Mountain Region Of Nepal Research Articles

Monitoring Hazards in Dam Environments Using Remote Sensing Techniques: Case of Kulekhani-I Reservoir in Nepal

Maintaining the operability of a hydroelectric power station at a scale originally designed is being compromised by continuous reservoir sedimentation. The underlying factors include a complex mix of landscape alterations owing to natural and anthropogenic activities around dam areas, such as gully erosion, landslides, floods triggered by heavy rainfall, climate change, and construction activities. The hydropower projects in the low-to-mid mountain regions of Nepal are witnessing a combination of these phenomena, affecting their optimal performance in meeting long-term sustainable power supply targets. This paper presents a combination of geo-spatial analysis and field evaluations to identify the trends from Kulekhani-I, one of the oldest storage-type hydropower projects in Nepal, using long-term time series remote sensing satellite imagery from 1988 to 2020. Our analysis shows an expansion of the surface water content area over time, attributed mainly to high sedimentation deposition owing to multiple factors. This study has identified an urgent need for addressing the following two key contributory factors through an effective control mechanism to avoid rapid sedimentation in the reservoirs: natural—landslides and floods leading to mainly silt deposition during heavy rainfalls; and anthropogenic—road construction materials dumped directly in the reservoir. Effective implementation of a remote sensing monitoring scheme can safeguard future damages to dam environments of more recently built storage-type hydropower projects.

Duration of untreated psychosis and associated sociodemographic and clinical factors in first-episode psychosis: A study from Eastern Nepal.

Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) is considered an important factor in outcome. Individual, familial and illness factors may prolong DUP. Little data on this issue is available from the country of Nepal. The purpose of the present study was to assess DUP in patients with first-episode psychosis and identify associations with patients' sociodemographic and clinical factors. A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted in the department of psychiatry at Tertiary Hospital in the Eastern part of Nepal. Eighty-six patients were enrolled. ICD-10 was used to make the diagnosis. The Nottingham Onset Schedule-DUP version (NOS-DUP) was used to assess DUP. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess patients' clinical symptoms. The mean (SD) DUP was 21.4 (42.1) months and median DUP was 3.0 months (IQR = 23.5). Participants from mountainous regions, those who were unemployed, having an insidious onset of illness, and patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia had significantly longer DUP (P < .005). Duration of untreated psychosis was also positively correlated with negative symptoms (r = .42, P < .001) and total PANSS score (r = .42, P < .001). Duration of untreated psychosis in first-episode psychotic patients was relatively long (compared to studies in other countries) and was found to be positively associated with living in mountainous regions of Nepal, being unemployed, having an insidious onset of illness, and having a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Programs and educational efforts are needed to ensure early treatment of patients with first-episode psychosis, especially in the mountainous rural areas of Nepal.

First record of Lesser Black Krait, Bungarus lividus Cantor 1839 from the mountain region of Nepal

First record of Lesser Black Krait, Bungarus lividus Cantor 1839 from the mountain region of Nepal

Identifying potential recharge areas of mountain springs through hydrogeological mapping

Springs are the primary source of water for the people inhabiting in the hills and mountain regions of Nepal. Climate variability, climate change, land use change and management factors together with various human activities including haphazard infrastructure development like urbanization and road construction over the recharge area are responsible for drying up of springs in the hills and mountains, especially in the mid-hill region of Nepal. This study attempts to identify the potential recharge zones of the springs within the four catchments viz. Banlekh and Shikharpur of Baitadi and Doti districts, respectively in far-western Nepal, and the Khaste and Begnas of Kaski district in western Nepal through hydrogeological mapping. Hydrogeological Conceptual Model was adopted while identifying the potential recharge areas. We measured the orientation of the rock outcrops, their types, and discontinuities found around the possible recharge areas. We prepared a conceptual hydro-geological layout of the spring-sheds based on the collected data, and delineated the potential recharge areas. We found the potential recharge zone of the Banlekh Springs at hill slopes and bedding plane within the catchment. However, the recharge zone of the Shikharpur Springs was found on the top and beyond the catchment due to the presence of a number of sinkholes. Moreover, the recharge zone of the Thulopadhero Spring was found to be controlled by the orientation of the rocks and fractures found in the unconsolidated sediments within the catchment and beyond the ridge of the escarpment. The rock orientation within the Falekund-Saunepani-Lapsibot Catchment suggests that the potential recharge zone of the springs consists of unconsolidated sediments. The identified potential recharge areas, the observed rainfall, and the discharge data on springs indicated that the recharge areas were more influenced by the local geology.

