. The highest
altitude is 7939 metres above sea level in Kaski District.
Geography and demography
of the study area
Te study aiea foi this climate documentation pioject
has been in the Kaski and Tanahun Distiicts. Tanahun
Distiict has a sub-tiopical to cool climate, wheieas the
Kaski aiea is moie diveise with altitudes up to ,, meteis
above sea level, expeiiencing aictic climate in the highest
aieas. A laige pait of the population is Hindus, with
Buddhists being the second laigest ieligion in the aiea.
Aiound o of the households aie landless oi maiginal
in land holding. Liteiacy is about ,o-,o and aveiage life
expectancy is aiound oo yeais old.
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The main pioblem foi faimeis is
the iiiegulaiity and gieat vaiiation in
the climate. This cieates unceitainties
foi the faimeis and it makes it difficult
foi them to plan which ciops to plant,
when the haivest will be and the quality
and quantity of the pioduce. Accoiding
to faimeis, the iainfall patteins vaiy
moie duiing the monsoon, with timing
and intensity of iainfall becoming
moie eiiatic within and between
seasons. This causes majoi disiuption
to iain-fed agiicultuial systems and
loss of biodiveisity and local landiaces.
Faimeis peiceived that local landiaces
of fingei millet, like Fox-tail millet
and Little millet, has completely
disappeaied fiom all foui sites of the
study. Also seveial othei landiaces has
been iepoited to have disappeaied fiom
the aieas.
Some of the landiaces, oi tiaditional
plant vaiieties, need iainfall foi
long peiiods (almost seven months),
howevei, now the iainy season ends
eailiei, and even the pattein and
intensity of iainfall is not favoiable
foi giowth and pioduction of local
landiaces. Due to these ieasons,
pioductivity of landiaces decieased
and faimeis leaned moie towaids high
yielding and modein vaiieties ieleased
by the official national system. Theie
was also high loss of local vegetables
and fiuit species, e.g. banana.
To make change towaids high
yielding ciop vaiieties might seem like a
good idea. Howevei, the use of modein
vaiieties and hybiids demand excessive
use of chemicals and pesticides, theieby
incieasing both the economic, as well as
enviionmental buiden to maiginalized
faimeis in the study site. This has been
fuithei aggiavated by the goveinment
policy of emphasizing high value cash
ciops and exteinal inputs such as
feitilizei and pesticides, which aie not
locally adapted.
Ciopping patteins have changed
due to changes in species and ciops.
Iiiegulaiities in the composition of
vegetables have also been obseived.
Faimeis iepoited that the size of tiees,
paiticulaily foddei tiees, has decieased.
Giazing and pastuie land has been
ieduced and some local giass species
has declined. This ieduction is being
linked with the diastically ieduced
numbei of livestock held by households,
causing dietaiy pioblems foi faimeis
and theii families.
Highei tempeiatuie leads to a suige
in mosquitoes and fies, which causes
an inciease in vectoi-boine diseases
such as Yellow Fevei and Japanese
Encephalitis, and othei health ielated
pioblems. In addition, faimeis link the
changed monsoon and iainfall pattein to
the constant diying up of stieams, lakes,
ponds, iiveis and wells. All sites visited in
this study expeiienced these watei-stiess
ielated impacts.
Local level impact for farmers
Causes of local
vulnerability factors
In geneial, pooi people aie ofen moie
vulneiable than the moie wealthy. Lack
of economic iesouices, education, piopei
health seivices and food, inciease theii
level of vulneiability. Howevei, in the case
of climate change and its consequences,
poveity is not necessaiily synonymous with
vulneiability. Te global climatic changes
cause huiiicanes, foods and dioughts
making no difeience between pooi and
iich. Even though the two aie ofen linked,
it is impoitant to be awaie of the vaiiable
and sometimes unielated ielationship
between vulneiability and poveity.
Faimeis in Nepal, howevei, aie moie
ofen than not, both pooi and vulneiable.
Teii vulneiability extends beyond the
consequences of climate change and
includes an agiicultuial tiansfoimation
towaids modein vaiieties, loss of
biodiveisity, sensitive ecosystems, watei
stiess, socio-economic factois such as
a vaiying population pattein, migiation,
size of landholding, education status,
occupation, food sumciency status, souices
of income, health and sanitation, access to
maikets and gendei. Faimeis limited access
to technology, infoimation and seivices
also infuences theii level of vulneiability.
