Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Agro-Biodiversity Management: Using Indigenous Knowledge to Cope with Climate Change in the Middle-Hills of Nepal

  • Full-Length Research Article
  • Published:
Agricultural Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A survey was conducted to explore people’s indigenous knowledge in assessing the management and farming tactics of agro-biodiversity as adaptation strategies to climate change impacts on farms in the Pokhare Khola watershed in the Middle-Hills of Nepal. People observed the effects of decreasing rainfall, prolonged air temperature with intensity, short and warm winter with insufficient post-monsoon rainfall, and seasonal changes in rainfall patterns. Indigenous management techniques involved the modification of cropping pattern and season, introduction of new farming strategy (over 95 % farmers), approaching irrigation, and managing water from spring, wells, and carrying water from long distant area. The interchanged pattern (paddy–vegetables–paddy) from previous pattern and new introduced pattern (paddy–vegetables–fallow) were documented as popular in leveled terraced fields (khet). During survey in 2010, maize–vegetables pattern has become adapted instead of maize–millet pattern in around the homestead areas (bari). People perceived that short winter with insufficient rain declined wheat (Triticum aestivum) and changed annual rainfall pattern and water shortage lowered the millet (Elusine coracana) production. The use of improved varieties of plants, goat keeping, and planting fodder trees on bari were also perceived as coping strategy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ajibade LT, Shokemi OO (2003) Indigenous approaches to weather forecasting in Asa LGA, Kwara State, Nigeria. Indilinga Afr J Indig Knowl Syst 2:37–44

    Google Scholar 

  2. Aryal KA (2012) The history of disaster incidents and impacts in Nepal 1900–2005. Int J Disaster Risk Sci 3(3):147–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Baul TK (2010) Climate change and adaptation practices through agro-biodiversity on farm land in the Middle–Hills of Nepal: A case study in Pokhare Khola watershed in Pida village development committee (VDC) of Dhading district. Dissertation, Bangor University

  4. Baul TK, Tiwari KR, Ullah KMA, McDonald MA (2013) Exploring agrobiodiversity on farm: A case from Middle–Hills of Nepal. Small Scale Forestry. doi:10.1007/s11842-012-9234-y

  5. Baul TK, Ullah KMA, Tiwari KR, McDonald MA (2013) People’s local knowledge of climate change in the Middle-Hills of Nepal. Indian J Tradit Knowl 12(4):585–595

    Google Scholar 

  6. Beets WC (1990) Raising and sustaining productivity of small holder farming systems in the tropics. AgBe Publishing, Alkmaar, p 738

    Google Scholar 

  7. Carter AS, Gilmour D (1989) Increase in tree cover on private farmland in Central Nepal. Mount Res Develop 9(4):381–391

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) (2011) Preliminary result of National Population Census 2011. 12 July 2013. http://census.gov.np/ (in Nepalese)

  9. Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) (2006) www.cbs.gov.np. Accessed 21 Jun 2012

  10. Dahal N (2006) Implications of climate change in Nepal; some observations and opportunities. Paper presented at the 23rd Warden Seminar, November 2006 held in Pokhara, Nepal

  11. Egeru A (2012) Role of indigenous knowledge in climate change adaptation: a case study of the Teso Sub-Region, Eastern Uganda. Indian J Tradit Knowl 11(2):217–224

    Google Scholar 

  12. FAO (2008) Climate change and biodiversity for food and agriculture. Conference on climate change, energy and food, 3–5 June 2008, Rome

  13. Gyampoh BA, Amisah S, Idinoba M, Nkem J (2009) Using traditional knowledge to cope with climate change in rural Ghana. Unasylva 231(232):60

    Google Scholar 

  14. HMGN (2002) Nepal Biodiversity Strategy. Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, Kathmandu

    Google Scholar 

  15. Huq S, Ayers J (2008) Taking steps: mainstreaming national adaptation. International Institute for Environment and Development, Briefing

    Google Scholar 

  16. Jianchu X (2009) Changing lifestyles of mountain communities-new uses for ancient landscapes. Biodiversity and climate change in the Himalayas, Sustainable mountain development 55. ICIMOD, Kathmandu

    Google Scholar 

  17. Jones PG (2005) Modelling local climate change in developing countries. In: Robledo C, Kanninen M, Pedroni L (eds) Tropical forests and adaptation to climate change in search of synergies. Center for International Forestry Research Jl, CIFOR, Bogor, pp 103–121

    Google Scholar 

  18. Jones PG, Thornton PK (2003) The potential impacts of climate change on maize production in Africa and Latin America in 2055. Glob Environ Change 13:51–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Kansakar SR, Hannah DM, Gerrard J, Rees G (2004) Spatial patterns in the precipitation regime of Nepal. Int J of Climatol 24:1645–1659

