Your search found 6 records
1 Urfels, A.; Khadka, Manohara; Shrestha, Nirman; Pavelic, Paul; Risal, A.; Uprety, Labisha; Shrestha, Gitta; Dile, Y.; McDonald, A. J.; Pandey, V. P.; Srinivasan, R.; Krupnik, T. J. 2022. A framework for sustainable and inclusive irrigation development in western Nepal. Kathmandu, Nepal: Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA). 78p.
Irrigation management ; Sustainability ; Social inclusion ; Frameworks ; Water resources ; Watersheds ; Groundwater management ; Groundwater recharge ; Surface water ; Irrigation water ; Farmer-led irrigation ; Agricultural value chains ; Crop yield ; Investment ; Multi-stakeholder processes ; Gender equality ; Socioeconomic environment ; Technology ; Climate change ; Food security ; Resilience ; Policies ; Governance ; Capacity development ; Modelling ; Case studies / Nepal / Babai Watershed / Mahakali Watershed / Karnali Watershed / West Rapti Watershed / Lumbini / Sudurpashchim
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051550)
https://repository.cimmyt.org/bitstream/handle/10883/22102/65416.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051550.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051550.pdf
(3.12 MB) (3.12 MB)
2 Pandey, V. P.; Shrestha, Nirman; Urfels, A.; Ray, A.; Khadka, Manohara; Pavelic, Paul; McDonald, A. J.; Krupnik, T. J. 2023. Implementing conjunctive management of water resources for irrigation development: a framework applied to the Southern Plain of western Nepal. Agricultural Water Management, 283:108287. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2023.108287]
Water resources ; Water management ; Water use ; Conjunctive use ; Irrigation systems ; Climate change ; Groundwater ; Surface water ; Water availability ; Water demand ; Water productivity ; Water policies ; Food security ; Agricultural productivity ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Planning ; Strategies ; Monitoring ; Energy sources ; Water governance ; Stakeholders ; Gender equity ; Social inclusion ; Awareness ; Capacity development ; Case studies / Nepal / Terai Region
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051837)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037837742300152X/pdfft?md5=6f8d1ca8970d974f2d0db5580c2c4dc1&pid=1-s2.0-S037837742300152X-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051837.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051837.pdf
(3.60 MB) (3.60 MB)
Climate variability and insufficient irrigation are primary constraints to stable and higher agricultural productivity and food security in Nepal. Agriculture is the largest global freshwater user, and integration of surface- and ground-water use is frequently presented as an strategy for increasing efficiency as well as climate change adaptation. However, conjunctive management (CM) planning often ignores demand-side requirements and a broader set of sustainable development considerations, including ecosystem health and economics of different development strategies. While there is generic understanding of conjunctive use, detailed technical knowhow to realize the CM is lacking in Nepal. This article presents a holistic framework through literature reviews, stakeholders consultations and expert interviews for assessing CM and implementation prospects from a systems-level perspective. We demonstrate the framework through a case study in Western Nepal, where climatic variability and a lack of irrigation are key impediments to increased agricultural productivity and sustainable development. Results show that knowledge of water resources availability is good and that of water demand low in the Western Terai. Additional and coordinated investments are required to improve knowledge gaps as well as access to irrigation. There is therefore a need to assess water resources availability, water access, use and productivity, to fill the knowledge gaps in order to pave pathways for CM. This paper also discusses some strategies to translate prospects of conjunctive management into implementation.