Additionally, the long time political
instability and confict in Nepal cause
incieased vulneiability foi the pooi.
Te agiicultuial tiansfoimation is
one of the biggest challenges in the study
aiea. Faimeis have shifed theii land-
use piactices fiom subsistence towaid
intensifcation. In the shoit iun, the
intioduction of high-yielding vaiieties has
led to an inciease in pioduction. Howevei,
the high demand of feitilizei and pesticides
have lef the faimeis unable to continue
with the new vaiieties. It has also iesulted
in a loss of local vaiieties and biodiveisity,
which aie impoitant foi faimeis economy.
We are getting less production of
millet these years because of the
unpredictable rainfall during the
fowering season of the crops. The local
varieties of rice which I used to get when
I was young are disappearing as I grow
older, it may be due to the change in
rainfall pattern. Kalpana Baral from
Kalabang
In simple terms, landraces are farmer
developed crop varieties that are
adapted to the local environment
conditions.
They are grown from seed that has
not been systematically selected
and marketed by seed companies
or developed by plant breeders. A
signifcant proportion of the worlds
farmers grow landraces. The terms
landrace and traditional variety are
sometimes used interchangeably.
What is landrace?
Climate Change Risk, VulneRability, and adaptation stRategies at Community leVel in nepal
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Agricultural transformation in Nepal
During the recent 10 years, there
has been a rapid agricultural
transformation from organic
subsistence farming towards
modernisation and intensifcation.
The new high-yielding varieties have
been introduced through markets and
public policy. Moreover, the loss of
traditional varieties has made farmers
lean more towards high yielding and
modern varieties, but farmers are also
frustrated with the problems occurring
in the growing of these varieties. 50%
of households in the surveyed villages
use chemical fertilisers and pesticides
and purchased improved and hybrid
varieties of seeds. This agricultural
transformation is by many seen as
one of the biggest challenges in the
project area. The modern varieties
and hybrids demand excessive use of
chemicals and pesticides, increasing
the economic an ecological burden
to marginalised farmers in the project
areas. According to the case study,
the agricultural extension service
offered by the government does not
always reach poor people since
they lack both land and fnancial
resources for high investments in
inputs. At the same time, the support
and input from government agencies
is low. It becomes diffcult for farmers
to purchase the seed and costly
chemical fertiliser and pesticides. They
become dependent on companies,
and if seed is not available, the farmers
are helpless. The yields are lower than
expected, and the pressure on farmers
is high. The vulnerability to additional
shocks and changes is most likely
negatively infuenced for many poor
households by this development.
According to the farmers, the use of
chemicals and pesticides has also
affected ecosystems and productivity
of soil and crops.
In the Talbensi areas near Chaur,
there used to be large swamps and
wetland areas. Farmers of Chaur used
to cultivate a local rice landrace
Gauriya which grew well in such
areas. However, frequent fooding
of the Talbesi River and its tributaries
caused massive deposition of mud and
soil, thereby turning this swampy area
into dry agricultural land. Therefore,
the local Gauriya rice is no longer
grown here, but has been replaced
by modern varieties like Radha and
Mansuli. Thus, farmers cannot fnd
seeds of local landraces, while they at
the same time are frustrated with the
production potential and expenses of
modern varieties.
o of the population in the study
aiea ielies on natuial iesouices foi theii
livelihoods. Teii vulneiability depends
on the local ecosystems. Unfoitunately
wetlands, foiests and agiicultuie ecosystems
in the study aiea aie fiagile and in ciitical
conditions, thus making fsheiies, non-
timbei foiest pioducts and ecotouiism
highly vulneiable sectois. Anothei factoi
which afects the vulneiability of the Nepali
people is the diying up of spiings, wells and
othei watei souices. Diy wells lead to longei
distances to puie watei souices. Diy spiings
make paddy cultivation dimcult. Empty
ponds hindei the livestock fiom diinking.
All these scenaiios make faimeis moie
vulneiable and ieduce theii ability to secuie
theii livelihoods.
Te political context in which Nepali
faimeis live also impacts them. Due to
tension between the Maoists, the ioyalists,
the goveinment and othei ethnic gioups
and a civil wai has been going foi moie
than a decade cieating instability and
incieasing vulneiability. Te Maoists have
moie oi less contiolled the iuial aieas,
but foitunately they have been positive to
piojects focusing on pio-pooi
activities and agiicultuie
based initiatives.
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Intervention to combat climate variability impacts - Particpatory Plant Breeding
This study refects an interdisciplinary
approach to adapt to climatic
changes as experimented at Begnas
Village of Western Nepal. Begnas
village, has a rich repository of 69
varieties of local rice landraces. In
the past, local farmers produced
most of these rice landraces on
their agriculture felds. Most of these
varieties favored cultivated land that
lacked irrigation facility. Many had
drought-resistant and lodging-tolerant
characteristics that were suitable
to cope with adverse impacts from
climate variability.
However, due to changes in monsoon
pattern and modernization and
introduction of so-called improved
varieties, farmers slowly moved towards
cultivating few high-yielding varieties
released by the offcial national system.
Initially, the performance of such
improved varieties was encouraging,
but later farmers realized that these
varieties were no longer suited for
the local microclimate. High fertilizer
demand, gradual yield decrease,
and disease and pest outbreaks were
major obstacles as well as economic
burdens for farmers. In addition, these
varieties could not grow well under
changing rainfall patterns, severe
droughts, and unpredicted rainfall and
hailstorms frequently experienced in
Begnas village.
The farmers in 2002 approached
LI-BIRD for help. Farmers wanted to
reintroduce the local landraces, but
with some improvements in their quality
and traits. Farmers knew that the local
landraces possessed characteristics
that could better cope with adverse
climatic impacts and other problems,
particularly if improvements were
made on them. Begnas village of
Kaski District was one of the sites of the
project. The project realized the need
for conserving local landraces after
discussing with farmers and listening
to their experiences. The project
used Participatory Plant Breeding
(PPB) as a strategy to improve quality
and traits of local varieties. Their
intervention followed after farmers
initiation in inventorying the local rice
landraces. A total of 69 rice varieties
were collected at the Community
Seed Bank. The next step before the
breeding activity was participatory
varietal selection of possible strains
after analyzing trait characteristics.
Farmers were interested in 8 selected
varieties which were expected to be
competent and to overcome several
climatic impacts such as low rainfall,
long droughts, etc. Among them,
Mansara was selected for the purpose
of drought resistance, and it was used
for further improvement through
breeding. Mansara is a rice variety
having positive traits like drought-
tolerance, early ripening, low fertilizer
input, and suitability for delayed
monsoons. However, the variety was
no longer popular among farmers
due to some of its negative characters
like low productivity and lack of good
taste.
The PPB work was initiated on
Mansara rice to carry over the
positive characteristic of Mansara
and to replace negative characters
with suitable improved varieties
through on-farm research. Farmer
participation was ensured by initiating
on-farm PPB where they were actively
involved in conducting research
activities including plant selection,
segregation of different lines, and
validation. The on-farm practice
of PPB at Begnas was successful
throughout each generation on
specifc microclimate. Farmers were
encouraged to select the cross of
Mansara and Khumal-4 to fnally
produce a new variety, Mansara-5.
Besides the technical process,
farmers were also encouraged and
involved in other PPB activities such as
organoleptic test (to identify the quality
of rice), milling recovery (amount
recovered from harvest), etc. LI-BIRD
organized planning and monitoring
meetings and joint traveling seminars
every year at farmers felds to ensure
their active participation. Such
involvement of farmers at all levels
of PPB ensured farmer experience to
overcome climate change impacts
and to select the best variety with
positive characteristics suitable for
farmers.
Initially the PPB activity was supported
by a larger in situ conservation project,
but today villagers have formed a PPB
group to continue their innovative
breeding program with different lines of
rice varieties. They are also practicing
documentation of climate change
impacts at local level. Recently, the PPB
group also established a Community
Seed Bank to conserve the gene
pool of local rice landraces. This has
ensured innovation at the local level
to combat with climate change.
