Initiative for Climate Change Adaptation (ICCA) Programme in Nepal
Challenges and Objectives
Khalte village lies at Yaladi VDC in the Syangia district of Central-West Nepal. Like many other parts of the country, water access was one of the main challenges for the village. It made some villagers migrate to another village, city area, Tarai region, and even foreign countries as labor workers for their survival. Despite having the potential to be developed as a pocket area for vegetable farming, smallholders in Khalte were largely dependent upon the seasonal rainfall influenced by the erratic pattern and, therefore, restricted off-seasonal farming.
Initiative for Climate Change Adaptation (ICCA) Programme (Hydraulic Ram Pump or Hydram -Programme) Program was launched in April 2012, with Resource Identification and Management Society-Nepal (RIMS-Nepal) leading the collaboration formation, along with the Adhikhola Samudhaik Bikash Kenda (ACDC), Syangjia, iDE-Nepal, USAID, and the support of Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD) and District Agriculture Development Office (DADO). The program aimed at enhancing the capacity of poor and vulnerable communities to foster adaptation against the adverse impacts of climate change and check emissions through strengthening institutions and mechanisms to facilitate effective governance for climate change adaptation, resources mobilization, and mainstreaming development planning linking forestry and agricultural development initiatives; enhancing communities’ capacities to respond to adverse impacts of climate change and harness opportunities; diversifying the livelihood and resilience of poor and vulnerable communities through sustainable income generation, skills, and enterprise development; and identifying and facilitating suitable adaptation interventions, innovations, and technologies.
Collaboration Partners and Roles
As the Programme leader, RIMS-Nepal acted as the primary bridge between external associations and user groups. It coordinated the efforts of the Adhikhola Samudhaik Bikash Kendra (ACDC), Syangjia, that communicate with villagers, encourage Khalte smallholders to support and participate in the program, and lease fields from villagers for farming rehabilitation, as the material foundation for the lunch of the programme. The iDE-Nepal and USAID both provided financial support. With a strong commitment to restoring the village, the smallholders share traditional knowledge and indigenous practices, such as the use of natural materials and local plants around the village for climate change adaptation. The Hariyali Hydraulic Ramp Pump Users Committee (HHRUC) provided knowledge, manpower, and skills to help with farmland rehabilitation and village revitalization, construction, and maintenance of Hydram. The MoAD and DADO both provided support in the public domain and endorsed the program, a statutory advisory body representing the interests of smallholders.
Revitalisation Activities
The programme was implemented in 2012 and ended in 2017, conducting a wide range of rural revitalization initiatives to support the environmental, social, and economic needs of the community. Regarding the environmental aspect, the program has rehabilitated the fallow fields by implementing vegetable farming practices using organic and environmentally friendly methods such as green manure and compost manure. Furthermore, efforts were made to rebuild the irrigation systems for improved cultivation for commercial production of fruits and vegetables. With respect to the social aspect, the program encouraged the young to return from Golf countries and other villages and be involved in commercial fruits and vegetable farming, thus retaining the productivity of fallow farmland, stopping labor-force migration, and celebrating fests and festivals with their family. In the economic aspect, the program brings diversification of economic opportunities through commercial vegetable farming, permaculture (fruit cultivation), and NTFP production.
Revitalisation Outcome
The programme has benefitted 32 underprivileged households (25 Dalit & Janajati and 7 from others) directly from water supplied through Hydram and commercial vegetable farming. 17 households adopted off-seasonal vegetable farming all year round, thus helping to create sustainable household income. No farmland remained fallow. An additional 2.16ha of fallow farmland was rehabilitated through the hydram and drip irrigation system, with productivity increased by 30 % and annual household income by NPR 25,000.
Smallholders from different ethnic communities live dignified, self-esteemed, and harmoniously healthy lives within the village. Smallholders are more motivated to live within the village with more income from commercial vegetable farming and have improved health by eating fresh organic, vegetables and fruits. Smallholders are willing to spend more money on rehabilitating their houses.
This is the abridged version of a case prepared by AIRI Fellow Surendra Tiwari. For further information, please email Dr. Thi Phuoc Lai Nguyen at phuoclai@ait.asia.