Responses to Innovation in an Insecure Environment in Rural Nepal

Abstract

Development workers' understanding of subsistence farmers' and herders' reluctance to adopt new technologies has been informed for several decades by a focus on the perception of risks and on patterns of diffusion of innovations. People living on the produce of their own land and herds have been described as "risk-averse" and culturally "conservative," and as preferring not to adopt new technologies and farming or husbandry methods that might negatively impact their ability to make it through the next dry or cold season. We have been living and working with agropas

Aid or abyss? Food assistance programs (FAPs), food security and livelihoods in Humla, Nepal

“…The separate settlement gave the Dalits of Kalika a better opportunity for political representation and participation in formal institutions and their programs, which they attributed to their freedom from having to compete with high castes. As a result, almost all Dalit households have access to latrine and drinking water (heavily subsidized by NGOs, see McKay et al, 2007) whereas almost all Dalits in the mixed settlement lack those facilities. In the latter case, the bypassing of the Dalits is consistent with the argument of Neupane (2004), which relates to the flaws of the apolitical participatory social development widespread in Nepal in which local social relation favors the rich and powerful households in expense of the most vulnerable ones.…”

“Humla Development Initiatives” for Better Livelihoods in the Face of Isolation and Conflict

“…For this purpose, interviews were carried out with concerned stakeholders such as government officials and representatives from nongovernmental organizations working in Humla, local intellectuals, journalists, and politicians, as well as focus group discussions with both men and women from different social groups. The main challenge of this task was that it had to be carried out during the Maoist insurgency when development efforts were at a standstill (McKay et al 2007). In Simkot, a daily curfew was imposed from 7 PM to 5 AM.…”

Socio-Cultural Dimensions of Cluster vs. Single Home Photovoltaic Solar Energy Systems in Rural Nepal

“…The district experiences chronic food shortages and 65% of children under five years of age are malnourished [1]. Infant and maternal mortality are even higher than the alarming national averages [1,2], and Humlis live in homes without running water, access to latrines, or regular medical care. Under circumstances such as these, it is critical that development be both holistic and sustainable, and should be conceptualized and implemented in long-term holistic community development projects that take a multi-pronged approach to health, food security, drinking water, indoor air pollution and education.…”

“…The non-government organization offers the solar photovoltaic project in combination with clean drinking water, pit latrines, smokeless stoves, greenhousing, solar dryers, non-formal education, and nutrition monitoring and intervention in dire cases. In a previous paper, the technical parameters of the solar photovoltaic projects described herein are described [1][2][3]. Here, I report the results of a series of interviews conducted in October, 2009, with the-end users of two types of solar energy system projects commonly installed in this region.…”

“…Hydro power plants provide 98-99% of Nepal's grid electricity, which enables roughly 25% of the population, mainly in urban areas, to access electricity [1,2]. But because approximately 80% of Nepal's inhabitants live in areas not reached by the grid, solar photovoltaic and other renewable energy systems are key, and the social and cultural impediments to accessing and fully benefitting from them are important to understand.…”