Land users with an A-frame that they use to mark out contour lines on sloping land (Gyanbandhu Sharma)

Participatory hedgerow management (Népal)

Sahabhagitamulak ghasehar bewasthapan (Main Contributor: Gyanbandhu Sharma, LI-BIRD)

Description

Hedgerow technology can be introduced through the joint participation of farmers, scientists, and related stakeholders. The whole community works together at all stages, including designing, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and scaling up.

Aims / objectives: Communities can establish better hedgerows by supplementing the traditional knowledge that they have employed for generations with scientific knowledge through a participatory process where both groups are involved in every step of planning, designing, and implementation. This approach recognizes the validity of the local knowledge that farmers have about their land and supplements it with scientific techniques to facilitate the implementation of methods which will yield better results sooner.

Methods: Hedgerow technology can be implemented by forming farmers' groups and using a participatory approach. This technology has the potential to be scaled up and applied on a broader scale. The steps for sharing labour and know-how to establish hedgerows can be summarized as follows:
• Capacity is strengthened through discussions with technical persons.
• Farmers, technical persons, and related stakeholders work together to come up with plans that make the best use of both the farmers’ indigenous knowledge on how to form hedgerows and their understanding of the landscape, and scientific knowledge, for designing and planning.
• The hedgerows are established by the farmers as per the consensual plan.
• Some farmers are designated to periodically inspect the hedgerows and to perform maintenance as needed.
• The technology is scaled up by farmers who disseminate the learning to other farmers through extension and knowledge sharing at different fora.

Stages of implementation: Farmers, technical persons, and related stakeholders were all involved at every stage. In addition, LI-BIRD, local community-based organizations, and other related stakeholders such as the district forest office and the district agriculture office were on hand to support the farmers' group by offering technical and financial resources. The farmers' groups had a vested interest in this approach and demonstrated their commitment by: generating funds from a savings and credit scheme and conducting income generating activities. They also worked to establish effective linkages and to coordinate with related stakeholders to obtain resources which would ensure that the group would be self-reliant in the long run. The involvement of a wide range of participants will ensure that the technology is not only effective but that it is also sustainable. Moreover, when neighbouring communities see how successful this approach can be, it is hoped that they also will adopt the technology.

Lieu

Lieu: Gorkha, Tanahu District, Népal

Géo-référence des sites sélectionnés
  • sans objet

Date de démarrage: sans objet

Année de fin de l'Approche: sans objet

Type d'Approche
Land users with an A-frame that they use to mark out contour lines on sloping land (Gyanbandhu Sharma)
A local woman harvesting grass planted along a contour line (Gyanbandhu Sharma)

Objectifs de l'approche et environnement favorable

Principaux objectifs de l'Approche
The Approach focused mainly on SLM with other activities (Income generation)

The objective of this approach was to introduce the technology through participatory planning, designing, and implementation by integrating farmers’ knowledge and experiences in the process.

The SLM Approach addressed the following problems: This approach addressed a few of the major problems in the area. The outstanding problems were:
• poor technical knowledge,
• lack of group efforts,
• lack of cash for investment,
• poor access to service providers,
• inadequate use made of farmers' traditional knowledge,
• inadequate knowledge resources, and
• poverty and poor social cohesiveness.
Conditions favorisant la mise en oeuvre de la/(des) Technologie(s) appliquée(s) sous l'Approche
Conditions entravant la mise en oeuvre de la/(des) Technologie(s) appliquée(s) sous l'Approche
  • Disponibilité/ accès aux ressources et services financiers: Farmers had insufficient financial resources to implement the technology Treatment through the SLM Approach: Farmers learned how to apply for resources from different related stakeholders and they also learned how to generate cash from their own group using savings and credit schemes.
  • Cadre institutionnel: Farmers had no formal institutional mechanisms and also had no capacity to run their institutions Treatment through the SLM Approach: Farmers learned how to form a formal group and also improved their capacity to run their institutions
  • Cadre juridique (régime foncier, droits d'utilisation des terres et de l'eau): The existing land ownership, land use rights / water rights hindered a little the approach implementation
  • Connaissances sur la GDT, accès aux supports techniques: Farmers had low technical knowledge Treatment through the SLM Approach: Farmers shared their know-how and also learned from scientists, other farmers and related stakeholders

