5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014 Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice 24-28 August 2014 in Davos, Switzerland

1. Ecosystems protecting
infrastructure and
communities
Implementing Ecosystem-Based DRR
Nepal
IDRC, Davos August 24-29, 2014

2. Nevados de Chillàn©A.Casteller
Nepal
Introduction
Why Eco-
Safe Roads?
>Rural
roads
accelerating
erosion
rates and
creating
economic
losses
>More
extreme
rainfall

3. Nevados de Chillàn©A.Casteller
Nepal
One of the
most popular
tourism sites
in Nepal…
Phewa Lake
has shrunk by
50% over the
last 3 decades
Introduction

4. Nevados de Chillàn©A.Casteller
Nepal
Relevance for community needs?
Poor
governance
Poverty
High
migration
remittances
Connectivity
Need for
roads
Unplanned
rural road
construction
Erosion /
landslides
Water siltation
Economic and
social losses

5. Nepal
Nepal
Objectives
 Enhance local knowledge and national
uptake of bio-engineering or eco-safe
roads
 Build capacity of local & national actors
(development, environment & DRR
actors) through workshops, trainings
and visits
 Mainstream Ecosystem-based DRR into
local, national and global policies
 Bio-engineering and socio-economic
research

6. Nepal
Nepal
Location
 Project Location:
Project Area

7. Nepal
Nepal
Activities – success through ownership
1. Community awareness about
bioengineering : demonstration
sites, information exchanges
2. Nursery Enhancement /livelihood
activities
3. Capacity Development
4. Ecosystem-based DRR into
national and global policies
5. Quantify ecosystem services:
LiDAR, socio-economic research

8. Nepal
Nepal
Involvement of local stakeholders in
research and implementation
 Socio-economic
 VCA: HH survey, Participatory community
risk maps and bio-engineering maps
 Economic cost benefit analysis of poor road
construction vs “eco-safe roads”
 Bio-physical
 Bio-engineering research, most climate
resistant appropriate local plant species
 Quantifying ecosystem services (vegetation)
for landslide and erosion control - LiDAR

9. Nepal
Nepal
Initial results
 DSCO Nursery Enhancement
 DSCO Kaski & DSCO Syangja are expanding the
nursery with additional plant species for
Bioengineering
 DSCO Parbat is working with the local
community in Tialahar to develop a new
Nursery

10. Nepal
Nepal
Initial results
 DSCO Nursery Enhancement
 develop a new Nursery

11. Nepal
Nepal
Initial results
 IUCN media training
resulted in article in
Himalaya Times Nepali
Daily, National Daily on
July 15, 2014
 “The effectiveness of bio-
engineering”
 Bio-engineering reduced
the soil erosion and
flooding problems in
Gharelu village – our first
demonstration site

12. Nepal
Nepal
Challenges..
 Takes time to establish coordination mechanism
with the government agencies
 Increasing motivation of communities to
participate in project >> green jobs + livelihood
enhancement activities
 Sustainable management of bioengineering
demonstration sites >> village committees
 Climate constraints – heavy rain / drought
 Obtaining sufficient bio-physical data on climate
variables and soil loss

13. Nepal
Nepal
Next steps
 Community-led maintenance of
demonstration sites & plant species
 Capacity building through info board, local
and national workshops, bioengineering
brochure, PhD & Masters students
 Bi-annual LiDAR scans, plant root testing,
rainfall measurements
 Community-based action learning planning

14.  Community-led process in
collaboration with local
government, but not easy!
Finding livelihood enhancement
benefits in addition to the DRR /
CCA benefits
Convincing by demonstrating > ex.
Live fences
Importance of quantifying
ecosystem services for policy
messages
Nepal
Nepal
Main steps for success?

15. Team members:
IUCN Nepal:
Ms. Anu Adhikari (Programme Officer)
Mr. Rajendra Khanal (Programme Coordinator)
UNIL:
Prof. Michel Jaboyedoff
Dr. Karen Sudmeier-Rieux (Project Coordinator,
socio-economic research)
Dr. Ivanna Penna (Geologist)
Ms. Sandrine Eberle (Temporary - Graphic design)
Bio-engineering consultant:
Mr. Sanjaya Devkota (FEED Ltd.) and Tribhuvan Univ.
Nepal
Nepal
Thank you