Participatory Watershed Management In The Churia Hills
An Urgent Need

By Dhruba Gautam

PARTICIPATORY watershed management (PWM) could provide a tremendous boost to the economically depressed and environmentally degraded Churia Hills. The local population urgently needs to be involved in an integrated development process if sustainable benefits are to be seen.

Watershed management is a socio-technical process that provides for the conservation, utilization and development of the natural resources of a watershed in a way benefiting all its inhabitants at present and in the distant future. It formulates the steps needed to preserve and develop watershed resources like land, water, forest, wildlife, and, of course, humans, all the while keeping in mind their interrelationship.

Watershed management programmes succeed only if they employ a participatory approach. Participatory watershed management (PWM) involves people right from the planning stages, and continues to involve them through the implementation, monitoring, and evaluating stages. PWM, in turn, is workable only if it is a holistic approach improving farming systems and community forest management, including livelihood promotion and social development programmes, and providing basic infrastructure. Only watershed management which is both integrated and participatory helps to reduce soil erosion and promote the livelihoods of poor villagers. The conservation of a watershed area and the enhancement of the living standards of poor rural folks go hand in hand.

PWM is urgently needed in the Churia region. Though this region is rich in physical and human resources, the rate of soil erosion in Churia is higher than in parts of Nepal. In addition, its large forest is unmanaged because the denizens have neither access to nor control over it. They also lack awareness about the need to manage it, and- unsurprisingly- have no motivation to do so. Thus, the forest, "the wealth of the nation," is being destroyed daily.

Deforestation is especially sad to see in a region with so much potential. The warm climate of the Churia Hills makes this area suitable for the cultivation of sub-tropical fruits like mangoes, pineapples, grapes, and lichees, and, on the north-face of the Churia Hills, of citrus fruit. If properly managed, cash crops like ginger, turmeric and coffee can produced on a large scale, as can income-generating vegetables like yams, sweet potatoes, ziziphus, and asparagus. Seasonal vegetables like tomatoes, peas, beans, cucumber, chilis and the pointed gourd also grow well and could bring in money. Ayurvedic and medicinal plants like Terminelia Tomentosha (harro), Terminelia Belerica (barro), Myrica Esculanta (amala), and Azedracta Indica (nim), also grow abundantly in Churia. In the degraded areas of the Churia Hills, fast-growing tress and other fodder plants like Bohunia Purpuria (tanki), Bohunia Veraigata (koirala), Lecocephala Leucocena (ipil ipil), and Morus Alba (mulberry) could be planted.

Implementing PWM in Churia, a tectonically active, geologically dynamic and ecologically fragile area, will not be an easy task. Frequent changes of river courses, mass wasting of steep slopes, and high soil erosion are common phenomena. Compounding natural disasters are the lack of basic infrastructure, a dearth of roads, low agricultural productivity, over-consumption of forest products and high levels of poverty.

Severe population pressure, caused by large-scale migration from the upper hills in the Sixties, is another serious problem. Some people migrated for sheer survival, while others involved in illicit practices welcomed the secrecy accorded them by the remote hills. After clearing the forest haphazardly, they settled permanently, and gradually the population increased. Due to ineffectual government policies and programmes, most practised shifting cultivation, thus further degrading the environment. Today various ethnic groups reside here, though not in harmony. These poverty-stricken migrants are locked into low productivity occupations because they have few assets (skills, knowledge and information, command over labour and technology, and credit).

In order to address the considerable problems of the Churia region, a numbers of measures need to be applied. To manage water for drinking and irrigation, simple water harvesting technology should be introduced simultaneously with programmes to conserve and regenerate water sources. In order to conserve fertile land, SALT (Slope Agriculture Land Technology), or planting deep rooted-plants on slopes, should be promoted. Experience demonstrates that creepers like sponge gourd, bottle gourd, pumkin, cucumber and bitter gourd can help conserve soil. Equally essential is the promotion of a zero-grazing programme; stall feeding should be practised instead. To minimise erosion, gully control programmes using bio-engineering technologies should be implemented. Stream bank protection and check dam programmes should be introduced in order to safeguard cultivated land. All these programmes should, of course, be implemented systematically.

