Water, energy, and biodiversity are essential components for building a sustainable food system i... more Water, energy, and biodiversity are essential components for building a sustainable food system in a developing country like Nepal. Green Revolution technologies and the package of practices largely ignored the role of ecosystem services, leaving a large population of small farmers’ food- and nutrition-insecure. Biodiversity, especially, agrobiodiversity is in decline and this vital cross-cutting element is less discussed and interlinked in nexus literature. The interlinking food system with water–energy–biodiversity nexus, therefore, is essential to achieve a resilient food system. It ensures the vital structures and functions of the ecosystem on which it is dependent are well protected in the face of increasing socio-economic and climatic stress. This paper reviews the food system of Nepal through the lens of the food–water–energy–biodiversity (FWEB) nexus to develop a more robust food system framework. From this approach, food system foresight can benefit from different nature-ba...
continued facilitation and leadership in the sustainable management of medicinal plants in the re... more continued facilitation and leadership in the sustainable management of medicinal plants in the region. And we wish MAPPA and all participants a very productive and successful workshop. Thank you.
Conservation and Utilization of Threatened Medicinal Plants
Medicinal, aromatic, wild food and other health and wellness-related natural plant resources foun... more Medicinal, aromatic, wild food and other health and wellness-related natural plant resources found in Himalayan highlands include rare, endangered and threatened plant species and non-timber wild products. These are commonly described as NTFPs and MAPs. Sustainable wild harvesting and primary processing of these herbs for addressing poverty of poor pastoralists, farmers and local traders is a major challenge. Medicinal plants not only play a pivotal role in providing primary healthcare for poor people in mountain areas; increasingly, these niche products are being gathered, processed and sold in national and international markets for higher cash income. Prominent examples of high-value but threatened medicinal plants that are commonly used in the Ayurvedic and Tibetan systems of traditional medicine (Sowa Rigpa) are as follows: Ophiocordyceps sinensis, Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora, Picrorhiza kurroa, Nardostachys grandiflora, Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Podophyllum hexandrum, Aconitum spp., etc. Experience gathered to date suggests that technical, socioeconomic, institutional and policy inputs and instruments are required to develop niche and high-volume production in pastoral systems. This chapter analyses and recommends the following actions in enhancing future scope: (a) raising awareness through different formal and informal education means, (b) skill development in sustainable harvesting as well as grazing management, (c) production of organic and sustainably managed products, (d) integration of agricultural and pastoral livelihoods with off-farm activities through value chain development of major niche products that have high-value capturing potential, (e) improvement of degraded pasture and farmlands to enhance productivity of niche products and services, (f) conservation through sustainable use-oriented policy and legal reforms to implement integrated strategies of linking conservation of wild fauna and flora with sustainable pastoral production systems and (g) expansion of ecologically sensitive low-input high-return tourism, using pastoralists to provide services, particularly through their indigenous knowledge and improved local production practices. These measures are expected to help Himalayan countries to achieve several SDGs especially goal nos.1 and 2.
ICIMOD, based on its past experience and knowledge base, realizes that national and sectoral poli... more ICIMOD, based on its past experience and knowledge base, realizes that national and sectoral policies have failed to make a significant impact on poverty reduction, natural resource conservation, and environmental quality maintenance in the mountains. Growing evidences suggest that purely technical solutions are neither effective nor sustainable unless they are supported by favourable policies and institutions. While policy decisions are prerogative of the RMC governments; relevant information and knowledge, and proper ground-level understanding are necessary for the policy makers to make right choice in terms of formulating appropriate policy. Being a non-political regional organization, ICIMOD, therefore has an important roles to support and facilitate informed decision-making by concerned agencies at national and sub-national levels, Founded in 24 years before by the RMCs with support of international partners, ICIMOD’role is to build up a regional knowledge base through generati...
The mountains of the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) are abundant in natural resources. These unique l... more The mountains of the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) are abundant in natural resources. These unique landscapes provide valuable ecosystem goods and services to support livelihoods of more than 1.3 billion people – directly and indirectly. But the harsh terrain and lack of enabling institutional frameworks and policies have constrained and pose serious challenges to sustainable development of this important mountain system. The region includes four global biodiversity hotspots, 330 important bird areas, and 60 global eco-regions. The 488 protected areas in the HKH provide vital ecosystem goods and services to more than 1.5 billion people in the uplands and the lowlands. The greater Himalayas – the water tower of Asia – is the source of 10 major river systems that support water supply, food production, biodiversity, and energy generation in the region, including supporting the two fast-growing economies of India and China. The region is home to more than 40% of the world’s poor but is als...
