Agriculture in the mountainous regions of Nepal is facing significant challenges. Firstly, climate change is already having an unmistakable impact: the mountains of Nepal are experiencing rapid changes in climate, hydrology, and ecosystem functioning, which are reducing agricultural harvests. Secondly, poverty in remote areas has driven many people into labor migration. Instead of cultivating their fields, they are now working abroad, sometimes risking their lives. To address these challenges, we must implement sustainable land-use practices, which can mitigate the effects of climate change and land degradation by improving water security and ecosystem resilience.
The good news is that we have such a model! EcoHimal Nepal has 30 years of experience in agriculture in mountainous regions and has developed a climate-resilient agroforestry model that incorporates trees, crops, and animal husbandry. These components complement each other, resulting in an eco-management system that produces healthy food and generates year-round profit. This approach has been developed over the years and successfully implemented by hundreds of farmers in Nepal. EcoHimal plans to build a research and training center in Central Nepal, where this topic can be further researched and disseminated. There, we want to promote the agriculture of the future and teach impoverished farmers from all over Nepal new techniques for sustainable and profitable agriculture! We have the knowledge, experience, and people to implement all of this – what we lack is the land. Various organizations (Nepalhilfe Bonn, Ökohimal Austria, and Friends of Nepal) are contributing different amounts to the total price of 100,000 euros. Our goal at EcoHimal Germany is to contribute 15,000 € to the purchase price.