Outmigration and Land-Use Change: A Case Study from the Middle Hills of Nepal

Bhawana Kc,Digby Race

doi:10.3390/land9010002

Abstract

Outmigration has become a key livelihood strategy for an increasing number of rural households, which in turn has a profound effect on land management. Studies to date have mainly focused on migrant households, and there is limited literature on the differences in land management practices of migrant and nonmigrant households. This article drew on a current study to explore how outmigration affects land management practices in the context of rapidly changing rural communities and economics in the middle hills of Nepal. The data were collected in Lamjung District in western Nepal using a mixed-method approach. We found that underutilization of farmland is a more prominent phenomenon than land abandonment, with rural communities moving to less intensive farming. Importantly, the increasing underutilization of farmland is not just occurring among migrant households. There are a range of complex factors which influence land-use decisions and the subsequent outcomes for landscapes. A high risk of food insecurity in Nepal is likely to be exacerbated if the current trajectory of underutilization and abandonment of farmland continues. A suite of policy tools that can be selectively applied depending on the local context may be more effective than broad-brush national policies in tackling the underlying causes faced by rural communities.

Highlights

Humans, directly and indirectly, affect the earth’s surface through myriad activities
In the category of ‘migrant’ households, 42% households were managed by elderly parents, 21% by adult women, 20% managed by both elderly parents and women, and the remaining (17%) households were managed by joint families
This study provides strong evidence of how outmigration affects land management practices and the land-use transition underway in the middle hills of Nepal

Summary

Introduction

Directly and indirectly, affect the earth’s surface through myriad activities. Patterns of land-use in farmed landscapes are the result of complex and diverse interactions between people and the environment. These interactions are dynamic and at times there can be relatively rapid changes in land-use with uncertain outcomes. It is important to understand these complex interactions and the impacts to design land-use policies that support rural livelihoods, national efforts to achieve food security, and sustainable use of natural resources [6,7,8,9,10]. Outmigration has become a key livelihood strategy for an increasing number of rural households in Nepal [11,12]. According to the last national population census in 2011, one in every four households (25% of 1.38 million households) had at least one member absent or living outside of Nepal [13]

Methods

Results

Conclusion