3 Alvar-Beltran, J.; Soldan, R.; Vanuytrecht, E.; Heureux, A.; Shrestha, Nirman; Manzanas, R.; Pant, K. P.; Franceschini, G. 2023. An FAO model comparison: Python Agroecological Zoning (PyAEZ) and AquaCrop to assess climate change impacts on crop yields in Nepal. Environmental Development, 47:100882. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2023.100882]
Crop modelling ; Agroecological zones ; Climate change ; Crop yield ; Maize ; Rice ; Wheat ; Irrigation management ; Rainfed farming ; Water productivity ; Soil texture ; Temperature ; River basins ; FAO / Nepal / Koshi River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052082)
(9.28 MB)
To identify the most effective agricultural transformation and adaptation measures, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) calls for action to produce robust crop suitability assessments. We developed a novel approach to assess the inputs and outputs of two FAO tools (AEZ and AquaCrop). We use Nepal as a case study, a country offering a myriad of ecoclimatic conditions for multiple crops. Our work provides further evidence of climate change impacts on rice, maize and wheat yields along the different agroclimatic zones of Nepal, equally under rainfed and irrigated conditions for future climate scenarios. The findings of bias-adjusted regional climate models (RCMs) shows increasing temperatures and precipitation; whereas the outputs of agroecological/crop models show effective adaptation of C3 crops to a CO2 enriched environment. In sum, this supports the climate-crop modelling user community, extension workers and government agencies with guidance’s to overcome uncertainties associated with the application of these tools.
4 Tomasella, J.; Martins, M. A.; Shrestha, Nirman. 2023. An open-source tool for improving on-farm yield forecasting systems. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 7:1084728. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1084728]
Yield forecasting ; Crop forecasting ; Soil fertility ; Irrigation management ; Yield gap ; Crop modelling ; Optimization ; On-farm research ; Wheat ; Maize ; Soil water content ; Water productivity ; Biomass ; Canopy ; Climate change ; Assessment ; Computer software / Tunisia / Nepal / Brazil / Tunis / Chitwan / Araripina
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052083)
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1084728/pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052083.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052083.pdf
(6.59 MB) (6.59 MB)
Introduction: The increased frequency of extreme climate events, many of them of rapid onset, observed in many world regions, demands the development of a crop forecasting system for hazard preparedness based on both intraseasonal and extended climate prediction. This paper presents a Fortran version of the Crop Productivity Model AquaCrop that assesses climate and soil fertility effects on yield gap, which is crucial in crop forecasting systems
Methods: Firstly, the Fortran version model - AQF outputs were compared to the latest version of AquaCrop v 6.1. The computational performance of both versions was then compared using a 100-year hypothetical experiment. Then, field experiments combining fertility and water stress on productivity were used to assess AQF model simulation. Finally, we demonstrated the applicability of this software in a crop operational forecast system.
Results: Results revealed that the Fortran version showed statistically similar results to the original version (r 2 > 0.93 and RMSEn < 11%, except in one experiment) and better computational efficiency. Field data indicated that AQF simulations are in close agreement with observation.
Conclusions: AQF offers a version of the AquaCrop developed for time-consuming applications, such as crop forecast systems and climate change simulations over large areas and explores mitigation and adaptation actions in the face of adverse effects of future climate change.
Methods: Firstly, the Fortran version model - AQF outputs were compared to the latest version of AquaCrop v 6.1. The computational performance of both versions was then compared using a 100-year hypothetical experiment. Then, field experiments combining fertility and water stress on productivity were used to assess AQF model simulation. Finally, we demonstrated the applicability of this software in a crop operational forecast system.
Results: Results revealed that the Fortran version showed statistically similar results to the original version (r 2 > 0.93 and RMSEn < 11%, except in one experiment) and better computational efficiency. Field data indicated that AQF simulations are in close agreement with observation.
Conclusions: AQF offers a version of the AquaCrop developed for time-consuming applications, such as crop forecast systems and climate change simulations over large areas and explores mitigation and adaptation actions in the face of adverse effects of future climate change.
5 Pun, M.; Shrestha, Nirman; Schmitter, Petra; Birhanu, Birhanu Zemadim. 2023. A framework to monitor crop-specific drought and flood impacts using remote sensing datasets. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Excellence in Agronomy. 29p.
