Key Highlights

The adverse impacts of climate change are visible in the agriculture sector of Sudurpashchim Province, with noticeable effects in planting and harvesting seasons due to changes in weather patterns. Further, vulnerability to natural disasters has increased in several districts of Sudurpaschim, including Achham, Doti, Dadeldhura, and Baitadi, with unseasonal rains triggering floods and landslides

The Ministry of Forest and Environment in Sudurpashchim Province has formed a separate department for climate change as a response, and many local governments have been involved in spreading awareness for the minimization and adaptation of climate change. At the local level, there are foundations for climate-smart governance such as the Local Adaptation Plans for Action (LAPA) which includes various sectors and private stakeholders. However, there are structural challenges in the government that impede the efficient implementation of the plans as members from different levels are not able to communicate and coordinate well

There is a lack of coordination among the different levels of government, especially in relation to sharing agriculture-related data. For this, the provincial government and the local governments have been working closely to regulate and improve policies, which they plan to implement in the coming five years.

The local governments have been promoting environment-friendly farming for livelihood development by establishing seed banks, promoting organic agriculture, and initiating sugarcane farming along river beds and herb plantations in areas frequented by wild animals

The use of bioengineering for riverside sugarcane farming has prevented the erosion of fertile soil from the riverbeds and has supported farmers to increase their incomes. The provincial government can introduce new technologies to efficiently irrigate barren lands so they can be utilized to increase production. Similarly, farm mechanization and zero-tillage farming are other alternatives that would assist in sustainable farming practices

To reduce agricultural losses caused by climate change, community forests may be utilized to plant fruit-yielding trees as well as medicinal herbs, which local communities could sell to improve their livelihoods. This would also help reduce unsustainable practices of cutting down community forests for timber.

While local and provincial governments have prioritized physical infrastructure development, greater emphasis should be placed on strengthening human capital and productivity for adaptation and mitigation of climate change

Better governance practices are required from provincial governments to encourage the participation of the private sector in climate-resilient projects. The involvement of the private sector would lead to employment generation and creative solutions, particularly in waste management and agricultural modernization.

Local governments have plans to establish climate-friendly villages or model villages for the development of climate-resilient agriculture However, private sector participation is required to ensure effective seed storage and distribution centers, as well as the availability of plants, organic fertilizers, agricultural inputs, and services

The government needs to formulate and implement inclusive policies that encourage and support climate-smart governance while also boosting the business environment. These policies should consider and integrate diverse stakeholders, including the public and private sectors, cooperatives, and development partners.

Sectors that are directly affected by climate change need to be identified There have been few initiatives to minimize climate change, with the focus being on adapting measures rather than mitigating climate change itself. Further, the adaptation measures are mostly short-term relief measures. They should be better aligned with the long-term plans.

To attract domestic capital, the provincial or local governments should focus on setting targets based on their respective provinces' production, consumption, and export capacity. Focusing on what a province is able to sustainably produce allows the governments to create pocket areas for farming or cultivating specific products that would be competitive in the market

Plans for the conservation of forests and agricultural lands should be formulated through a bottom-up approach. This should start from the local governments, followed by the provincial governments and the federal government, respectively. Doing so would improve coordination among the different levels of the government, and clarify the different projects that each level is responsible for.

The Sudurpashchim provincial government could also introduce and subsidize weather-based indexing insurance similar to the ones in Karnali province Such insurance schemes would protect farmers from climate shocks and transfer climate-related risks to insurance companies Spreading awareness about similar grants or subsidies for insurance is required.