Another step in conserving various natural resources is introducing an appropriate mechanism for stakeholders to claim their right to access to and control over resources. Stakeholders must also feel as if they own their resources and programmes. A forum for people, DDCs, VDCs, and line agencies—all of whom are seen as equal partners— to discuss emerging issues and to show their concern is vital. Needs-based programmes, polices and strategies need to be developed, and orientations and workshops for various stakeholders organised. Wide-scale social mobilisation, dedicated people’s participation and extensive social awareness are imperative steps in tackling the existing environmental and social problems. Encouraging door-to-door visits by social mobilisers, updating legislation, educating people by providing training and information services, and building the capacity of existing social organisations are fruitful approaches.

Various governmental and non-governmental organisations like district forest offices, district soil conservation offices, CFDP/GTZ, CARE Nepal, PLAN International, WWF-Nepal, IUCN, Winrock International, PDDP/LGP/UNDP, and People and Park Project have been working in Churia region directly or indirectly. Yet good networking and co-ordination among these agencies is still minimal. Even though so many agencies implement their programmes sincerely, the people have hardly emerged from the vicious circle of poverty and environmental degradation. The programmes must be integrated to resolve this deficiency.

The Bagmati Integrated Watershed Management Programme (BIWMP), one of the biggest European Community-funded projects of Nepal, is working toward integrated community development by promoting PWM in its target areas, which include the Churia Hills of the Kavre, Sindhuli and Makwanpur districts. The BIWMP puts people at the centre of each programme; they, not project staff, are the managers. The local people have full authority not only to select, design, and implement a programme but also to supervise and monitor it. The BIWMP is just a facilitator of activities. Intensive social mobilisation, which entails collective actions, collective bargaining, collective behaviours, collective consensus and collective conscience, sustains all programmes. Local people benefit from these programmes and feel like their owners. It is indeed a good signal for the BIWMP for sustainable development in Churia region.

PWM could work miracles in Churia. By involving the local people in identifying their needs and tackling their problems, PWM reduces environmental stress and enhances livelihoods. Its various income-generating activities are pro-people and pro-poor, as well as pro-environment. The success of PWM depends upon the commitment of both stakeholders and concerned line agencies, and that commitment must start today.

Fertilizer Related Problems In Nepal

By Ganesh Shakya

ALTHOUGH the contribution of agriculture to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is declining over time, the agriculture sector still remains as a mainstay of the entire economic development of the country. Recognising the fact, the government incorporated the twin thrusts of Agricultural Perspective Plan i. e. to increase agriculture production and speed up the process of poverty alleviation in the Ninth Plan.

Once, Nepal was known as a rice exporting country but the situation is just the reverse and now it has to import rice to feed its population growing at the rate of 2.4 per cent per annum.

At present, the country is facing a great challenge to end the continuation of rice import. A massive production of rice in the country is the only option to face the challenge.

The possible way of increasing production is either to expand land area or to increase productivity through the use of improved farming technologies. The tremendous stress on the environment coupled with the inadequacy of agricultural land have stood as a setback to the expansion of land area. Therefore, the ideal way of increasing the present status of production in the country is more appropriate through the boosting of productivity.

Input plays a very significant role in agricultural production. In this context, chemical fertilizer is the only input which directly interacts with the soil and helps improve the fertility.

Chemical fertilizers use in Nepal officially began in 1965/66 when 3169 mt. of chemical fertilizers were received in the form of aid from India and the then USSR. Out of total aid received, 2169 mt. was received from India and the rest 1000 mt. was from USSR. The major bulk of the fertilizer received was ammonium sulphate (N:P:K = 21:0:0). The total fertilizer sales at the beginning of the year 1965/66 were 2096 mt, all in the central development region.

The major chunk of fertilizer supplied to Nepal came in the form of foreign aid, imports and loan from international banks like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. Later in 1965/66, both the foreign aid as well as imports were increased steadily. Nepal had received fertilizer loans first in the year 1981/82.

In Nepal, fertilizers are distributed at subsidised price. The main objective of this policy was to increase crop production by reducing the cost of an important input. It helps encourage the farmers to use fertilizers to increase overall output.

Agricultural Input Corporation (AIC) is the only authority having monopoly over fertilizer throughout the country. The corporation was allowed to have such a monopoly for over a period of three decades (1965/66 to 1997/98). The total fertilizer acquired from different sources are being distributed in the districts through the AIC dealers.

Fertilizer is always a problem to the farmers in Nepal. The distribution problem figured as demand for fertilizer has gone up. The foremost problem is the lack of availability of fertilizer the desired time and quantity. The problem crops up every year. This in turn has been, adversely affecting the overall agricultural production.

