Dear all,
Greetings for USA!
Below is the link for the announcement of Nepal projects. I have copied and pasted teh annoucement below if you have trouble in accesing it. http://lcccrsp.org/2011/05/nepal-seed-grant-projects-announced-2/ District Nuwakot is highlighted.
Sincerely,
Durga D Poudel
Nepal Seed Grant Projects Announced
Date: May 19th, 2011
Category: News.
Three proposals from three different U.S. Universities selected for funding.The Livestock-Climate Change CRSP (LCC CRSP) has awarded a total of $240,000 to three U.S. universities and their international partners in Nepal to improve the livelihoods of small-scale livestock producers impacted by climate change.The LCC CRSP selected Nepal as a focus country for several reasons. In Nepal, nearly 70% of households depend on livestock production for a significant part of their income and as a source of meat, dairy products, and eggs. Nepal is considered one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change impacts. Finally, Nepal is one of the 20 Feed the Future countries, due to rampant malnutrition rates and a high degree of food insecurity.The LCC CRSP released the Nepal Seed Grant Program request for proposals on January 28, 2011; proposals were due on March 7, 2011. The LCC CRSP received a total of 13 proposals. An external review panel of subject matter experts (i.e., veterinary medicine, economics, agronomy, livestock production, and climate science) from U.S. universities and government agencies reviewed the proposals. Final selections were based on panel recommendations, input from the U.S. Agency for International Development in Washington D.C., the USAID bilateral mission in Nepal, and expertise of the LCC CRSP management entity.The Nepal Seed Grant cohort includes three U.S. university partners; one university in Nepal; and a total of seven U.S and international aid, development, and research organizations, and government agencies.The specific projects selected for funding and their anticipated impacts are:
(1) Past and Future Climate Assessments of Livestock Vulnerability in Nepal (CALVN).
Most of Nepal’s population depends on agriculture for their subsistence and livelihoods. Extreme weather, especially droughts and floods, is increasing food vulnerability of about 3.4 million people in Nepal who are already food insecure. The Government of Nepal wants climate change adaptation to be incorporated into all agricultural initiatives, but lacks expertise on climate forecasting. This project will link state-of-the-art climate assessments for Nepal to a network of 420 women-run Village Model Farms serving 13,000 farm-families. The overall project goals are to complete country-wide climate analyses, map livestock production in climate vulnerable areas, and provide training related to livestock management and feeding practices to help farmers adapt and respond to climate change.This project is led by Dr. Robert Gillies, Associate Professor of Meteorology in the Department of Plants, Soils and Climate at Utah State University and Director of the Utah Climate Center and Dr. Dale Zobell, Professor, Associate Department Head, and Extension Beef Specialist in the Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences at Utah State University. Project partners in Nepal include Helen-Keller International and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives-Department of Livestock Services (MACDLS).
(2) Capacity-Building and Strengthening of Livestock Production Systems while Adapting to Climate Change in Nepal (SLPS).
The livestock production system in Nepal is intricately tied to forest resources, soil quality, and crop productivity and ultimately, to the livelihoods of most of the population. In a healthy system, forests provide fodder, grazing land, and balanced hydrology, while livestock systems convert fodder and grasses into milk, meat, manure, and draft power. In a healthy system, rural families reap the benefits of food production, and income for school and supplies. Disruptions to this system, including rapid land use changes, forest degradation, soil erosion, policy deficits, and community incapacity are compounding climate change impacts and causing a decline in the livestock production system in Nepal, with cascading effects on human health and livelihoods.A system-wide approach is needed to re-invigorate livestock production in Nepal. This project will identify factors responsible for the decline in the livestock production system, a first step in developing interventions and improvement strategies; characterize livestock management systems and feed supply to understand constraints and opportunities for improvement; document existing strategies for adapting to climate change; and identify opportunities for capacity-building and training that could have the greatest impact on the system. The project will be focused in the Nuwakot district in the mid-hills region of Nepal.Ultimately, by building capacity, strengthening policy, and improving livestock production practices, this project will benefit hundreds of rural households that depend on and are impacted by the interwoven relationships between livestock, the environment, and climate change.This project will be led by Dr. Durga D. Poudel, Professor and Head of the Department of Renewable Resources at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He is joined by a team of interdisciplinary scientists from the University of Louisiana.Partners in Nepal include CARE Nepal; Nyayik Sansar; the Agricultural Development Bank Limited; the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC); Tribhuvan University; district level governmental offices in Nuwakot, including District Livestock Services, District Forest Office, and District Agricultural Office; the Asta-Ja Abhiyan Nepal branch office in Nuwakot; and local governments, media, farmers, and other stakeholders in Nuwakot district and Kathmandu.
(3) Livestock, Livelihoods, and Climate Change Interaction: Collaborative Research in the Mountains of Nepal (LLCCI).
The Mountain region of Nepal is especially vulnerable to climate change. Already, residents are experiencing warming temperatures, frequent drought, glacial retreat, and receding snowline. These changes are have led to drying up of water sources, shifts in traditional grazing practices, and abandonment of entire settlements–all negative effects on the livelihoods of the primarily agro-pastoral people in this region. These changes are likely to have specific impacts on the livestock sector, including animal health and pasture quality.Through household surveys and focus group interviews, this project will investigate the emerging animal health issues that livestock keepers are experiencing and what impacts these issues are having on livestock production.Researchers will also evaluate how climate trends have altered transhumance systems, fodder production, and pasture quality for mobile herders living at higher-elevations.By looking at these and other factors, researchers will gain a better understanding of what influences adaptation and decision-making processes at the local community level—information that will lead to the development of a portfolio of climate adaptation strategies for livestock-based systems.Women, who spend nearly 60% of their time caring for and managing livestock, will be a particular focus of this research. Although women’s knowledge has long been undervalued and ignored, this project will specifically engage women to uncover their understanding of climate change impacts, adaptations, and the impact climate change and other factors have on their lives and the lives of their children.Dr. Netra B. Chhetri, Assistant Professor in the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at Arizona State University will lead this project with Shreeram Neopane, Executive Director of Local Initiatives for Biodiversity Research and Development (LI-BIRD), a Nepal-based non-governmental organization founded in 2003 and committed to enhancing the resiliency of vulnerable rural communities through interdisciplinary research and development. Another Nepal-based NGO, Nucleus for Empowerment through Skill Transfer (NEST), will bring their expertise on organizing field-level training and capacity-building to this endeavor.The Nepal Seed Grant Projects will begin in June and last for one year, with the opportunity to renew based on progress, an external evaluation, availability of funding, and future plans. For more information on these and all Livestock-Climate Change CRSP Projects, visit www.lcccrsp.org/projects.
Tags: 2010 Seed Grants, Arizona State University, Central Asia, LCC CRSP, livestock, Nepal, Newsletter, research, University of Louisiana, USAID, Utah State University
