Papers by keshav maharjan
Adaptation is undeniably crucial to address the complex issues and impacts of climate change at a... more Adaptation is undeniably crucial to address the complex issues and impacts of climate change at all levels in Nepal. The favorable policies and adaptive capacities of the communities are equally important to adapt to the climatic risks and hazards. The policies such as NAPA, national climate change policy and LAPA have been formulated in Nepal to address these climatic risks and hazards at national and local levels. Correspondingly, the communities and institutions are also adapting through their own efforts and initiatives. These institutions have contributed vital roles in policy formulation and effective implementation of adaptation plans and strategies as guided by NAPA and LAPA. This review paper has explored and analyzed the climate policies in Nepal, strengths and gaps in such policies, roles of local institutions in the policy formulation and effective implementation of adaptation plans and strategies. It has reviewed and analyzed the existing literature relating to climate ...
Cogent Food & Agriculture, 2017
The severity of climate change impacts is observable and devastating at the local level, especial... more The severity of climate change impacts is observable and devastating at the local level, especially among the poor and ethnic people settled in the marginal and ecologically fragile areas, because of their least adaptive capacities and resilience. Thus, it is crucial to understand the local climatic risks, vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities to develop appropriate coping and adaptation strategies. However, the reliable climate data and information are not available at local level because of few meteorological stations. Therefore, this study has concentrated on participatory approaches to assess and analyze the climate vulnerabilities and impacts, needs and priorities of the community in Madi valley of Chitwan district. The study has applied participatory tools in the focus group discussions in the valley with a total of 112 participants. The communities in the study site observed flood, drought and riverbank erosion are the most severe climatic threats to them with different intensities based on age, caste, class, gender and sectors. They, further, perceived that wildlife attacks from Chitwan National Park are more dangerous as they affect their livelihoods throughout the year, though more severe in crop harvesting time. The farmers perceived natural and policy factors are highly influential in causing climate change. The major adaptation interventions found in the valley
The Chepangs are one of the indigenous nationalities of Nepal, categorized as a highly marginaliz... more The Chepangs are one of the indigenous nationalities of Nepal, categorized as a highly marginalized group. Majority of the Chepangs live in remote hilly settlements of Chitwan, Makwanpur, Dhading, and Gorkha districts. Although their native area is not very far from the capital city Kathmandu and is surrounded by major highways of the country, the area is poorly served by rudimentary infrastructures, if any at all. This community is also marginalized in terms of socio-economic and political indicators. The livelihoods of the Chepangs have undergone significant transition over the last one-and-a-half century from a nomadic group to shifting cultivation and further to sedentary subsistence agriculture. However, because farming is barely sufficient, the community adopts a multipronged livelihood strategy combining farming with forestry and wage laboring, among others.
Although farming is the mainstay of the Chepang livelihoods, wild and uncultivated plants are sti... more Although farming is the mainstay of the Chepang livelihoods, wild and uncultivated plants are still highly important for them as farming alone is rarely sufficient. Majority of the households own unirrigated uplands where they cultivate maize and millet as the major staples. Vegetables are less cultivated by the Chepangs. Wild and uncultivated plants are thus important not only as staple food but also as the source of food diversity and nutritional security in the form of green vegetables, fruits, and spices. A comparison of annual cropping calendar and gathering calendar clearly shows that wild tubers are consumed as staples during the months when the earlier harvest is depleted, and the new harvest is not yet ready. It is important to understand this complementary relationship between farming and gathering to improve the food security of the Chepang community.
International Social Science Journal, Mar 1, 2016
Asian journal of agriculture and rural development, Jan 5, 2015
Organic farming provides social, economic and environmental benefits but it still occupies a smal... more Organic farming provides social, economic and environmental benefits but it still occupies a small share of the overall agriculture sector. The objective of this study is to assess factors identifying the underlying issues leading farmers to adopt organic farming. The study was conducted in Chitwan district where indiscriminate use of agro-chemicals is very much existent but the concept of organic farming is also emerging especially in three village development committees within the district; namely Phoolbari, Shivanagar and Mangalpur. Based on field observation, the farming system is categorized into organic, partial organic and inorganic farming. Data from 285 purposively selected households were analyzed using Multinomial Logit model in Stata 13. Results show that older farmers are reluctant to change and thus has lower tendency to adopt organic farming. On the other hand, livestock holding is very crucial as it supplies the much needed manure for fertilizing the soil. More significantly membership in a group formed for the purpose of organic farming and the extent of activities such as training conducted through it has been very much successful in encouraging farmers to convert to organic or at least partial organic farming. Thus, formation of such groups in other areas could be the most effective tool for large scale conversion to organic farming.
RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, 2015
Premium price is one of the most attractive features of organic farming but having access to one ... more Premium price is one of the most attractive features of organic farming but having access to one possess various difficulties, especially in the context of developing countries. The objective of this study is to analyze factors impacting involvement in marketing of crops and intensity of income generation therein between organic and conventional farmers by taking into consideration the existence of premium market. It was conducted in semi-urban Chitwan district of Nepal where group conversion to organic farming exists. Data from 285 respondents, selected using stratified sampling method, were analyzed using probit and ordinary least square model. This study finds that income from organic farming is less than conventional farming because production per hectare, commercialization rate and price at which the crops are sold per unit is higher for conventional farm, and access to premium market is very limited. This should be the primary focus for making organic farming monetarily attractive.
RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, Jun 1, 2011
Chepangs are highly marginalized indigenous nationalities of Nepal, who live nearby the forests t... more Chepangs are highly marginalized indigenous nationalities of Nepal, who live nearby the forests that are rich in Non-timber Forest Products (NTFPs) of commercial importance. These NTFPs can be a potential source of income for Chepangs. This study describes the role of Chepangs in the marketing channel of those NTFPs and analyses the household socioeconomic characteristics that influence the collection and marketing of NTFPs by Chepangs in Shaktikhor VDC of Chitwan district using backward multiple regression method. Empirical evidences show that collection and marketing of NTFPs is not an attractive source of income especially for those relatively better-off Chepang households who possess higher landholdings, food self-sufficiency, and income from other alternative sources. This is because the current price offered for the NTFPs collected by the community is very nominal, that do not even cover the labour costs involved. Praja Cooperative Limited (PCL), a Chepang community based institution in Shaktikhor, is struggling to provide better prices for Chepangs. However, it is facing challenges due to limited institutional management capacity of Chepangs. Further empowerment of PCL can contribute to improve the bargaining power of Chepang community in NTFP trade.
This chapter documents the ongoing community-based adaptation practices, which are categorized ac... more This chapter documents the ongoing community-based adaptation practices, which are categorized according to the fivefold classification based on risk pooling across space, time, assets, household, and market. It is measured in terms of adoption rate by the households. A comparison of this adoption rate with adaptive capacity across the four study sites shows that balanced possession of all asset categories is necessary to translate adaptive capacity into adaptation actions. A multivariate probit model is used to analyze the factors influencing the adoption of various adaptation practices. Five categories of adaptation choices are analyzed against a set of socio-economic, institutional, infrastructural, and perception variables. Perception, landholding, land tenure, distance to road, credit, information, extension services, and training are influential to enable the households to adapt.
The community perceptions are compared with the actual trends of temperature and rainfall recorde... more The community perceptions are compared with the actual trends of temperature and rainfall recorded in the nearest meteorological stations. Spatial clustering of those perceptions is tested using Global Moran’s I test. A probit model is used to analyze the characteristics that differentiate the respondents who correctly perceive the changes from those who do not. Access to information and extension services facilitate perceptions of temperature and rainfall changes. Cultivation of cash crops also facilitates perceptions of rainfall. On the other hand, formal education and engagement in non-farm income sources reduce the ability to perceive the changes. In the case of temperature, farming experience alone is not sufficient to perceive the ongoing changes. Priority must be placed on the dissemination of relevant information to the community and updating the educational curriculum.