Agricultural production ; Crops ; Drought ; Flooding ; Remote sensing ; Datasets ; Frameworks ; Monitoring / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052653)
(3.02 MB)
Weather triggered hazards such as drought and flooding have negative impacts on society and agriculture. Drought can lead to reduced access to drinking water, lower agricultural productivity, and conflicts over water resources. Flooding causes loss of agricultural production, damages infrastructure, and leads to socio-economic losses. The report aims to develop a guiding framework to create a Combined Drought and Flood Index (CDFI) for monitoring crop-specific agricultural drought and flood conditions. The proposed framework for monitoring crop-specific agriculture drought and flood conditions includes meteorological, agricultural, and hydrological indices. The framework uses remote sensing datasets to monitor drought and flood impacts. The cross-referencing of these indices helps reduce the probability of false alarms during monitoring floods and droughts. It is crucial having a uniform methodology that countries can apply to monitor drought and flood conditions for specific crops. The 5-step standardized methodology was applied for the case study country in Ethiopia, where wheat, sorghum, and teff crops are the major crops. The findings show, flooding occurred in the northern and central part of the country in 2016, causing reduced respiration in the soil root zone of crops affecting mid-season phenological growth of sorghum, wheat, teff, and barley. Likewise, the study revealed, in 2015 moderate to severe drought impacted the phenological growth of sorghum due to the El Nino Phenomenon. The framework aims to provide valuable insights for policymakers, decision-makers, and agricultural practitioners. The coarse resolution of the rainfall and soil moisture datasets applied in the study might be limitations of this method however, it still provides a valuable oversight for agricultural drought and flood monitoring.
6 Nepal, Santosh; Neupane, Nilhari; Koirala, Sanju; Lautze, Jonathan; Shrestha, Ram Narayan; Bhatt, D.; Shrestha, Nirman; Adhikari, Manju; Kaini, S.; Karki, S.; Yangkhurung, J. R.; Gnawali, K.; Pradhan, A. M. S.; Timsina, K.; Pradhananga, Saurav; Khadka, Manohara. 2024. Integrated assessment of irrigation and agriculture management challenges in Nepal: an interdisciplinary perspective. Heliyon, 10(9):E29407. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29407]
Irrigation systems ; Agricultural water management ; Water availability ; Agricultural productivity ; Gender equality ; Social inclusion ; Governance ; Socioeconomic aspects ; Market prices / Nepal / Mahakali Irrigation Project / Rani Jamara Kulariya Irrigation Project / Babai Irrigation Project
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052702)
https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2405-8440%2824%2905438-0
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052702.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052702.pdf
(4.32 MB) (4.32 MB)
Agriculture plays a critical role in ensuring food and nutrition security, livelihood, and rural employment in Nepal. Despite substantial investments and institutional reforms, irrigation projects have faced consistently low performance. While existing studies have shed light on technical aspects of irrigation performance, they often focus on specific themes rather than holistic evaluations of sustainability. This research systematically assesses barriers and challenges to effective irrigation water management in Nepal by assessing and ranking the challenges faced by three irrigation systems located in western Nepal: Mahakali, Rani Jamara Kulariya, and Babai. To investigate these challenges, we collected data from 449 households, which provided insights into 33 indicators representing key barriers to effective irrigation and agricultural management. The identified challenges were categorized into four broad thematic areas: physical and structural, agricultural and water, socioeconomic and market, and gender and governance. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted to compare these challenges among the three irrigation schemes, different thematic areas, and various locations within each scheme (namely, the head, mid, and tail sections of the system). The findings revealed that timely access and availability of fertilizers, spring water availability and fair market prices of agricultural products are the most significant challenges. The Babai irrigation system faced the most substantial challenges among the three systems, particularly in the middle section. These findings emphasize the interconnectedness of these challenges, highlighting the need for a holistic approach to planning, implementation, and management. Integrated strategies are essential to address socioeconomic, market, and endogenous farming issues, ensuring reliable irrigation water availability for sustainable agricultural production.
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