Mountains of Southeast Asia and the Pacific (SEAP) region spread across two geographic regions – ... more Mountains of Southeast Asia and the Pacific (SEAP) region spread across two geographic regions – mainland Asia and island/archipelagic states in the Pacific Ocean – and constitute one of the world’s highest and also most severely threatened biodiversity pools. A number of indigenous peoples who are marginalised, poor, and underserved by their respective states live in the structurally weak and fragile mountains. They are made even more vulnerable by increased frequency and intensity of rainfall, extreme temperatures and severe tropical storms. Increasing population and economic pressures are driving migrant lowland settlers towards the SEAP Mountains while extractive companies harness timber, minerals and water resources without giving local communities their due share. In general, the mountains have not been mainstreamed in governance in most Southeast Asian countries. This highlights the immediate need for policy reforms to protect social and ecological systems in the mountains fo...
Although there is no unified view among the policy makers and development experts on what represe... more Although there is no unified view among the policy makers and development experts on what represents and drives a Green Economy and there is also no clarity on what it means for the mountain countries like Nepal, the concept is however, very pertinent in the context of rapid climate change and unsustainable development. There is a general agreement that green economy provides opportunities for developing and forest rich country like Nepal as the fossil fuel-based and import oriented consumerism based economy cannot be successful today and in future. It is likely that green economy could be a good vehicle to reach sustainable mountain development (SMD). However, there is a need to develop specific and strategies and action plans to implement green and low-carbon economic activities. First and foremost, there is a need to develop a national policy and to use green economy to achieve poverty reduction and sustainable development. The economic growth rate has to be sustained while reduc...
In pursuit of sustainable forest conservation, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal have promoted... more In pursuit of sustainable forest conservation, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal have promoted participatory forest management (PFM) approaches such as community forestry, joint forest management, and social forestry. This study assessed these approaches based on policy and legal frameworks, organizational arrangements, and decentralization of authority, which are considered the fundamental requirements for the success of PFM. The findings of the analysis revealed that although there is a tendency among all four countries moving toward PFM, their features and fundamentals vary considerably from one country to another. Overall, community forestry in Nepal appeared to be a robust participatory system, while the social forestry of Bangladesh-a highly centralized approach-is deemed very weak. The community forestry approach in Bhutan and joint forest management in India fall between these two extremes. Broad policy recommendations are outlined for promotion of genuine PFM.
BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access t... more BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.
BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access t... more BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.
Dissertation Abstracts International. B, Sciences and …, 1993
... Document details. Title Improved fodder tree management in the agroforestry systems of centra... more ... Document details. Title Improved fodder tree management in the agroforestry systems of central and western Nepal. Authors Karki, MB Journal Dissertation Abstracts International. B, Sciences and Engineering 1993 Vol. 53 No. 7 pp. ...
Indigenous people have widely been blamed for degrading South Asia's montane forest resources... more Indigenous people have widely been blamed for degrading South Asia's montane forest resources through the practice of shifting cultivation, yet some studies have revealed that indigenous people used forests in a sustainable way for centuries until external intervention. The history of external intervention in the forests of South Asia is more than two centuries old. The process of degradation of forest resources requires understanding of the political and social processes that condition access, control and management of the land and resources involved. The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh, a part of the Himalayan region, underwent essentially the same socio-political and historical processes as many other countries in the region and had very similar experiences in forest management. By examination of policies and associated effects on CHT forest over the past two centuries, this paper reveals that the process of forest degradation in the CHT started during the British ...
Paper submitted to XIII World Forestry Congress, 2009
... 1980, about 15,000 forest user groups (FUGs) have been formed and are managing more than one ... more ... 1980, about 15,000 forest user groups (FUGs) have been formed and are managing more than one million hectares of forest (about one-third of the total forest area), benefiting around 1.2 million households -about one-third of households in the country (Nurse and Malla, 2006). ...
ABSTRACT The literature defines livelihoods asthe processes comprising the capabilities, assets a... more ABSTRACT The literature defines livelihoods asthe processes comprising the capabilities, assets and activities that provide a means for living'to the human beings. Livelihoods are best examined through Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF), which is based on the ...
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1659 Mrd Journal D 11 00017 1, Sep 14, 2011
BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access t... more BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.
Yunan province of China is a treasure trove of the great medicinal plant diversity (an estimated ... more Yunan province of China is a treasure trove of the great medicinal plant diversity (an estimated 265 families, 1345 genera, 4758 species). Rapid economic development of China has drastically changed verdant landscape of one of the most important biodiversity hot spots of the world and the province is facing the obvious difficulty of conserving its vulnerable species and habitats. Chinese officials have taken a number of steps to conserve Yunan's unique biodiversity especially, medicinal plants. These include enhancing laws and policies, strengthening educational outreach, creating nature reserves, using ex situ conservation, promoting international cooperation and exchange, fortifying investment in conservation and improving oversight of the import and export of medicinal plants.