Journal of rural problems, 2008
Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
Premium price is one of the most attractive features of organic farming but having access to one ... more Premium price is one of the most attractive features of organic farming but having access to one possess various difficulties, especially in the context of developing countries. The objective of this study is to analyze factors impacting involvement in marketing of crops and intensity of income generation therein between organic and conventional farmers by taking into consideration the existence of premium market. It was conducted in semi-urban Chitwan district of Nepal where group conversion to organic farming exists. Data from 285 respondents, selected using stratified sampling method, were analyzed using probit and ordinary least square model. This study finds that income from organic farming is less than conventional farming because production per hectare, commercialization rate and price at which the crops are sold per unit is higher for conventional farm, and access to premium market is very limited. This should be the primary focus for making organic farming monetarily attrac...
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this p... more The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
Socio-Economic Issues of Climate Change, 2019
This chapter sums up the climate change policies and programs, status of greenhouse gas emissions... more This chapter sums up the climate change policies and programs, status of greenhouse gas emissions, trend of weather variables and other aspects of climate change in Nepal. Nepal started addressing the issues of climate change in its policy documents from 2002, however it has been struggling to develop specific policy instruments to implement the climate policy paradigms. The country achieved reduction in the GHG emission in recent years mainly through the promotion of alternative energies and forest conservation facilitated by international climate regimes. There is a consistent increase in temperature with marked spatial differences in its trend. Precipitation, however, shows large interannual variations with negative trend. Precipitation is expected to get more intense in the future. The increased temperature and more erratic precipitation are expected to impact the glacier in the Himalayas, livelihood assets through increased incidence of water-related disasters, human health, and agriculture sector.
Socio-Economic Issues of Climate Change, 2019
The vulnerability analysis in this chapter is based on indices constructed from selected indicato... more The vulnerability analysis in this chapter is based on indices constructed from selected indicators measuring exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. The indicators were weighted using principal component analysis. Inter-village analysis of the vulnerability index indicated that exposure in a locality is modified by the inherent adaptive capacity of the households, and this determines overall vulnerability. Inter-household analysis of vulnerability indicated that poor households with low adaptive capacity were vulnerable irrespective of their location. The availability of non-farm livelihood opportunities and community access to formal/vocational education and skill development training will reduce household vulnerability to climate change. Policy interventions should focus on improving the adaptive capacity of households, prioritizing financial and human assets.
Socio-Economic Issues of Climate Change, 2019
This book adopts the sustainable rural livelihoods framework proposed by Department for Internati... more This book adopts the sustainable rural livelihoods framework proposed by Department for International Development (DFID) as the conceptual framework. The asset pentagon forms the center of the framework. Vulnerability context constitutes the backdrop against which livelihoods are created. Another component is the structures and processes that refer to the institutions, organizations, policies, and legislation that shape livelihoods. Given the vulnerability context, a unit utilizes its assets, structures, and processes to devise livelihood strategies so as to achieve the desired livelihood outcomes. There are various forward linkages and backward loops in the framework that show the interactions among the components. The analytical framework of the book is based on the sustainable rural livelihoods framework, whereby the components are modified to the suit the objectives of the study.
Researchers have demonstrated evidence of changes in the climatic conditions over the time. This ... more Researchers have demonstrated evidence of changes in the climatic conditions over the time. This paper reviews indigenous knowledge and practices, with reference to traditional water resource management, in view of the climate change impacts on traditional water resources, especially stone spouts, which have been practiced over many centuries in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal. There is a need to document and preserve the existing indigenous knowledge and practices.
Rice is the most important staple food crop grown in Nepal. This study tries to analyze the produ... more Rice is the most important staple food crop grown in Nepal. This study tries to analyze the production situation and production efficiency of rice in different development regions of Nepal. In this study 480 farmers were selected randomly from 12 districts representing entire five development regions and surveyed using semi-structured questionnaire. This information was supplemented by the information obtained from group discussions, observations and other secondary sources. With average landholding of 1.6 ha/household, 64.6% of the respondents were growing rice under 1 ha of land on an average. Western Development Region dominated all other development regions in terms of average production, marketed amount and yield. The benefit-cost ratio of rice production was the highest in Central Development Region indicating the most efficient production practice in the country. This is mainly due to easy availability and judicious use of production inputs. The overall net profit was Rs 16,1...
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Papers by keshav maharjan