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Lata S, Nunn P (2011) Misperceptions of climate-change risk as barriers to climate-change adaptation: a case study from the Rewa Delta, Fiji. Clim Change 110(1–2):1–18

    Google Scholar 

  21. Maharjan KL (2005) Community participation in forest resource management in Nepal. J Mount Scien 2(1):32–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Mahesh R (2000) Farm size—productivity relationship: some evidence from Kerala. KIED Working Paper 2, Kerala Institute for Environment and Development. Kerala, India

  23. Malla G (2008) Climate change and its impact on Nepalese agriculture. J Agri Environ 9:62–71

    Google Scholar 

  24. Neupane RP, Thapa GB (2001) Impact of agroforestry intervention on soil fertility and farm income under the subsistence farming system of the middle hills, Nepal. Agri Ecosyst Environ 84:157–167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Rasaily RG (2006) Contribution of Community Forest on Agriculture Farming in Mid Hills of Nepal. Dissertation, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB)

  26. Regmi BR, Thapa L, Suwal R, Khadka S, Sharma GB, Tamang BB (2009) Agro-biodiversity management: an opportunity for mainstreaming community-based adaptation to climate change. J Forest Liveli 8(1):111–119

    Google Scholar 

  27. Reid H, Huq S (2007) How we are set to cope with the impacts. Adaptation to climate change. International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) Briefing

  28. Robinson J, Herbert D (2001) Integrating climate change and sustainable development. Int J Glob Environ Issues 1(2):130–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. SAGUN (2009) Climate change impacts on livelihoods of poor and vulnerable communities and biodiversity conservation: A case study in Banke, Bardia, Dhading and Rasuwa districts of Nepal. Strengthened Actions for Governance in Utilization of Natural Resources (SAGUN) Program, CARE Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal

  30. Salick B, Byg A (2007) Indigenous peoples and climate change. Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  31. Swart R, Robinson J, Cohen S (2003) Climate change and sustainable development: expanding the options. Clim Policy 3S1:S19–S40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Swift MJ, Izac AMN, van Noordwijk M (2004) Biodiversity and ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes—are we asking the right questions? Agric Ecosyst Environ 104:113–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Thapa B, Sinclair FL, Walker DH (1994) Farmers’ ecological knowledge about management and use of farmland tree fodder resources in the eastern hills of Nepal: implications for research and development. In: Sebillotte M (ed) Acts of the international symposium on systems-oriented research in agriculture and rural development. CIRAD, Montpellier, pp 654–660

    Google Scholar 

  34. Tiwari KR (2008) Land management and soil conservation options for sustainable agricultural production in a middle mountain watershed of central Nepal. Dissertation, Norwegian University of Life Sciences

  35. Tiwari KR, Sitaula BK, Børresen T, Bajracharya RM (2006) An assessment of soil quality in Pokhare Khola watershed of the Middle Mountains in Nepal. J Food Agric Environ 4:276–283

    Google Scholar 

  36. UNFCCC (2007) Impacts, vulnerabilities and adaptation in developing countries. Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC), Martin-Luther-King-Strasse 853175, Bonn, Germany

  37. Upreti BR (1999) A study on SDC approach of management of natural resources and biodiversity: experiences and lessons from Nepal. SDC, Nepal

    Google Scholar 

  38. Upreti BR, Upreti YG (2002) Factors leading to agro-biodiversity loss in developing countries: the case of Nepal. Biodivers Conserv 11:1607–1621

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Verchot LV, Noordwijk MV, Kandji S, Tomich T, Ong C, Albrecht A, Mackensen J, Bantilan C, Anupama KV, Palm C (2007) Climate change: linking adaptation and mitigation through agroforestry. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Change 12:901–918

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Walshe RA, Nunn PD (2012) Integration of indigenous knowledge and disaster risk reduction: a case study from Baie Martelli, Pentecost Island, Vanuatu. Int J Disaster Risk Sci 3(4):185–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Zhou MD (2000) Indigenous knowledge and in situ conservation on farm. In: Xu JC (ed) Links between cultures and biodiversity. Yunnan Science and Technology Press, Kunming, pp 377–382

    Google Scholar 

  42. Zhu YY, Chen HR, Fan JH, Wang Y, Li Y, Chen J et al (2000) Genetic diversity and disease control in rice. Nature 406:718–722

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, 4331, Bangladesh

    Tarit Kumar Baul

  2. School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK

    Morag A. McDonald

Authors
  1. Tarit Kumar Baul
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Morag A. McDonald
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tarit Kumar Baul.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Baul, T.K., McDonald, M.A. Agro-Biodiversity Management: Using Indigenous Knowledge to Cope with Climate Change in the Middle-Hills of Nepal. Agric Res 3, 41–52 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40003-014-0096-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40003-014-0096-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation