Location

Bishnupur, Nepal

Bishnupur is a village in the Siraha District of south-eastern Nepal. It has around 22,000 population, typically engaged in agriculture. The area is suffering from annual flash floods that erode riverbanks that damage lands for agriculture. The area is marked by gender inequality, with unequal household workloads between men and women.

 

Issue

Maharashtra state faced with repeated droughts due to climate change

The area of Bishnupur is suffering from environmental, social, and economic problems. The expansion of sugarcane fields was causing soil degradation and water scarcity, as well as deforestation. These factors have increased vulnerability and the risk of climate change impacts, such as flooding, as described above. Furthermore, socially, gender inequality was also identified as a potential obstacle to promoting inclusive adaptation. In addition, economically, poverty was widespread, and local residents feared declining agricultural productivity due to land degradation would exacerbate this.

 

Solution / Lesson learned

Women-led community forestry for better resilience and social coherence

In response to this situation, the Regional Community Forestry Training Centre for Asia and the Pacific (RECOFTC) implemented a women-led community forestry project. Eleven women representing 63 families of forest user groups participated in this project to assess climate vulnerability and consider adaptation measures. These outcomes included, first, increased women's social participation, enabling them to take the initiative in solving community issues. As a result, mango and lychee trees, butter trees, and Indian bay trees were planted, which were considered necessary due to the climate impact assessment and the study of adaptation measures, and the ecosystem was restored. In addition, farmers' access to water was improved through the construction of additional wells. These efforts are said to have increased the sense of community unity and eased social tensions due to multiple issues and are expected to lead to reduced gender inequality and poverty reduction.