Water, energy, and biodiversity are essential components for building a sustainable food system i... more Water, energy, and biodiversity are essential components for building a sustainable food system in a developing country like Nepal. Green Revolution technologies and the package of practices largely ignored the role of ecosystem services, leaving a large population of small farmers’ food- and nutrition-insecure. Biodiversity, especially, agrobiodiversity is in decline and this vital cross-cutting element is less discussed and interlinked in nexus literature. The interlinking food system with water–energy–biodiversity nexus, therefore, is essential to achieve a resilient food system. It ensures the vital structures and functions of the ecosystem on which it is dependent are well protected in the face of increasing socio-economic and climatic stress. This paper reviews the food system of Nepal through the lens of the food–water–energy–biodiversity (FWEB) nexus to develop a more robust food system framework. From this approach, food system foresight can benefit from different nature-ba...
continued facilitation and leadership in the sustainable management of medicinal plants in the re... more continued facilitation and leadership in the sustainable management of medicinal plants in the region. And we wish MAPPA and all participants a very productive and successful workshop. Thank you.
Conservation and Utilization of Threatened Medicinal Plants
Medicinal, aromatic, wild food and other health and wellness-related natural plant resources foun... more Medicinal, aromatic, wild food and other health and wellness-related natural plant resources found in Himalayan highlands include rare, endangered and threatened plant species and non-timber wild products. These are commonly described as NTFPs and MAPs. Sustainable wild harvesting and primary processing of these herbs for addressing poverty of poor pastoralists, farmers and local traders is a major challenge. Medicinal plants not only play a pivotal role in providing primary healthcare for poor people in mountain areas; increasingly, these niche products are being gathered, processed and sold in national and international markets for higher cash income. Prominent examples of high-value but threatened medicinal plants that are commonly used in the Ayurvedic and Tibetan systems of traditional medicine (Sowa Rigpa) are as follows: Ophiocordyceps sinensis, Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora, Picrorhiza kurroa, Nardostachys grandiflora, Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Podophyllum hexandrum, Aconitum spp., etc. Experience gathered to date suggests that technical, socioeconomic, institutional and policy inputs and instruments are required to develop niche and high-volume production in pastoral systems. This chapter analyses and recommends the following actions in enhancing future scope: (a) raising awareness through different formal and informal education means, (b) skill development in sustainable harvesting as well as grazing management, (c) production of organic and sustainably managed products, (d) integration of agricultural and pastoral livelihoods with off-farm activities through value chain development of major niche products that have high-value capturing potential, (e) improvement of degraded pasture and farmlands to enhance productivity of niche products and services, (f) conservation through sustainable use-oriented policy and legal reforms to implement integrated strategies of linking conservation of wild fauna and flora with sustainable pastoral production systems and (g) expansion of ecologically sensitive low-input high-return tourism, using pastoralists to provide services, particularly through their indigenous knowledge and improved local production practices. These measures are expected to help Himalayan countries to achieve several SDGs especially goal nos.1 and 2.
ICIMOD, based on its past experience and knowledge base, realizes that national and sectoral poli... more ICIMOD, based on its past experience and knowledge base, realizes that national and sectoral policies have failed to make a significant impact on poverty reduction, natural resource conservation, and environmental quality maintenance in the mountains. Growing evidences suggest that purely technical solutions are neither effective nor sustainable unless they are supported by favourable policies and institutions. While policy decisions are prerogative of the RMC governments; relevant information and knowledge, and proper ground-level understanding are necessary for the policy makers to make right choice in terms of formulating appropriate policy. Being a non-political regional organization, ICIMOD, therefore has an important roles to support and facilitate informed decision-making by concerned agencies at national and sub-national levels, Founded in 24 years before by the RMCs with support of international partners, ICIMOD’role is to build up a regional knowledge base through generati...
The mountains of the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) are abundant in natural resources. These unique l... more The mountains of the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) are abundant in natural resources. These unique landscapes provide valuable ecosystem goods and services to support livelihoods of more than 1.3 billion people – directly and indirectly. But the harsh terrain and lack of enabling institutional frameworks and policies have constrained and pose serious challenges to sustainable development of this important mountain system. The region includes four global biodiversity hotspots, 330 important bird areas, and 60 global eco-regions. The 488 protected areas in the HKH provide vital ecosystem goods and services to more than 1.5 billion people in the uplands and the lowlands. The greater Himalayas – the water tower of Asia – is the source of 10 major river systems that support water supply, food production, biodiversity, and energy generation in the region, including supporting the two fast-growing economies of India and China. The region is home to more than 40% of the world’s poor but is als...
Mountains of Southeast Asia and the Pacific (SEAP) region spread across two geographic regions – ... more Mountains of Southeast Asia and the Pacific (SEAP) region spread across two geographic regions – mainland Asia and island/archipelagic states in the Pacific Ocean – and constitute one of the world’s highest and also most severely threatened biodiversity pools. A number of indigenous peoples who are marginalised, poor, and underserved by their respective states live in the structurally weak and fragile mountains. They are made even more vulnerable by increased frequency and intensity of rainfall, extreme temperatures and severe tropical storms. Increasing population and economic pressures are driving migrant lowland settlers towards the SEAP Mountains while extractive companies harness timber, minerals and water resources without giving local communities their due share. In general, the mountains have not been mainstreamed in governance in most Southeast Asian countries. This highlights the immediate need for policy reforms to protect social and ecological systems in the mountains fo...
Although there is no unified view among the policy makers and development experts on what represe... more Although there is no unified view among the policy makers and development experts on what represents and drives a Green Economy and there is also no clarity on what it means for the mountain countries like Nepal, the concept is however, very pertinent in the context of rapid climate change and unsustainable development. There is a general agreement that green economy provides opportunities for developing and forest rich country like Nepal as the fossil fuel-based and import oriented consumerism based economy cannot be successful today and in future. It is likely that green economy could be a good vehicle to reach sustainable mountain development (SMD). However, there is a need to develop specific and strategies and action plans to implement green and low-carbon economic activities. First and foremost, there is a need to develop a national policy and to use green economy to achieve poverty reduction and sustainable development. The economic growth rate has to be sustained while reduc...
In pursuit of sustainable forest conservation, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal have promoted... more In pursuit of sustainable forest conservation, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal have promoted participatory forest management (PFM) approaches such as community forestry, joint forest management, and social forestry. This study assessed these approaches based on policy and legal frameworks, organizational arrangements, and decentralization of authority, which are considered the fundamental requirements for the success of PFM. The findings of the analysis revealed that although there is a tendency among all four countries moving toward PFM, their features and fundamentals vary considerably from one country to another. Overall, community forestry in Nepal appeared to be a robust participatory system, while the social forestry of Bangladesh-a highly centralized approach-is deemed very weak. The community forestry approach in Bhutan and joint forest management in India fall between these two extremes. Broad policy recommendations are outlined for promotion of genuine PFM.
BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access t... more BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.
BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access t... more BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.
Dissertation Abstracts International. B, Sciences and …, 1993
... Document details. Title Improved fodder tree management in the agroforestry systems of centra... more ... Document details. Title Improved fodder tree management in the agroforestry systems of central and western Nepal. Authors Karki, MB Journal Dissertation Abstracts International. B, Sciences and Engineering 1993 Vol. 53 No. 7 pp. ...
Indigenous people have widely been blamed for degrading South Asia's montane forest resources... more Indigenous people have widely been blamed for degrading South Asia's montane forest resources through the practice of shifting cultivation, yet some studies have revealed that indigenous people used forests in a sustainable way for centuries until external intervention. The history of external intervention in the forests of South Asia is more than two centuries old. The process of degradation of forest resources requires understanding of the political and social processes that condition access, control and management of the land and resources involved. The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh, a part of the Himalayan region, underwent essentially the same socio-political and historical processes as many other countries in the region and had very similar experiences in forest management. By examination of policies and associated effects on CHT forest over the past two centuries, this paper reveals that the process of forest degradation in the CHT started during the British ...
Paper submitted to XIII World Forestry Congress, 2009
... 1980, about 15,000 forest user groups (FUGs) have been formed and are managing more than one ... more ... 1980, about 15,000 forest user groups (FUGs) have been formed and are managing more than one million hectares of forest (about one-third of the total forest area), benefiting around 1.2 million households -about one-third of households in the country (Nurse and Malla, 2006). ...
ABSTRACT The literature defines livelihoods asthe processes comprising the capabilities, assets a... more ABSTRACT The literature defines livelihoods asthe processes comprising the capabilities, assets and activities that provide a means for living'to the human beings. Livelihoods are best examined through Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF), which is based on the ...
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1659 Mrd Journal D 11 00017 1, Sep 14, 2011
BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access t... more BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.
Yunan province of China is a treasure trove of the great medicinal plant diversity (an estimated ... more Yunan province of China is a treasure trove of the great medicinal plant diversity (an estimated 265 families, 1345 genera, 4758 species). Rapid economic development of China has drastically changed verdant landscape of one of the most important biodiversity hot spots of the world and the province is facing the obvious difficulty of conserving its vulnerable species and habitats. Chinese officials have taken a number of steps to conserve Yunan's unique biodiversity especially, medicinal plants. These include enhancing laws and policies, strengthening educational outreach, creating nature reserves, using ex situ conservation, promoting international cooperation and exchange, fortifying investment in conservation and improving oversight of the import and export of medicinal plants.
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Papers by madhav karki