“We cannot turn back time, but we can grow forests, revive water sources, and bring back soils. We are the generation that can make peace with land.” We find this quote on the page of WorldEnvironmentDay.global.

While ADRA aims to improve the well-being of smallholder farmers and secure their all year access to income and food, protecting the environment and enhancing biodiversity is an important aspect.

Farming families living at the edge of Bardiya National Park in Nepal often experience human-wildlife conflicts, such as e.g. wild animals destroying their crops or entering their villages. Could you imagine that holding free ranging chicken in the village may attract tigers? Or what do you do, if herds of elephants repeatedly come to your fields and trample everything down?

How can families there earn an income and live in peace with animals, by protecting biodiversity and ecosystems?

The Samvardhan Project, funded by the European Union in Nepal, Austrian Development Cooperation and ADRA Österreich is directly involved in supporting ecosystems and protecting biodiversity.

The Laliguransh Women Farmer Group, Banke is looking into ways to grow turmeric and chillies for optimum yield in their community often visited by wildlife. Through an interactive and practical training method, the Agricultural Technician from our Samvardhan Project demonstrates three methods of growing turmeric; conventional method, raised bed, and raised bed with mulching. This way the women can see for themselves which is the most effective and decide to use that method for their coming season. Their households face regular interactions with monkeys and wild boar which destroy their vegetable crops affecting their household food consumption and their ability to earn money through selling the excess.

The solution: Planting alternative crops

Turmeric and chilli are not affected by wildlife.

The project is working at a community, district, and national level to improve local practices and policies that support biodiversity, encourage sustainability and support communities affected by wildlife around the Banke and Bardiya National Park areas.

Partners bringing their unique expertise together are Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources (ANSAB) BEE-Group, Banke Federation of Community Forestry Users, Nepal (FECOFUN)