Assessing the economic, social and environmental potential of wild and domesticated olive growing options in a far Western District of Nepal

CONTEXTClimate change and extreme weather events undermine smallholder household food and income security in many rural areas of developing countries. Nature-based solutions and the use of climate resilient and nutrient dense Neglected and Underutilized Species into the local farming system have been claimed to sustainably help farmers adapt to climate change and to manage risk more effectively. OBJECTIVEThis paper investigated the potential implementation of three options based on the collective cultivation and management of olive groves and wild forests for production purposes in a mountain region of Nepal. The analysis was aimed at assessing the potential benefits of such strategy in comparison with the status-quo. METHODSThe study conducted an ex-ante simulation exercise for evaluating three options: 1) 1500 ha of new and restored wild forests; 2) 500 ha of olive groves; and 3) A combination of option 1 and 2. We calculated the financial, economic, social, and environmental costs and benefits of such options using agricultural and economic data collected from representative households identified from a sample of 31 small, 9 medium, and 3 large farm households. To conduct the economic, social and environmental analysis (ESE), we calculated the Social Return on Investment and we integrated it into the economic analysis. Then we compared the results to assess which was the most profitable option. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSThe results of the analysis showed that all three proposed options are stable with an Internal Rate of Return always above 27% with values over 100%. The greatest increase in terms of NPV is observed when shifting from the financial to the ESE analysis in options 1, 2, and 3 (+397.5%, +132.0%, +187.2% respectively) as the benefits increase more than the costs. The results further suggested that the integrated option is the most profitable one also in terms of labour generation. Indeed, we observed a substantial increase in the Return to Labour indicator especially in the ESE analysis (from 1.9 in the financial analysis to 2.8 in the economic analysis to 6.0 in the ESE analysis). SIGNIFICANCEThis study provides evidence of the potential that similar strategies based on the use of local resources and species, if properly designed, implemented and managed, may have to restore the ecosystem and enhance the livelihoods of local communities. The most innovative element of this study is the proposed ESE analysis, which takes into account the social and environmental dimension besides the economic one.

Growth Monitoring and Yield Estimation of Maize Plant Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in a Hilly Region.

More than 66% of the Nepalese population has been actively dependent on agriculture for their day-to-day living. Maize is the largest cereal crop in Nepal, both in terms of production and cultivated area in the hilly and mountainous regions of Nepal. The traditional ground-based method for growth monitoring and yield estimation of maize plant is time consuming, especially when measuring large areas, and may not provide a comprehensive view of the entire crop. Estimation of yield can be performed using remote sensing technology such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which is a rapid method for large area examination, providing detailed data on plant growth and yield estimation. This research paper aims to explore the capability of UAVs for plant growth monitoring and yield estimation in mountainous terrain. A multi-rotor UAV with a multi-spectral camera was used to obtain canopy spectral information of maize in five different stages of the maize plant life cycle. The images taken from the UAV were processed to obtain the result of the orthomosaic and the Digital Surface Model (DSM). The crop yield was estimated using different parameters such as Plant Height, Vegetation Indices, and biomass. A relationship was established in each sub-plot which was further used to calculate the yield of an individual plot. The estimated yield obtained from the model was validated against the ground-measured yield through statistical tests. A comparison of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Green-Red Vegetation Index (GRVI) indicators of a Sentinel image was performed. GRVI was found to be the most important parameter and NDVI was found to be the least important parameter for yield determination besides their spatial resolution in a hilly region.

