Govt teams up with FAO to train farmers on climate change

Kathmandu, October 23:

The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) today said they have launched an agro-meteorology project for the first time in Nepal.

It was made public today during a workshop on “World Food Security: Challenges of climate change and bio-energy” and project inception workshop on “strengthening capacities for disaster preparedness and climate risk management in agriculture sector.”

According to Hari Dahal, officiating secretary at the MoAC and national project director, the project was in the pilot phase in four districts — Siraha, Udayapur, Kapilvastu and Arghakhachi. The project was launched in April and will last till March 2010. Dahal said, “This is FAO’s one of the technical cooperation projects that aims at sensitizing people about climate change, disaster risk management and its adaptability.”

“The project will train farmers to adapt to climate change and mobilise them for relief operation during disasters.” Nepal is one of global hot spot countries for natural disasters. The country is prone to variety of recurring natural disasters like floods, droughts, landslides, hailstorms, avalanches, glacier lake outbursts, hot and cold waves and pest and disease epidemics.

FAO said the project would promote natural and local capacities for disaster preparedness and climate risk management in agriculture sector. Similarly, it would also develop early warning system for disasters.

Bhola Man Singh Basnet, principal scientist at National Agriculture Research Council, said the project was a first of its kind in Nepal.