Climate Change Risk, VulneRability, and adaptation stRategies at Community leVel in nepal
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Communities have been using theii
own tiaditional methods of adaptation foi
geneiations. Local level adaptation stiategies
such as innovative faiming techniques,
paiticipatoiy plant bieeding and local
institutional aiiangements help small-scale
faimeis to deal with the adveise impact of
climate change. Teie aie no eaily waining
systems, seasonal foiecast oi activities
diiectly ielated to oveicome climate change
that functions today. Howevei, civil society
is pio-active in suppoiting activities at
community level to impiove livelihood
assets of communities which ultimately
ieduces communities vulneiability to
climatic stiesses.
Innovative farming techniques
A changing climate implies a change,
ofen a negative change, in the conditions
and piemises on which agiicultuie ielies.
Diy and less nutiitious soil, scaice watei
iesouices, soil eiosion, catastiophic fash
foods only to mention a few scenaiios,
foices faimeis to cieate new faiming
techniques in oidei to oveicome these
challenges.
Some of the faimeis in the study
aieas piactice on-site manuiing (animal
exciement used as feitilizei), especially
in aieas with lowei slope. Faimeis take
theii livestock and keep in the feld afei
the haivest of ciops oi in foddei defcit
peiiods. Tey aie using gieen manuiing
and leguminous cash ciops to impiove the
soil feitility and income. Similaily, Suiya P.
Adhikaii, a faimei fiom the neaiby village
is actively involved in conseiving the wild
iice by ciossing it with the local landiace.
He is expeiimenting without any suppoit.
Besides, he is also using oiganic faiming
piactices to piomote cofee pioduction and
othei agiicultuial ciops. Below aie some
examples of innovative faiming techniques.
Local level impact for farmers
Creativity and new technology increase farmers adaptive capacity
In Nepal farmers in the LI-BIRD
project area explores new and more
efficient ways of cultivating food
and cash crops. Techniques such as
water harvesting and drip irrigation,
watering of coffee flowering,
terracing, building of check dams to
prevent gully erosion, cultivation on
heaps of soil and hanging nurseries
are just some of the methods
practiced.
Cultivation of potatoes on heap of
soil to reduce loss of soil moisture
Farmers from Kalabang of Pumdi
VDC have for the last 6-7 years been
experiencing less rainfall during the
winter. As a result, farmers are facing
problems with retaining soil moisture
and keeping their crop production
stable. In order to better conserve
soil moisture, local farmers have
started to cultivate potatoes on
mounds of soil. According to farmers,
this method is effective in reducing
the loss of soil moisture due to less
exposure. Many farmers are now
replicating this practice in the area.
Coping with water stresses through
drip irrigation
Water shortage is a key constraint
in rain-fed farming systems at the
study sites. To cope with water
shortage during the pre-monsoon
season, a drip irrigation system was
adopted by farmers of Chaur. The
system consists of a water tank and
a network of pipes with drippers at
predetermined intervals that deliver
water in a controlled way directly to
the roots of the crops. This method
can be used for crops such as
cucumber and cauliflower. Farmers
reported that drip irrigation saves
water compared to bucket irrigation
without reducing yield. The people
of Chaur also believe that drip
irrigation helps in the early maturity
of crops.
Water sprinkling
Water was sprinkled on coffee trees
in dry seasons to induce fowering. To
cope with the drought, potatoes were
grown in rows so that less amount of
water is required. Farmers now sprinkle
warm water in nurseries to maintain
heat during the cold season. Some
farmers are spraying ashes in the
periphery of nurseries to control ant-
attacks.
Hanging nurseries
Farmers reported that the number
of pests has increased with the rise
in temperature. The traditional type
of nursery rising was not capable
of reducing losses from pest attack,
so farmers of Serabeshi started to
raise seedlings by building hanging
nurseries. According to farmers,
besides controlling pests, this type of
nursery also saves seedlings from frost,
weeds, fungus (dampening), and red
ants.
7
Moie affluent households have bettei
access to means of piotection and can
moie easily adapt to climate-induced
stiesses. They can moie ieadily take
iisks in adopting oiganic faiming and
othei management piactices. Howevei,
adaptive iesponses have been limited in
the case of pooiei households. One of
the ieasons foi this is the lack of capital.
Discussions with pooi households
ievealed that they do not have enough
money to invest in adaptive infiastiuctuie
and enteipiise. They also have fewei
oppoitunities and options in teims of
exploiing adaptation mechanisms.
