Local Adaptation Mechanisms to Address Climate Led Food Insecurity in Far-Western Nepal: the Case of Badimalika Municipality

Journal of Food Science and Engineering 9 (2019) 1-5 doi: 10.17265/2159-5828/2019.01.001 D DAVID PUBLISHING Local Adaptation Mechanisms to Address Climate Led Food Insecurity in Far-western Nepal: The Case of Badimalika Municipality Deepak Chaulagain1 and Parshu Ram Rimal2 College of Applied Sciences, Tribhuvan University, Environmental Science, Kathmandu, Nepal Abstract: The study was carried out to understand the food security situation and coping mechanisms due to an effect of climate change on food security of Badimalika Municipality of Bajura district in the far-western region; an acute food deficit district of Nepal. Literature review, household questionnaire survey to document primary data, stakeholders’ consultation with field observations were the principle methods applied to explore the possible adaptation measures for securing food and livelihood of people. The research revealed that the district is food insecure for at least six to nine months of a year which is worsened by climate induced natural disasters: flood, landslides and drought. Sudden and unpredictable precipitation both in winter and monsoon has distorted the productions over the years. Considerable proportions of grazing land and forested area have been converted into farmland especially in the highlands. Migrating working class manpower to India to seek livelihoods is a menace to development in the place while seasonal migration in and outside the country is an interesting adaptive mechanism in the district. Drought resistant crop varieties such as Finger Millet (Elusine coracana), Foxtail Millet (Setaria italic L.), Wheat (Triticum aestivum), and Amaranth (Amaranthus sp.) are highly potential cereal crops that need to be promoted. Some humanitarian agencies with the support of GoN have been playing an important role in reducing the impact of food deficiency in the region. National Food Corporation District Office supplies the deficit quantity of food to the people. The government needs to make agriculture the highest priority with increased investment schemes to avert the looming food crisis with emphasis on further research based activities through understanding the impact of climate change on specific crops and respective technological interventions, incorporating local adaptation mechanisms for disasters and climate change. Slow-forming terraces, conservation tillage, crop diversification, selection and promotion of drought-resistant varieties of crops, ecological pest management, seed and grain storages etc. are some technological innovations to be considered for enhancing food security. Key words: Adaptation, climate change, food security, interventions, migration. 1. Introduction evident in studying and analyzing the impacts of climate change on crop production, yield variability in The food security situation in the underdeveloped regards with food security [2]. The increasing food country is heavily affected by the climate change demand with the rise of population has increased effect as it has challenged the quantity of food environmental pressures in the existing ecosystem. production and its longer term stability including the One of the prominent effects of human-induced effect on the food access and its utilization [1]. climate change on the volume of food production and Various climate change estimates have brought an its quality is the governance of the food system for the increasing interest of scientific community on food equitable food distribution among the existing and nutrition security together with the need of population [3]. A study carried out by Ref. [4] states climate change adaptation. As a number of studies are that Nepal is one of the world’s poorest nations, with Corresponding author: 1. Deepak Chaulagain, College of 25.2% population living below the poverty line. Applied Sciences, Tribhuvan University, Environmental According to the study of the Asian Development Science, Kathmandu, Nepal 2. Parshu Ram Rimal, University of Hohenheim, Agriculture Economics, Stuttgart, Germany. Bank [5] 75% of Nepal’s population is under acute 2 Local Adaptation Mechanisms to Address Climate Led Food Insecurity in Far-western Nepal: The Case of Badimalika Municipality food shortage due to lack of food access and their Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM). weak purchasing power. People residing in the Rainfall and temperature record from Bajura station at mountains experience the rise of temperature, low Kolti and Mangalsain Achham, and Chainpur Bajang precipitation in winter and rising trend of natural were estimated using arithmetic mean method. The disasters and increasing severity of insects’ pests’ five-year moving average method was used to find out infestation for the last twenty