Participation et rôles des parties prenantes impliquées dans l'Approche

Parties prenantes impliquées dans l'Approche et rôles
Quels acteurs/ organismes d'exécution ont été impliqués dans l'Approche? Spécifiez les parties prenantes Décrivez le rôle des parties prenantes
exploitants locaux des terres / communautés locales
Spécialistes de la GDT/ conseillers agricoles
ONG LI-BIRD
gouvernement local
gouvernement national (planificateurs, décideurs)
Organisme chef de file
Specialists and land users. During the design process, specialists organized on-farm visits and exposure visits. The plan was prepared jointly by the land users and the specialists who used each others' expertise.
Participation des exploitants locaux des terres/ communautés locales aux différentes phases de l'Approche
aucun
passive
soutien extérieur
interactive
auto-mobilisation
initiation/ motivation
At the beginning, the land users were mostly passive because they lacked information on sloping land management.
planification
Land users were actively involved in the planning stage and they incorporated feedback from other stakeholders to finalize the action plan. During this phase they also prepared the land and the materials, and recruited the resource person needed to implement the technology
mise en œuvre
Land users were involved in the implementation phase mobilizing their group members and shared the new technical knowledge that they had acquired.
suivi/ évaluation
Land users and other stakeholders remained actively involved throughout the different stages of monitoring and evaluation.
Research
Land users were actively involved in research work to test and validate the approach.
Diagramme/ organigramme

Households (HH)
participate in hedgerow management

Auteur : Gyanbandhu Sharma, AK Thaku
Prises de décision pour la sélection de la Technologie de GDT

Les décisions ont été prises par

  • les exploitants des terres seuls (auto-initiative)
  • principalement les exploitants des terres soutenus par des spécialistes de la GDT
  • tous les acteurs concernés dans le cadre d'une approche participative
  • principalement les spécialistes de la GDT, après consultation des exploitants des terres
  • les spécialistes de la GDT seuls
  • les responsables politiques/ dirigeants

Les décisions ont été prises sur la base de

  • l'évaluation de connaissances bien documentées en matière de GDT (prises de décision fondées sur des preuves tangibles)?
  • les résultats de recherches?
  • expériences et opinions personnelles (non documentées)

Soutien technique, renforcement des capacités et gestion des connaissances

Les activités ou services suivants ont fait partie de l'approche
Renforcement des capacités/ formation
La formation a été dispensée aux parties prenantes suivantes
  • exploitants des terres
  • personnels/ conseillers de terrain
  • Local Resource Person
Formats de la formation
  • sur le tas
  • entre agriculteurs (d'exploitants à exploitants)
  • zones de démonstration
  • réunions publiques
  • cours
Sujets abordés

This approach provided training on hedgerow technology and group mobilization to enhance the capacity of land users, field staff, and local resource persons. Site visits to the demonstration areas were also organized for the land users.

Service de conseils
Le service de conseils était fourni
  • dans les champs des exploitants?
  • dans des centres permanents
Name of method used for advisory service: Group Mobilization Method; Key elements: networking and coordination of farmers' groups with district level line agencies such as the district forest office, the district agriculture office, the district livestock office, and other relevant stakeholders for learning and sharing of information.
Renforcement des institutions
Institutions ont été renforcées ou mises en place
  • non
  • oui, un peu
  • oui, modérément
  • oui, beaucoup
au niveau suivant
  • local
  • régional
  • national
Décrivez l'institution, ses rôles et responsabilités, ses membres, etc.
Type de soutien
  • financier
  • renforcement des capacités/ formation
  • équipement
Plus de détails
Trainings and sessions on capacity building were provided to the land users
Suivi et évaluation
bio-physical aspects were regular monitored by project staff, land users through observations; indicators: The land users and project staff made regular observations of sediment deposition rates after the intervention. technical aspects were regular monitored by project staff, land users through observations; indicators: The land users and project staff made regular observations on the formation of terraces and control of erosion. socio-cultural aspects were regular monitored by project staff, land users through observations; indicators: The land users and project staff regularly observed sociocultural impacts economic / production aspects were regular monitored by project staff, land users through observations; indicators: The land users and project staff regularly observed the extent to which the income of the land users changed. area treated aspects were regular monitored by government, land users through measurements; indicators: The land users and government staff monitored the coverage of the technology. no. of land users involved aspects were regular monitored by project staff, land users through observations; indicators: Regular observations were made by the land users and project staff on how many land users were adopting the technology. management of Approach aspects were regular monitored by project staff, land users through observations; indicators: The land users and project staff regularly observed how well the group functioned together and how well they linked with stakeholders There were few changes in the Approach as a result of monitoring and evaluation: Monitoring brought few changes; farmers used the information gathered during monitoring of on-farm demonstration to help them select the species they preferred but the technology remained the same. There were no changes in the Technology as a result of monitoring and evaluation
Recherche
La recherche a traité les sujets suivants
  • sociologie
  • économie/ marketing
  • écologie
  • technologie

On-farm technical research was a part of the approach applied by land users, specialists, and relevant stakeholders who were involved in hedgerow technology trials.