In Begnas, Chaui, :, out of ,
households belonged to landless and
economically pooi categoiies. Among
them, most of the households weie Dalit,
the lowei cast aitisan gioup. LI-BIRDs
pioject suppoited the inclusion of Dalit
and pooi faimeis in Chaui by pioviding
entiy fees coveiing the ,o cost. Tese
households aie now amliated with Piatigya
Coopeiative. Public school land was leased
and piovided to these pooi households
foi agiicultuie faiming. Tey cultivated
and pioduced main season iice and
wintei season ciop on the leased land.
In oidei to build the capacity of the
pooi Dalit people, the LI-BIRD pioject
suppoited mobilization of ievolving
funds, establishment of collection
centie, oiganic village development,
fiuit saplings and distiibution of mini-
diveisity kits. Foi fuithei stiengthening
the saving-and-ciedit piogiam was
initiated by faimeis by iaising theii own
funds. Thiough this fund, faimei gioups
have invested in activities that suppoit
livelihoods of pooi people (especially in
Dalit/landless gioups). Extia funds weie
also ieceived fiom donois to suppoit
such community initiatives. Funds weie
mobilized foi livelihood enhancement,
income geneiating activities foi pooi/
maiginal and Dalit faimeis in each
study site. The ievolving fund was
piovided to faimei gioups in the foim
of seed money. Faimei gioups weie
fully iesponsible foi fund mobilization
based on the financial guidelines
developed and agieed by the gioup.
Tiough the LI-BIRD pioject key
issues of poveity aie being addiessed by
piomoting biodiveisity-based livelihoods
and taigeting towaids impioving the
economic status of pooi and maiginalized
faimeis. It envisaged that biodiveisity-
iich agiicultuie piovides a wide iange
of livelihood options and secuiity in
times of stiess. Pioject activities weie
oiiented towaids incieasing iuial
incomes in many aieas thiough taigeted
commeicialization of iich bio-wealth of
middle mountain ecosystems. Te pioject
focused on building livelihood assets
of pooi and maiginalized communities
iesiding in peii-uiban aieas of Pokhaia
Valley by piomoting diveisifcation of
biodiveisity-based livelihoods, value
addition and maiketing. Altogethei
:oo pooi and Dalit households weie
given special focus and attention.
Farmdiversifcation
Incomegeneratingactivities
Productionofmarketing
and agiicultuial pioducts
Conservationoflocal
vaiieties and species
Leasedbasedfarming
Organicfarming
Supportingand
stiengthening faimeis gioups
Although most vulneiability factois
iemain and climate iisks in the Nepal
pioject aiea aie high, these pioject
activities can inciease the numbei of
options that pooi people can use to
iespond both to the climatic and non-
climatic challenges they face. Knowledge,
awaieness, equipment, fnancial suppoit
and a iange of agiicultuial techniques
both ieduce the iisk of climate ielated
losses fiom faims, and inciease the
capacity and fexibility to adapt the
income geneiating activities to the
veiy vaiiable weathei conditions.
The inteivention caiiied out
by LI-BIRD with community
suppoit is effective in piomoting
agio biodiveisity management, and
income geneiating activities which
is adding value to the peoples ability
to cope to climate vaiiability. These
inteiventions have significantly cieated
options thiough eniiching diveisity
and empoweiing communities foi
piomoting agiicultuial innovations
like PPB and Value addition. Valuing
biological wealth and local knowledge
and piactices has been effective means
to inciease faimeis ability to mange
iesouices in a sustainable mannei.
LI-BIRD employees and pioject
woikeis point out that an impoitant
success factoi foi the pioject is high
paiticipation of communities. Accoiding
to the case study on paiticipatoiy plant
bieeding, the pioject has capitalized
the existing knowledge and iesouice
base by piomoting local knowledge and
faimeis innovations, and the livelihoods
diveisifcation ieduces vulneiability
to a wide iange of shocks and stiesses,
paiticulaily foi pooi and women faimeis.

As mentioned in the above sections,
the agiicultuial tiansfoimation, which
focuses on using a few and impioved
vaiieties, has put faimeis moie at iisk by
adding ecological and economic buidens
to the alieady existing piessuie of climate
iisk and hazaids. Foi example loss of
tiaditional ciop vaiieties means loss of
choices foi faimeis and pooi faimeis
have to depend upon seed companies
foi puichasing impioved vaiiety. Te
piice is iegulated by the seed companies
and faimeis aie bound to pay and if it
is not available, they aie out of options.
