Mandan Deupur Agro Forestry Resource Centre

With funding from The Marr Munning Trust and Margaret Hayman Charitable Trust we are working with EcoHimal Nepal on a six year project to enable climate change adaptation in Mandan Deupur, a rural municipality of Kaverpalanchok district.

The project is focused on the formation of a new Agro Forestry Resource Centre (AFRC) in Mandan Deupur, building on Eco Himal and TGT’s expertise and experience from our similar model in Deusa, Solukhumbu.

Project aims

The project involves the local government and target communities in a collaborative attempt to:

  • Improve agricultural productivity, reduce land degradation and adapt to the impacts of climate change;

  • Improve incomes through sustainable production and marketing of higher value crops, and provide younger generations with enhanced knowledge of the issues affecting their community;

  • Increase opportunities for gainful employment;

  • Ensure Mandan Deupur AFRC achieves full financial self-sufficiency within five years;

  • Develop climate change understanding and awareness across the population of Mandan Deupur.

The land here is very dry, making it very hard to grow produce. Through this project farmers will gain the skills and equipment needed to conserve water and increase production.

The land here is very dry, making it very hard to grow produce. Through this project farmers will gain the skills and equipment needed to conserve water and increase production.

Key activities

  • Coordinate with local authorities, undertake baseline survey, create farmer profile database;

  • Undertake feasibility study on marketable crops, and select best site for AFRC;

  • Construct, staff, equip and tool AFRC;

  • Establish nursery and outlets for organic produce;

  • Establish satellite nurseries in two other wards at suitable locations;

  • Provide farmer training in agroforestry, alternative more sustainable farming systems, and organic production;

  • Organize, facilitate and undertake monthly refresher or specialist training’s for farmers at the AFRC;

  • Detailed farmer training in organic crop production, and obtain organic certification for selected farmers;

  • Provide monthly coaching to secondary school students on environmental issues, climate change and agroforestry;

  • Establish school gardens based on agroforestry principles at five schools;

  • Promote agroforestry, adoption of high value vegetable and tree crops and alternative cropping systems;

  • Coordinate with local stakeholders to raise awareness and know-how transfer on environmental issues, climate change and agroforestry.

REPORTING

Our partners in Nepal, Eco Himal, report to us on a quarterly basis and produce an annual final report. All reports are available to download in PDF format on our project reports page.

LOCATION

Mandan Deupur is a rural municipality in the district of Kaverpalanchok in central Nepal. Despite being less than 60 km from Kathmandu, Mandan Deupur suffers from the same cultural and political marginalization faced by Nepal’s remote communities. The entire Kavre district was badly affected by the 2015 earthquakes, which destroyed many buildings and played havoc with water tables. As a consequence, the land here is very dry, creating very challenging conditions for farmers.

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