Research was carried out on-farm

Financement et soutien matériel externe

Budget annuel en dollars US de la composante GDT
  • < 2 000
  • 2 000-10 000
  • 10 000-100 000
  • 100 000-1 000 000
  • > 1 000 000
Precise annual budget: sans objet
Approach costs were met by the following donors: national non-government: 20.0%; local government (district, county, municipality, village etc): 10.0%; local community / land user(s): 70.0%
Les services ou mesures incitatives suivantes ont été fournis aux exploitants des terres
  • Soutiens financiers/ matériels fournis aux exploitants des terres
  • Subventions pour des intrants spécifiques
  • Crédits
  • Autres incitations ou instruments
Soutiens financiers/ matériels fournis aux exploitants des terres
LI-BIRD provided some support.

Analyses d'impact et conclusions

Impacts de l'Approche
Non
Oui, un peu
Oui, modérément
Oui, beaucoup
Est-ce que l'Approche a aidé les exploitants des terres à mettre en œuvre et entretenir les Technologies de GDT?

This approach helped to stabilize the fragile hill slopes.

Est-ce que l'Approche a autonomisé les groupes socialement et économiquement défavorisés?

The capacity of marginal ethnic groups increased; they learned how local institutions function and felt empowered to seek resources from their service providers.

Did other land users / projects adopt the Approach?

This approach was adopted by adjoining villagers and scaled up gradually in Dhading, Chitwan, Nawalparasi, and Makwanpur Districts. According to preliminary information, at least 450 households have now adopted this approach for sustainable land management.

Principale motivation des exploitants des terres pour mettre en oeuvre la GDT
  • well-being and livelihoods improvement
Durabilité des activités de l'Approche
Les exploitants des terres peuvent-ils poursuivre ce qui a été mis en oeuvre par le biais de l'Approche (sans soutien extérieur) ?
  • non
  • oui
  • incertain

Conclusions et enseignements tirés

Points forts: point de vue de l'exploitant des terres
Points forts: point de vue du compilateur ou d'une autre personne-ressource clé
  • Sustained capacity building (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continue to build strong links and coordinate with government line agencies)
  • Improved access to services providers helped to enhance their capacity to cope with adverse conditions (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continue to build and maintain contact with government line agencies)
  • Local institutions were strengthened (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Established formal institutions and help to sustain them)
  • Land users actively participated and took ownership (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continue capacity building and training. At present the government is initiating programmes with leasehold forest groups in Gorkha and Tanahu Districts that encourages the establishment hedgerows è Work to mainstream the approach within government programmes)
  • Collaboration helped land users to sustain their efforts (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continue to build a sense of community between land users)
Faiblesses/ inconvénients/ risques: point de vue de l'exploitant des terrescomment surmonter
Faiblesses/ inconvénients/ risques: point de vue du compilateur ou d'une autre personne-ressource clécomment surmonter
  • Difficult to develop common understanding Organized regular learning and sharing to develop common understanding
  • Farmers have only a limited understanding of the skills needed
    Continue to strengthen farmers' groups and continue to mobilize through sharing and learning
  • The approach is resource intensive. Promote savings and credit schemes with farmers' groups. Mobilize farmers' groups so that they can petition other groups and line agencies for resources.
  • Time consuming Work with land users to improve their time management and their ability to plan future activities and delegate responsibilities
  • Few farmers participated during the initial stages Conduct awareness raising activities and promote activities that give some tangible benefits in the short term.

Références

Compilateur
  • Shreedip Sigdel
Editors
Examinateur
  • Fabian Ottiger
Date de mise en oeuvre: 20 août 2015
Dernière mise à jour: 8 juillet 2017
Personnes-ressources
Description complète dans la base de données WOCAT
Données de GDT correspondantes
La documentation a été facilitée par
Institution Projet
Références clés
  • Building on partnership approaches in participatory identification of integrated agricultural technological packages suitable for sloping land areas (unpublished), Regmi, BR; Aryal, KP; Shrestha, PK; Tamang, BB (2003): LI-BIRD
This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareaAlike 4.0 International