The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Nepal Agricultural Economics Society (NAES) are jointly organizing Annual Conference of Nepal Agricultural Economics Society on February 13-14, 2015 at Conference Hall, Trade Tower, Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal. During the annual conference of NAES, a special session on “Convergences of Policies and Programs relating to Sustainable and Climate Resilient Agriculture” is being organized. The aim of this special session is to showcase the studies and experiences in South Asian countries on climate resilient agriculture and how they can learn from each other to formulate progressive and sustainable policies to promote climate smart agriculture in a regional perspective.

1. CONVERGING POLICIES
AND PROGRAMS FOR
SUSTAINABLE AND
CLIMATE RESILIENT
AGRICULTURE - NEPAL
Ganesh R Joshi,PhD
Visiting Professor
CDES, TU

2. Outline of presentation
• Background/concept
• Framework and Linkages
• Responses in Nepal
• Review of different strategies
• Issues and way forward

3. Background
• Agriculture – engine of economic growth, in
LDCs/dev’ng Economies
• Agriculture is also a major user of natural capital and
has a considerable impact on the environment.
• UNCSD (2012) in Rio considered the green economy
as one of the essential tools for achieving sustainable
development.
• Called for economically viable sustainable agriculture
to eradicate hunger.

4. Background..
• Stainable agriculture - conserve land, water, plant
and animal genetic resources, biodiversity and
ecosystems, and enhance resilience to climate
change and natural disasters (UN, 2012)
• Agriculture accounts for 70 percent of water
extracted; covers 40 percent of land area; and,
together with land use change, forest degradation
and deforestation, produces 30 percent of global
GHG emissions.

5. Background….
SCRA should contribute to
• food security and human welfare
• economic development and poverty reduction;
• maintain and enhance the resilience of the natural
ecosystem functions; and
• addresses the new challenge of climate change.
SCRA should be resource-efficient, promoting
resiliency of the production system, and low-carbon
emitting.

6. Sustainable Agriculture
• A whole-systems approach to food, feed, and fibre
production that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems
and people.
• It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles
adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of
inputs with adverse effects.
• It combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit
the shared environment and promote fair relationships
and a good quality of life for all involved.
• Inherent in this definition is the idea that sustainability
must be extended not only globally but indefinitely in
time and to all living organisms including humans.
Adapted from the Ecological Definition of Sustainable Agriculture by
Professor Stephen R. Gliessman

7. SCRA
• SCRA is based on the concept of SA
• It represents an effort to incorporate in the usual work the
new challenges posed by climate change and its impacts
on poor people’s lives.
• It is based on the identification of the major risks and
challenges local communities face, and/or are likely to
face in the near future, and on the design and
implementation of site-specific adaptation strategies.
• This aims at reducing vulnerabilities and increasing the
resilience of the smallholder production systems.

8. Converging Policies/Programs
• Many sectoral and disciplinary policies and programs to
adapt and mitigate the adverse impacts of CC.
• Agriculture, Forestry, Biodiversity, Disaster risk reduction,
governance/decentralization, energy, land use,
hydropower, irrigation.
• Isolated, fragment approach- unsustainable
• Holistic, and integrated approach-sustainable
• Landscape approaches and incentives for a coordinated
management of various land-based –agriculture/
ecosystem services.

9. Climate Framework

10. Climate Impacts Linkages

11. Responses in Nepal
NAPA

12. Responses..

13. Response…
• Climate resilient planning framework developed
• Climate budget code adopted
• Climate change policy formulated
• Pilot project on climate resilience
• Implementation of Local Adaptation Plan of Action ( by
National climate change support program)
• Ecosystem based adaptation initiated
• National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan Prepared
• National Strategic Framework (Umbrella Strategy) for
Sustainable development (Draft 2014)
• National Low Carbon Economic Devt Strategy (Draft
2014)

14. Adaptation Options: Agri (NAPA)
Agril. Sector - high impact due to CC, affecting food security and
livelihood of poor and vulnerable communities/areas.
• Promotion of crop species and varieties for different eco-
development regions vulnerable to climate change
• Promotion of upward-downward linkages facilitates exchange
of agriculture goods and services to subsistence farmers
dependent on vulnerable eco-systems
• Improved farmers' access to inputs, finance and services
strengthens adaptation to climatic hazards
• Promotion of conservation technologies to improve efficiency
of depleting natural resources on-farm
• Improved management of soils and green water for increased
productivity on farm
• Promotion of improved animal breeds adaptable to climatic
uncertainty