In order to overcome such a serious problem associated with the supply and distribution of fertilizer, HMG has decided to involve the private sector to facilitate the distribution of fertilizer. The private sector came to the scene for the first time in 1997/98. A point worth reckoning is that government has also issued the Quality Control Directives to be followed the private sector. The government has felt that the directives alone is not enough to control the black marketing and the creation of artificial shortage of fertilizer in the markets. Therefore, HMG has formulated the Chemical Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1998/99.

The annual chemical fertilizer sales in the year 1999/2000 as reported by AIC was 1,48,187 metric tons. The private sector accounts around 52 per cent i.e. 76,727 mt. of the total fertilizer distribution in that particular year.

Despite the fact that the private sector involvement in this sector is found to be affirmative to some extent, the supply of sub standard fertilizer has emerged as a drawback. The government has still to strengthen its monitoring mechanism to discourage the supply of poor quality fertilizer and black marketing of fertilizer. In fact, fertilizer is an important ingredient to boost agricultural productivity this context, the problem of low quality fertilizer is much more serious than its unavailability and inadequacy.

In fact, the most sloring constraint for Nepal to ensure smooth fertilizer distribution is its open border with India, which has been preventing Nepal from implementing an independent fertilizer policy. Therefore, both countries should forge mutual understanding to develop a suitable and sustainable policy which could help prevent the people of both the countries from taking undue advantage of the open border. Similarly, the Fertilizer Unit under MOA should be strengthened and monitoring of the business dealing of the private sector should be done regularly to prevent the supply of duplicate fertilizer in the markets, control black marketing and check artificial shortages.

In order to deal with the problem as such, the government should formulate an immediate action plan and accord top most priority to the implementation of the afore-mentioned precautionary measres. Monsoon is at hand. With the onset of monsoon, the cultivation of paddy starts throughout the country. Therefore, the farmers should get quality fertilizers on time and to the quantity desired. If the indifference continues to prevail then the envisaged goal of agricultural production is likely to witness a setback.

Racing For Admissions

By Bijay Aryal

ACCORDING to news reports quoting education ministry officials, this year’s SLC results may be out by the time this piece appears and the fate of about two lakh students will be known. But even before the results, the higher secondary schools in the country have started enrolling students on provisional basis. This is the season for the advertising for the schools and colleges above the SLC level, as a look at the advertising columns of any big daily newspaper will show.

The practice of securing students with provisional admissions has come under fire. The school authorities have tried to defend themselves by saying that they have done this in order to allow the students to use the time between the SLC exams and the declaration of results.

But many others are of the view that this practice shows the height of ‘crass commercialism" being practiced by private schools. They have done this not for the love of the students but for the high admission charges and high fees they charge and because they want to make sure of their customers so that competitors may not lure them away. The first view is farther from the truth.

Once you enroll in any college provisionally, you are trapped, you cannot get away without losing the admission fees, other charges and the fees you have paid, if later on good sense prevailed and you decided to go to a better institute. They will return your money provided that you have shown proof that you have failed the SLC exams.

Some schools have also provided an alternative to this method. They enlist you for the "bridge course" to fill the gap of time between the exams and the results. They ask you to deposit a certain sum of money, say five thousand, with them. You can study there for about two months, and after the results are out, you have the option of leaving for another Plus Two school or continue to study there. If you decide to stay, that money will be adjusted with the admission charge, no separate fee being charged for the preparation course, anyway all the schools charge you for twelve months in a year. If you leave, they will deduct two months’ equivalent of fees plus a service charge, say five hundred rupees. This is much better from the point of view of students, because they can change their decision without any substantial loss of money.

The practice of accepting provisional admissions before the results are out should be stopped. Apart from its being an unethical business practice of private schools and colleges, this practice can have deep psychological effects on those students who happen to fail the exams after the admissions or get marks much lower than they had expected. Provision admissions should be allowed in those cases, for example, when the new academic calendar of a university or board conflicts with that of another. For the Ten Plus Two and the results of the SLC, there should not be created an artificial gap.

Toppers

From the Top Ten list, the SLC board last year came down to the Top Two list. The practice of announcing the Ten Toppers had been rightly criticized. But the Top Two List (one overall topper and another topper among the girls) is no better. The practice is the same; just the number of positions has been reduced. So what is the difference? The Top Ten List would have been better than this. But even better is not to announce such a list at all.

The best would be to make changes in the present four categories of results –Failed, Third Division, Second Division, and First Division. A better classification should be followed, and if this Division method is to be continued, there should be two more levels –Distinction (for over 75 per cent marks) and a class even above Distinction (say, with 85 per cent and above marks).