An Association between the Mosquito Nets and the Wealth Status: Public Health Promotion Planning and Intervention

The Government of Nepal (GoN) has approved the Malaria Strategic Plan with the aim of 'Malaria free Nepal by 2025'. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with the mosquito bed nets and its determinants of the ownership with reference to the households' wealth status in Nepal. The study used the secondary data from the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2016. The households' characteristics were considered independent variables and ownership of the mosquito nets as the dependent variable. We used IBM SPSS Statistics 22 to analyse the data. The data showed that three fourths of the total households had such nets, where 80 percent were urban households as compared to 68 percent rural households, 95 percent from the Terai region of Nepal as compared to 34 percent from the mountain region, 91 percent were of middle income, as compared to 39 percent the poorest wealth status of households, 84 percent of households that had TV as compared to 66 percent of the households with no TV used the nets. The poorest households were 52 percent less likely to own the nets as compared to the richest households (a OR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.39-0.60, p&lt;0.001). The wealth status of households, residence setting in terms of urban or rural area, and eco-belt migration history of the households, and households having radio and TV were significant predictors for the nets ownership. Special attention was paid by the government and policymakers to the poorest families, rural households, households in the mountain region of Nepal, and households having no radio and TV to meet the national target of the government plan with the use of public health promotion planning and intervention.

Changes in soil organic carbon fractions in abandoned croplands of Nepal

Cropland abandonment in Nepal is an emerging land use change that has significant impacts on ecosystem functions, particularly soil organic carbon (SOC) pools and stocks. Information relating to SOC is limited for the mountainous terrain of Nepal that is subject to either SOC loss from erosion or SOC accumulation from secondary succession after cropland is abandoned. The rate of cropland abandonment is accelerating in Nepal but the impact of the abandoned duration on SOC, fractions, and SOC stock has not yet been investigated. We used a space-for-time substitution approach to assess the impacts of abandonment on SOC concentrations, stocks and associated pools of carbon across abandoned cropland (<5, 5–10, and > 10 years) compared with forest, pasture, and currently cropped land. Soil samples were collected at four depth increments (0–10, 10–20, 20–40, 40–60 cm). The change in SOC and stock was found to be significantly higher in the surface (0–20 cm) compared with sub-surface soil (20–60 cm) and consistently decreased with increasing soil depth under all land uses. Change in soil nitrogen concentration followed a similar pattern to that of SOC at all land uses and depths. Among the SOC fractions, particulate organic carbon increased significantly by a greater proportion compared to mineral-associated organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon after 10 years of cropland abandonment. Abandoned cropland >10 years had a higher SOC stock (64.19 Mg ha−1) in the soil profile (0–60 cm) compared with cropped land (58.76 Mg ha−1) although it remained lower than forest (66.56 Mg ha−1) and pasture (66.60 Mg ha−1) soils. Although there was a decrease in the first five years, there was a significant accumulation of SOC, associated fractions, and SOC stock after ten years of abandonment and colonisation by vegetation indicating the inception of ecosystem regeneration in abandoned croplands in the mountainous region of Nepal.

Forty years (1980-2019) of visceral leishmaniasis in Nepal: trends and elimination challenges.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is an important re-emerging neglected tropical disease associated with poverty. Despite the elimination initiative started in 2005, VL cases have been expanding into geographic areas in Nepal. The present study aims at exploring the trends of VL from 1980 to 2019. This retrospective analysis covers 40 y of VL cases reported by the Epidemiology Diseases Control Division, Nepal. Subgroup analyses for annual incidence were performed by age, sex, seasons, districts and provinces, and VL cases were visualized on in-country maps. A total of 34 564 cases and 584 deaths of VL were reported during 1980-2019. VL persistently increased until 2006 and was reported from all seven provinces of the country. The highest number of confirmed cases (n=2229) was reported in 2003 and the lowest (n=60) in 1983. VL cases expanded from 12 to 23 endemic districts. The key components of the VL elimination program are early diagnosis; enhanced surveillance; integrated vector management; social mobilization; research and treatment. Expansion of VL towards the hilly and mountain regions of Nepal has posed challenges to the elimination program. Urgent VL control measures are required to achieve the elimination goals.

