Where We Work
The Trust is unique in its structured approach to addressing the problems that climate change is inflicting on Nepal. Atmospheric warming is not a consistent phenomenon, because Nepal’s extraordinarily varied topography and latitudinal tilt give rise to a wide range of environments. Simplistically, the country divides into three horizontal belts each of which has a differing rate of atmospheric warming, affecting rainfall and seasonal patterns differently.
Geographical BeltTGT ProjectAdd-ons (Some examples)
High Hills (Himal). High atmospheric warming. Snowfall increasingly unpredictable. Permafrost degradation.Coping with landslides, rockfall and river channel blocking. Restoration of groundcover.Early warning systems. Satellite and Techncal monitoring (RS,GIS). Risk analysis.
Mid Hills (Pahad). Highest atmospheric warming, especially in winter. Severe rainfall variability.Agroforestry, Forest conservation and alternative fuels. Combating invasive plant species.Bioengineering and slope stability. Reduction of monsoon sheetflow. Crop, animal and human diseases. Weed reduction. Insect (mosquito) infestation.
Foot Hills (Siwaliks). Least atmospheric warming but greatest rainfall variation.Integrated Water Resource Management (IRWM), Drought coping strategies.Bioengineering and slope stability. Past community responses to CC. Alterations to vegetable (cabbage) germination periods.
The Trust is developing a cross section of need-based, climate change related, development projects in Nepal. These projects have the potential to be expanded. By embedding capacity building programmes into these projects The Trust adds value at local, national and even international levels.
The concept of capacity building is very important. For example, there is precious little use in ‘outsiders’ suggesting that a community make changes in agricultural practice (for example where the delay in the monsoon mean the loss of a rice crop) if the community does not learn to build its own adaptation strategies. Developing local self-help adaptation strategies is now the main focus of the Trust’s work.
The Glacier Trust provides the basis for education and training by which the relationship between science and the community is strengthened so that experience and skills can be translated and shared between communities.
Current Projects
An environmental conservation project in north eastern Nepal
Community self-help adaptation for climate change
2016 Enhancing community capacity to learning and adaptation to climate change (ECCLA)