years. They have noted the normal trend value for the unit of time falling at that the climate change has driven to decreased crop the middle of the period covered in the calculation of and livestock production and increased domestic average. burden to the local populations. They believe that this effect will further increase climate vulnerability 4. Results and Discussions in the future. However, the local populations have 4.1 Occupation Status practiced some local climate change adaptation Fig. 1 reflects the occupation status of the sampled measures using their indigenous knowledge, such as households. It was recorded that the crop and growing improved crop varieties, improved livestock farming is the main occupation that irrigation systems and fertilizers as coping strategies comprises of almost 69%. It was identified that 16% [6]. HHs were involved in services, 1% in overseas 2. Objective employment and the remaining 13% were seasonal migrants working as a labor in various sectors in the The paper aims to evaluate effect of climate change nearby cities and in India. Goats and cattle are the on food security and local adaptation mechanisms in major livestock reared by the population for their far western hilly region of Nepal. livelihoods. 3. Methodology 4.2 Household Food Sufficiency The study was carried out in Badimalika Paddy (Oryza Sativa), Maize (Zea mays), Millet Municipality of Far-Western mountainous region of (Eleusine Coracana), Barley (Hordeum Vulgare) and Nepal. Stratified random sampling design was applied Potato (Solanum tuberosum) being major crops of the for selecting the households for questionnaire survey. study area, some community rear pigs, cattle, small The entire study area was divided into four village scale poultry farm, goat etc. that aid to food clusters. Sample size was determined by Arkin and sufficiency mostly at subsistence level. Fig. 2 Colton [7] and 69 households were selected for a illustrates that 7% of the respondents did not have questionnaire survey. A large number of households their own farm land. 28% had sufficient production were taken in Martadi village because of high number for up to 3 months, 39% had enough food for up to 6 of population and its marginal socio-economic and months, 9% had food sufficiency for up to 9 months in agricultural character and less influenced by the a year and the reaming 11% stated that their food governmental and nongovernmental organizations on source comes from other sectors. development interventions. Information was gathered 4.3 Rainfall and Temperature using structured questionnaires, physical observations, Key Informant Interview (KII), Focus Group The average annual temperature in 2017 was Discussions (FGDs) and literature review. The data 15.9 °C and was increasing by 0.06 °C/yr. The rainfall related to rainfall and temperature were taken from is decreasing by 16.74 mm/yr. The monsoon rainfall is Meteorological Records of Nepal published by the Journal of Food Science and Engineering 9 (2019) 1-5 doi: 10.17265/2159-5828/2019.01.001 13% 1% 37% 16% 32% Crop farming Livestock Service Overseas employment Others Fig. 1 Occupational status of the study area. 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% Respondents of 10.0% % 0.0% Landless 3 Months 6 Months 9 Months 12 Months Others Food sufficient months in a year Fig. 2 Food sufficiency. 80.0% 60.0% 40.0% Temperature 20.0% Precipitation 0.0% Snowfall % of respondents of % Increased Decreased No Change Don' know Irrigular People perception Fig. 3 People perception on temperature, precipitation and snowfall. decreasing by 18.75%, ppre-monsoon by 3.51%, post snowfall over the years. Three percent perceived the monsoon by 1.6% and winter by 6.47%. decreased temperature, 39% perceived decreased precipitation and 66% perceived decreased snowfall. 4.4 People Perception on Temperature, Precipitation Twenty-four percent noted no change in temperature, and Snowfall Pattern 18% noted no change in precipitation, and 3% Forty-five percent of the respondents noted the perceived no change in snow fall. Unaware population increased temperature, 18% perceived increased on change in temperature, precipitation and snowfall precipitation while no one perceived the increased were 11%, 13% and 14% respectively. Eighteen 4 Local Adaptation Mechanisms to Address Climate Led Food Insecurity in Far-western Nepal: The Case of Badimalika Municipality percent of the respondents stated that the temperature fodder in winter. Agroforestry practices are has been irregular over the years. At the same time 17% complementing the fodder shortage to the smallholder respondents said they are not able to predict the farming population. Community Forestry Programs snowfall pattern over the years. The respondents did have also been showing good results in the region remark

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