Short description of the best practice

In the first call of meeting, very few farmers turned up and showed no interest in dealing with the office staff. They disappeared just after a very short talk of about half an hour. After four/five uncalled visits and informal talks about the Sukauri-khola micro-watershed management, the farmers were found a bit motivated. They started discussing about their socioeconomic and environmental problems. The community was mobilized conducting several meeting/workshops. “Sukauri-khola Soil Conservation Users’ Group” was formed in coordination with District Soil Conservation Office, Nuwakot. Necessary rules and regulations were formulated in order to run the users' group. Soil conservation and watershed management activities; were applied such as (i) reclamation of degraded land by planting surface grass, fodder grasses/trees; (ii) gully and landslide treatment by constructing gabion check dams/loose stone check dams/brushwood check dams; and (iii) fruit trees plantation both on the community and private lands were implemented; (iv) community fund/revolving fund was established in the nearby bank; (v) coordination was made with JICA/NEPAL for PNC (Pipe-Net-Concrete) BLOCK for gully head plugging. This collaboration with the community entirely improved the environmental condition of the micro-watershed and become a productive area.

Location

Bidur Municipality, Ward no. 7, Nuwakot, District, Nepal

Brief description of the natural environment within the specified location.

The upper layer of the soil profile on the Tar is red (laterite soil), which is usually found under the Sal forest with sub-layer mixed with gravel. The water holding capacity of the soil is very poor with very low fertility.
The climate is Sub-tropical. More than eighty-five percent of the annual rainfall occurs in monsoon during June to September. Mean annual precipitation is 2062 mm. Mean annual temperature ranges from 2o C–35o C.
Most of the land is (rainfed upland) with outward sloping terraces

Prevailing socio-economic conditions of those living in the location and/or nearby

The average land holding of the occupants is 0.07 to 0.56 hectare. Land is private ownership with use right. Similarly, public land is under the title of government, however, community have right to manage and use.
Agricultural produces and labor wages are the main sources of income.
The occupants are daily wage-labors. The rate of labor wage is US$ 3.48/day.

On the basis of which criteria and/or indicator(s) (not related to The Strategy) the proposed practice and corresponding technology has been considered as 'best'?

The best practice applied have multiple benefits and considered best because of the following achievements:
1. Community empowering and mobilization
2. Soil erosion minimization
3. Income generation, and  
4. Coordination

Main problems addressed by the best practice

1. Gully plugging
2. Degraded land rehabilitation

Outline specific land degradation problems addressed by the best practice

More than 10 hectares of slope agriculture land was degraded due to continuous soil erosion. Deforestation was caused due to uncontrolled cutting of forest. Gully heads approaching to the community houses was developed. The lands became useless for agricultural practices.  

Specify the objectives of the best practice

1.To increase people’s awareness and improve development perception in the resource-poor farmers;   
2.To minimize/control soil erosion problems in the micro-watershed;
3.To improve present land use system of the micro-watershed; and
4.To increase the family income of the stakeholders through agriculture based income-generating activities

Brief description of main activities, by objective

1. Terrace improvement
2. Avoid intensive tillage
3. Contour cultivation
1.Plantation of fruits like mango, litchi, jack fruit, and guava
2.Asparagus cultivation
3.Introduction of stall-fed goat farming
4.providing skill trainings to women like sewing training  
1. Contour trenching
2. Surface grass plantation
3. Gully plugging by check-dam construction         
1. Formal/informal meeting/workshops
2. Farmers' to farmers' visit
3. Farmers' training
4. women's training

Short description and technical specifications of the technology

This best practice was developed under a community user group soil conservation and watershed management initiatives launched by the department of Soil Conservation and Watershed manage. District Soil Conservation Office which is a government institution is making collaboration with community user group to implement these activities under this best practice.

Name and address of the institution developing the technology

District Soil Conservation Office|Bidur, Nuwakot District, Nepal

Was the technology developed in partnership?

Yes

List the partners:

1.JICA/NEPAL
2.PEACE CORPS-NEPAL Volunteer
Community User Group

Specify the framework within which the technology was promoted

• Local initiative
• National initiative – government-led

Was the participation of local stakeholders, including CSOs, fostered in the development of the technology?

Yes

List local stakeholders involved:

1. Soil Conservation Users' Group
2. Women's Group

For the stakeholders listed above, specify their role in the design, introduction, use and maintenance of the technology, if any.

1. Collection of local materials used for check-dam construction
2. Earthwork excavation for construction
3. Surface grass plantation
4. Fruit tree/fodder tree plantation

Was the population living in the location and/or nearby involved in the development of the technology?

Yes

By means of what?

• Participatory approaches

Describe on-site impacts (the major two impacts by category)

1. Soil fertility improved
2. Asparagus production started
3. vegetable farming practiced
4. Fruit production
1. Stop gully head expansion
2. Flow of relatively clean water in the gully
1.More children started going to school
2.Community started save money in the revolving fund and use for income generation activities
3.Reduced number of liquor drunkard  which reduced fight among themselves
1. control of soil erosion
2. Development of fruit garden
3. Increased number of wild animals, and birds

Describe the major two off-site (i.e. not occurring in the location but in the surrounding areas) impacts

1.Reduced deposition of debris flowing downstream of the gullies
2.Increases the soil nutrients and moisture in the cultivated land.
Increased production.

Impact on biodiversity and climate change

Explain the reasons:

Implementation of this best practice has significant helped to improve the trees and biomass in the area. Similarly, soil erosion and nutrient loss of reduced that helped to grow crops and increase production. Farmers were able to plant asparagus, vegetables and fruit in the wasted lands from which their household income increased.Bo-diversity of the area was increased. all these result clearly shows that it has made good contribution in climate change adaptation at community level.
Because of unreliable occurrence of monsoon rainfall in the area the farmers could not be able to grow sufficient food grains.    

Has a cost-benefit analysis been carried out?

Has a cost-benefit analysis been carried out?

No

Was the technology disseminated/introduced to other locations?

Was the technology disseminated/introduced to other locations?

No

Were incentives to facilitate the take up of the technology provided?

Were incentives to facilitate the take up of the technology provided?

Yes

Specify which type of incentives:

• Financial incentives (for example, preferential rates, State aid, subsidies, cash grants, loan guarantees, etc)

Can you identify the three main conditions that led to the success of the presented best practice/technology?

Participatory process
Well structured community organization
Good collaboration and coordination among GOs and local community

Replicability

In your opinion, the best practice/technology you have proposed can be replicated, although with some level of adaptation, elsewhere?

Yes

At which level?

• Local
• Sub-national
• National

Related to human resources

1.The community people must be kept in trust
2.Each people of the community must be given an opportunity to participate in decision making process

Related to technical aspects

1.Locally available construction materials and community knowledge should be used
2.Local people should trained as resource person for the future works