15. Adapt agri..
• Promotion of improved pasture and range lands
management techniques to rehabilitate degraded of
mountain ecological zones
• Diversification of livelihood options improves food security
and adaptive capacity at grassroots
• Improved housing, feeding and parasitic measures to
facilitate climate stress adaptation by farm animals.
• Strengthening green and blue water linkages for improved
fishery productivity under open water systems
• Strengthening adaptive capacity in building resilience at
different levels

16. Efforts to Reduce Vulnerability of CC
Agricultural sector:
• System of Rice Intensification (SRI); green manure;
• conservation tillage practices; minimum/zero tillage (direct
seeding –wheat and rice)
• use of plastic house and water sprinklers;
• sustainable agriculture soil and water conservation;
• slope stabilization and landslide control; rainwater
harvesting, plastic ponds
• rangeland and forage improvement; cultivation on river
beds and shrub land; livestock shed improvement;
• bio-energy; and adoption of biogas.
These efforts are in initial stage and need further up-scaling
along with other new initiatives.

17. Adaptation in Agri
• Development of drought resistant varieties;
• Development and extension of agronomic practices;
• Extension of soil and water conservation technologies;
• Improvement in rangeland management and fodder
production;
• Reducing heat stresses in livestock; and
• Disaster risk reduction.
• Organic bio-pesticides, manures/fertilizers

18. Agril Devt Strategy
Improved Resilience of farmers to CC and Disasters
• Conduct research on stress tolerant varieties and breeds
• Establish an early warning system
• Establish a climate info and weather indexation system
• Promote agril insurance
• Improve capacity of extension and farmers on CSA
practices
• Establish a fund for preparedness and response to
droughts, floods, epidemics
Sustainable farming, GAP,GVHP
• ISFM, IPNM, IPM, org farming, renewable energy

19. Forestry Sector Strategy (Draft)
• Thematic Area: RESPONDING TO CLIMATE CHANGE
• Purpose
• Strengthen the climate resilience of people, communities,
forests and ecosystems and contribute to mitigate global
climate change through REDD+ approaches.
A. Adaptation to Climate Change
• Increase awareness and capacity of all stakeholders (CFUGs)
to respond to climate change and increase their resiliency.
• Implement the forestry-related provisions (of NAPA and
LAPAs) through the participatory, transparent, community-
based and gender and socially inclusive approaches
• Adapt and improve forest mgmt plans to enhance forest
resilience to CC
• Promote income diversification to amongst the most vulnerable
groups

20. B. Mitigating CC through REDD+
• Support REDD+ strategy development and integrate with
poverty alleviation, economic growth and biodiversity
conservation as means to address deforestation and forest
degradation.
• Clarify forest carbon rights and access of local communities
to carbon benefits in an equitable and transparent way
• Scale up and expand the coverage of PES approaches
• Promote commercial approaches to bio-energy and other
alternative energy through community private partnerships
• Support Nepal’s participation in for both regulated/voluntary
carbon markets and ensure equitable benefit sharing to
supports livelihoods of poor and marginalised people

21. National Low Carbon Econ Devt Strategy,
2014 (Draft)
Vision: Low Carbon Green economy promotion
Goal: Self-sufficient in clean energy by 2022 and
accelerated econ growth through green economy by 2030.
Strategy:
• Agri, hydropower and forestry as a base of econ devt
• Research, Development and Dissemination of Climate
Smart Agricultural Technologies
• Support to Low Co2 farming system technologies (RDD)
and awareness raising
• Support to soil Co2 stocking technologies (RDD)
• Emphasis on IPM and IPNS

22. NLCEDS….
• Minimum/Zero tillage technologies
• Increasing water use efficiency
• Devt of low water reqt and submergence tolerant rice
varieties
• Agro-forestry practices/system in fallow land
• Use of clean energy in production and processing of agril
commodities
• Terrace improvement and conservation agriculture
• Carbon sequestration and nutrition improvement through
orchards and multiyear crops/commodities
• Stall feeding, silvi-pastoral system
• Breeds improvement
• Improvement of degraded rangelands…

23. Issues & way forward
CRSA needs to be implemented using an integrated, cross-
sectoral approach to agriculture and food security that links it to
other aspects of sustainable development, poverty reduction and
economic growth.
• Understand/Assess the opportunities and challenges/barriers
• Integration/harmonization with existing policies/
strategies/programs
• Identify/prioritize locally viable CRSA practices
• Role of institutions (at different levels) and their participation
• Strengthening the stakeholders’ capacity
• CRSA Program preparation and implementation (Focused) –
Umbrella program

24. THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTION