Unseen Corner of the Conservation Efforts: Safeguarding Life and Livelihoods (A Case from Dhanusha District)

Abstract

The major environmental problems in Nepal are caused by land degradation, deforestation and pollution. Poverty is the root cause of environmental degradation. The Mahadev Math, one of the settlements of Hariharpur VDC-1, Dhanusha lies at the western bank of the Jaladh river, has seriously been affected due to annual flash flood from Jaladh river and subsequent soil erosion. About 5.35 hectares of degraded farmlands has been reclaimed in the bank of the Jaladh river with applying bio-engineering methods for flood diversion and gulley treatments. It can be concluded that it is possible to reclaim the large area of the degraded and /or eroded land for safeguarding their lives and livelihoods even with the active participation of the local people and their subsequent contributions by way of using small financial support from the other external donors/ organizations.

Key Words: River bank conservation, Land reclamation, Bio-engineering, Safeguarding life and livelihoods

DOI: 10.3126/init.v2i1.2530

The Initiation Vol.2(1) 2008 pp104-108