Nepal is a chronically food insecure country. According to World Food Programme (WFP) the surplus area of Tarai and lower Hills cannot cover food demand from the upper Hills and Mountains which are mostly food deficient. The country has limited scope to bring new areas under cultivation. This fact, together with underdeveloped irrigation infrastructures, frequent localized disaster incidents, high population growth and almost stagnant land productivity mainly because of soil loss has turned the country from an exporter to an importer of food items. Nepal is a net food importer and highly dependent on external market fluctuations that leave its population at chronic risk of food insecurity.At the same time the country is exposed to multiple disasters which impact agricultural production, services and road access. With the major and multiple disasters between April and August, Nepal was once again highlighted in the world's map of disasters. Disaster risk reduction science had not previously been able to understand multiple localized disaster impacts and related food insecurity in the country.
From April to August the country witnessed multiple disasters induced food deficiency. The mega-earthquake and subsequent aftershocks destroyed over four million farmers' houses where considerable amount of seeds were stored for this year's farming activities. The earthquakes damaged over 600 government buildings that used to support local agricultural services. Thousands of hectares of agricultural lands developed cracks affecting agricultural production particularly in the central and eastern hill tracks and mountains. In many areas, it is reported, traditional water sources dried after the quakes.
Thousands of people had to construct temporary shelters in their agricultural land and allow their lands to support neighbors. In the outer circle of Kathmandu, particularly in Bhaktapur, Sakhu, Ramechhap, Sindhuli, Kavre and Udayapur (hill parts), locals reported large numbers of wolves, snakes and other wild animals after the earthquakes. The incidents of snake bites increased dramatically in Bhaktapur.
Further, heavy rain and landslide incidents that started after the first week of July 2015 killed 150 people and caused 1,000 injuries, also destroying nearly 600 houses including temporary shelters constructed by humanitarian agencies. Dysentery, cholera and other diarrheal disease have been common. Over 90 cholera cases have been confirmed. Most of the people affected by landslides, floods and diseases come from farming communities who had been badly affected by earthquakes.
Amongst those people living in the high hill and mountain areas, ethnic communities have been most affected by the quakes. Household food scarcity has increased. According to Household Impact Assessment (n=1,500) research conducted by the lead author of this article in 10 high-impact districts from the earthquakes, 69 percent of the population are malnourished. Local food insecurity is also worsening among other vulnerable groups dependent on remittance (single women, elderly couples, and children under 16). The farmers in the area are unable to secure food because of total destruction of capital and physical assets.
Such disaster incidents have aggravated food insecurity. People have to choose non-farm strategies such as migration to the nearest urban centers or get involved in the sex trade to increase income. They have to sell their gold and ornaments to buy basic food items.
These outcomes could be considered in part a result of weak relief governance and poor humanitarian targeting techniques of humanitarian agencies. Weak relief governance and poor humanitarian targeting not only keeps people in a vicious cycle of poverty but also contributes to creating new dynamics for ongoing social conflicts.
Poverty in Nepal has persisted for decades, and it is recognized as a complex phenomenon, for which there are no quick fixes. The Big One followed by landslides and flooding incidents has added additional complexity. In this context, the country needs a risk neutral agricultural policy that takes care of production and producers without losing sight of the need for local food security and related issues.
Understanding cascading effects of localized disasters, particularly in the agricultural sector, requires comprehensive knowledge on evolution of local vulnerability, not only in terms of geophysical and ecological processes, but also the condition of local people, agricultural practices, economy and infrastructure.
It has been a priority of 189 UN member states and at least 23 international organizations to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. However, this proved insufficient and Nepal has now to take immediate, effective additional measures for food security at both national as well as local levels as a part of post-quake livelihood recovery programs.
Food security can be promoted with capital assets and off-farm job opportunities. This could help reduce food shortage and address poverty-related issues in quake-affected districts.
Aryal is a visiting Professor at Centre for Disaster Studies, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University; and Collins works for Department of Geography at Northumbria University, UK
Related story
Lumbini Lion’s Rohit strikes hat-trick, Sudurpaschim in early t...
-1200x560-1779450784.webp)