Additionally, theie aie chances that
these vaiieties have pioblems of pest
and diseases and even iequiie highei
input and intensive laboi. Pooi faimeis
have become moie and moie vulneiable
in teims of climatic iisk which cieates
ecological havoc like fooding, diought
and eiiatic monsoon piecipitation and
again tioubled by loss of landiaces, ciop
failuie, pest and disease outbieak and
socioeconomic tuimoil and confict.
Te issue of climate change and
vaiiability needs to be looked at in ielation
to othei iisks and vulneiability factois
afecting small-scale faimeis and theii
families in Nepal. A holistic appioach
looking at climate iisk, vulneiability and
adaptive capacity including the social
dimension piovides a moie thoiough
analysis of the actual situation in the
given aiea. Weve leaint that the above
mentioned activities initiated by faimeis
and local NGOs ieduce vulneiability
and enhance theii adaptive capacity.
Te piedictions made by the IPCC
imply that global tempeiatuie levels
will iise and this will have a signifcant
impact on agiicultuial management
and pioduction. It is theiefoie vital to
suppoit efoits and initiatives that aim
to conseive biodiveisity and develop
locally suited agiicultuie piactices and
techniques to oveicome the additional
thieat that climate change poses.
Local institutional arrangement
and pro poor measures
Project Contribution to Enhance Coping
and Adaptation Capacity of Individuals
Building adaptive
capacity of local farmers
Summary
8
The Development Fund is a Norwegian
independent non-government organisation
(NGO). We support environment- and
development projects through local partners
in Asia, Africa and Latin America. We believe
that the fght against poverty must be based
on sustainable management of natural
resources in local communities.
Utviklingsfondet / The Development Fund
www.utviklingsfondet.no

More than rain
This publication is part of the report
More than Rain - Identifying sustainable
pathways for climate adaptation and
poverty reduction.
The frst objective of this study is to
look at how climate change impacts
farmers and poor people in the
respective countries. Then it is important
to understand and discuss the links
between climate change adaptation,
development, and poverty reduction
and present the notion of sustainable
adaptation measures. The second
objective is to identify how sustainable
adaptation measures can look like in
specifc, on-the-ground development
projects. Finally, it is our aim to
present some guiding principles for
identifying activities and strategies
that both reduce poverty and
increase the capacity of households
and communities to respond to
climatic variability and change. In
order to attain these objectives, it has
been fundamental to get the farmers
feedback on the experienced climate
risks, causes of vulnerability and their
ability to adapt.
More than rain has been a cooperation
between the Development Fund in
Norway, CIPRES in Nicaragua, REST in
Ethiopia, LI-BIRD in Nepal and the Global
Environmental Change and Human
Security project at the University of Oslo
(GECHS). GECHS has provided a solid
analysis of the work we are doing which
increases our understanding of what
climate change and vulnerability means
for local populations and their livelihoods.
The full report and case studies can be
downloaded from:
www.utviklingsfondet.no/morethanrain
The information in this presentation
is based on LI-BIRDs report Climate
Change Risk, Vulnerability and
Adaptation Strategies at Community
Level made in Nepal, and on an
analysis of various climate studies
presented in the report More
than Rain - identifying sustainable
pathways for climate adaptation
and poverty reduction made by
Global Environmental Change and
Human Security Project (GECHS) at the
University of Oslo.
Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LI-BIRD) is a
non-proft making, non-governmental organisation (NGO) committed
to capitalise on local initiatives for the sustainable management of
renewable natural resources and an improved livelihood for people
in Nepal. LI-BIRD strives to develop and maintain active links with local,
national and international institutions in achieving its objectives. LI-BIRD
was established in October 1995 and has its headquarter in Pokhara,
200 km west of Kathmandu.
LI-BIRD and the Development Fund have worked together since
2004. With the latest project called Community-based Biodiversity
Management (CBM) LI-BIRD works to enhance the livelihood security
of resource poor farmers through community managed conservation
and utilization of their genetic resources in Nepal. By involving the
government the project aims to scale up good practices on on-farm
management of genetic resources and to institutionalise farmers
rights to manage, use and develop these resources.