Environmental policy and administrative management

The Slash and burn agriculture or Khoriya farming activities generally include slashing the bushes, burning dried branches and leaves and sowing of crop seeds. Such practices are observed mostly in extreme geographic areas in more than 30 degree slope. The practice of shifting cultivation starts generally in winter and ends in October/November each year. The land is then left fallow for several years. Farmers then shift to next patch of land. The system was good when there was a long rotation, but now the rotation has become too short, therefore shifting cultivation is considered bad and is blamed for inducing severe environmental degradations including emissions of greenhouse gases, loss of biodiversity, erosion of top soil, occurrence of land slides in the hills and flooding in the plain areas. The agricultural productivity is gradually declining one cycle after another leading to increased food insecurity among its practitioners. In Makawanpur, this system is dominant in northwestern part where majority of indigenous Chepang and Tamang live in with worst form of poverty. They till hill slopes and extensively practice shifting cultivation practices for generations to sustain their livelihoods. This farming practice adopted by these communities has very low production potential. Majority of the families in the area are suffering from varying degrees of food deficit. With active support from the community, the previous project had introduced Sloping Agricutlure Land Techniques and converted 438 ha. of khoriya into a productive agroforestry system benefiting 1089 households. Out of the 1089 houses, 525 are Tamangs, 467 are Chepangs, 27 are Dalits and rest 70 other indigenous peoples (Magar, Gurung). Further funding has aimed to consolidate and expand the achievement, control land degradation, CO2 emission and also diversify crops so as to increase the food security.

Nepal