Exploring trade prospects of Chhurpi and the present status of Chhurpi producers and exporters of Nepal

Chhurpi is the hardest cheese known in the world that is typically made in the mountain region of Nepal by coagulating milk with the help of coagulating agents and thereby partly draining the whey from the milk of Yaks, Chauris, Cows, and Buffaloes. Especially hard Chhurpi of Nepal is gaining popularity abroad as a dog food. However, the crosscutting issues of Chhurpi production and trade have remained largely unexplored. Therefore, to increase our understanding and add some information on the Chhurpi enterprise in Nepal, the present study was undertaken to investigate the current status of producers and exporters of Chhurpi and the crosscutting issues of the Chhurpi trade. The study was conducted during the month of July/August (2021) by preparing a different set of questionnaires for exporters and producers, for which five municipalities of Ilam were purposively selected for producers, while Kathmandu was selected for exporters as a study area. The study was performed during COVID-19 pandemic, so a survey was done via telephonic and electronic means at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University. After analysis of obtained data, results revealed that exporting companies are making annual average growth of 10–11% from the last five fiscal years resulting in an increment of export. With an increase in annual sales, exporters are earning 10–15% profit of sales which is surging each year. The percentage of annual export decreased recently in the fiscal year 2020/21 due to COVID-19 as demand was low so production was made lower. The study area was dominated by educated, middle-aged respondents who mostly were males. Brahmin and Chhetri were major ethnic groups among producers most of whom are involved in cooperatives. Most of the producers were earning up to NPR 5 lakhs (USD 3817) annually only from Chhurpi. Price variation among wholesalers and retailers was prevalent in the production area. Most producers have reared cattle and their major problem includes feed shortage, disease in animal and breed improvement. Production areas should be made Foot and Mouth Disease free zone by the government through specific laws to further increase export to new countries.

DETERMINANTS OF HORTICULTURAL ENTERPRISES IN THE INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEM OF PLAIN TERAI IN KAILALI, NEPAL

The farming system defined at the household level and influenced by resource variations comprises diverse elements such as crops, livestock, socioeconomics, and farm management. Diverse topography leads to varied integrated farming practices across Terai, Mid Hill, and Mountain regions of Nepal. This study was conducted in 2019 in Kailali, the Terai district within the Karnali River system, focused on analyzing farming systems in the plain Terai of the river system, examining dominant enterprises and adoption factors with emphasis on the factors influencing horticultural enterprise adoption. The dominant integrated farming system included horticulture, livestock, and agronomy. Household participation showed consistent patterns, with a majority opting for main cereal and horticultural crops, integrating livestock, and less emphasis on fruit trees. In the study area, the adoption of horticultural enterprise is significantly related to total land ownership, years of experience in farming, and training. The horticultural enterprise, encompassing economically significant cash crops and fruits, is a primary focus in the Terai region. This aligns with government priorities, highlighting the importance of promoting and supporting horticultural practices for economic development in the area. The findings emphasize the importance of considering diverse socioeconomic and personal variables for promoting horticultural enterprise adoption in rural agricultural development in Nepal.

Possibility and Development of Ski and Winter Adventure Tourism in Nepal Himalaya: Insights from Mera Peak

Adventure tourism is one of the main attractions in Nepal, however, ski and winter tourism are not famous yet. Therefore, this study carried out research on the possibility and development of ski adventure tourism in the favor of winter tourism. The Mera peak area has been selected as the study area, which is located in the Hinku Valley, Solukhumbu, at 6470-meter above sea level. This study used Remote Sensing approaches, a walk survey and photography, and conducted 27 Key Informant Interview (KII) to screen the possibility and development of the ski and winter tourism. Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographic Information System (GIS), and Satellite Images via Google Earth have been applied for route and ski sites mapping. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data (12.5 m resolution) has been used for DEM, slope, hillshade, and contour analysis. Mann-Kendall trend test and Sen’s slope was applied to determine the climatic trend of the region. The study explored detailed route and ski sites of the Mera peak area and identified it as one of the potential areas for skiing in Nepal. There were not noticiable risk factors for skiing except climate change and minor crevasses. There are several destinations for ski activities in Nepal, which would promote winter tourism in the country. The study uncovered that there have been increasing rates of temperature and decreasing rates of precipitation in the mountain region of Nepal. These climatic factors added some level of risk for a ski industry in the region because increasing trends of temperature result in high rates of snow ablation. The findings of this research will greatly help to promote ski and winter tourism in Nepal, and it will be one of the base documents for developing ski- related policy by the government of Nepal and will be useful for further academic and scientific research in Nepal.

Beekeeping Livelihood Development in Nepal: Value-Added Opportunities and Professional Support Needs.

Beekeeping contributes to poverty reduction in many developing countries, and in addition, provides pollination services for sustainable crop production. In Nepal, management practices associated with beekeeping are poorly characterized, and so the potential for this sector to further contribute to livelihood development remains unclear. This study sought to examine and identify factors associated with production efficiency and financial profitability of beekeeping with the aim of enhancing economic gains for Nepali beekeepers. Our study included a sample of 150 respondents from more than twenty commercial beekeeping districts across the Terai and mountainous regions of Nepal. Profitability of beekeeping with the European honeybee (Apis mellifera) Linnaeus, 1758 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and the Asian honeybee Apis cerana Fabricius, 1793 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) was quantified and disaggregated according to several variables, including hive-derived products produced, marketing strategy employed, number of beehives managed, and postharvest management practices. Our results showed that the different types of management practices adopted (such as number of beehives kept, colony multiplication, supplementary feeding, month of honey harvesting, and marketing approach) significantly influenced the productivity and economic profitability of beekeeping. Our results also revealed that professional supports, such as the availability of subsidies and training, were key factors to enhance productivity. As a whole, this study provides insight into the biological factors and management practices associated with higher economic returns from beekeeping. This work can help guide policymakers and professional support agencies to expand commercial beekeeping for sustainable livelihood development in Nepal and beyond.

Rockfall hazard in the Imja Glacial Lake, eastern Nepal

In Nepal, rockfall related studies are rarely conducted and are limited to the landslide study along with few case studies on rockfall events. Rockfall problems in Nepal are more frequent in the Higher Himalayan region than Midland and Lesser Himalayan regions. In the glaciated valley and glacial lakes, rockfall and associated tsunami like huge wave are a recently initiated research. In this context, a glacial lake of the Himalaya, named as Imja Glacial Lake situated in eastern Nepal has been selected to understand the rockfall problems and their possible consequences. The lake was formed at the end part of the Imja glacier. The northern valley slope of Imja Glacier Lake, i.e. southern slope of the Island Peak has serious problem of rockfall into the lake. Rockfall simulation was performed during this research with field data. Three different Plots were defined for simulation of rockfall. Among them, Plot III seems to be the most hazardous since the detached boulders on the higher elevation can enter into the lake with the maximum velocity of 40 m/s with pre-impact energy more than 3500 kJ. This can develop a surge in the lake water that can break moraine dam. This leads to a serious threat to the downstream communities. Moreover, this research confirms that the rockfall hazard in the higher mountain region of Nepal is critical to creating flash floods due to tsunamis like surge in the lake water and breaching of the dam.

Prevalence and determinants of diabetes mellitus in high altitude: A cross sectional study in mountainous region of Nepal

Background: There had been many studies depicting variations in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in Nepal ranging from 1.4% to 19%. However, the pooled prevalence was found to be 8.4%. There are only few studies done till date in our part of the world to study the actual prevalence and determinants of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus ( DM-2) in people residing in mountains.&#x0D; Aims and Objectives: This study was conducted with to estimate the prevalence and determinants of diabetes mellitus among the high-altitude populationin Jomsom district of Nepal.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out in Jomsom district of Nepal, at an altitude of 2743 meters on 4th and 5thof June, 2017 . A detailed history from the participants of their past medical illness including diabetes mellitus and hypertension was taken. In addition, blood sugar level, blood pressure, anthropometric variables like weight, height, BMI, Waist, Hip, Waist/hip ratio were documented after the verbal consent of the participants.&#x0D; Results: A total of 617 local residents of Jomsom were enrolled in the study. The mean age of study population was 44.4±17. 6 years with female to male ratio being 1.15:1 (53.5% vs 46.5% male). The prevalence of diabetes mellitus was found to be 5.2%, which was significantly lower than the overall prevalence of diabetes in the Nepalese population which is 8.4%. Male population was found to have higher prevalence of diabetesin our study. Higher BMI and waist/hip ratio were also associated with increased incidence of diabetes mellitus. This study revealed that compared with individuals with a normal BMI, individuals who were overweight or obese were more likely to be diagnosed with DM-2 (OR [95%CI]: ranging from 4.33 [0.96–19.46] for overweight adults to 7.76 [1.76–34.13] for adults in Obesity.&#x0D; Conclusion: The overall prevalence of diabetes mellitus is lower among the individuals residing in higher altitude compared to the general population although the other determinants are comparable.

A Retrospective Analysis of Mortality From 2015 Gorkha Earthquakes of Nepal: Evidence and Future Recommendations.

The aim of this study was to explore the mortality pattern due to Gorkha earthquakes in 2015 and review the response and recovery efforts immediately following the earthquakes. Data from published reports of the Nepal Police showed over 8000 deaths. These death counts were categorized by gender, ethnicity, and age groups (interval of 5 years). The mortality rate was calculated (per 100 000 population), using the projected population as the denominator as of April 2015. Children < 10 years and older adults > 55 years showed a higher rate of deaths, with similar trends for the most affected districts. Almost 8 more females' deaths were reported per 100 000 population compared with their male counterparts. There was a higher death rate from Province 3 with a notable gender difference: Nearly 20 more females' deaths were reported per 100 000 population compared with their male counterparts. There was a higher death rate in mountains (542.4 per 100 000) compared with hills (55.0 per 100 000) and the southern Terai region (0.96 per 100 000) of Nepal. Young and older adults, female, and residents of remote, mountainous regions of Nepal were vulnerable to the earthquakes. Future earthquake preparedness should focus on the vulnerable population by age and gender and the geographical accessibility.

A Synopsis of Farmland Abandonment and Its Driving Factors in Nepal

Farmland abandonment is considered as an important phenomenon for changing eco-environmental and sociocultural landscapes of mountainous rural landscape. Many studies have analyzed farmland abandonment, its driving factors, geophysical processes and consequences at landscape: however, very few have focused on mountainous developing countries such as in Nepal, which is a rapidly urbanizing country suffering from serious farmland abandonment. Therefore, our study was an attempt to (i) assess the spatiotemporal extent of farmland abandonment in Nepal, (ii) explore driving factors of farmland abandonment, and (iii) discuss on the eco-environmental and sociocultural consequences in Nepal. We reviewed various literature, documents, and national reports to obtain a dataset pertaining to the overall status of farmland use and changes along with political and socioeconomic changes, economic development processes, and policy and governance in Nepal. Our results showed that farmland abandonment is widespread; however, it is more prevalent in the hilly and mountainous regions of Nepal. A total of 9,706,000 ha, accounting for 23.9% of the total cultivated farmland in Nepal, was abandoned during the period of 2001 to 2010. The driving factors included population growth, scattered distribution of settlements, urbanization, socio-economic development, poor access to physical services, and poor implementation of agriculture development policies. Furthermore, the increasing extent of natural disasters, malaria eradication, land reform and resettlement programs, the complex system of land ownership, land fragmentation, political instabilities, and the intensification of trading in agricultural products also acted as drivers of farmland abandonment in Nepal. Farmland abandonment generates negative effects on rural societies eco-environmentally and sociologically. Abandoned plots were subjected to different forms of geomorphic damage (e.g. landslide, debris flows, gully formation, sinkhole development etc.). Farmland landscape fragmented into a group of smaller interspersed patches. Such patches were opened for grassland. Furthermore, farmland abandonment also has effects on the local population and the whole society in terms of the production of goods (e.g., foods, feed, fiber), as well as services provided by the multi-functionality (e.g. sociocultural practices, values and norms) of the agricultural landscape. Therefore, this study plays an important role in planning and implementing eco-environmental management and social development processes in Nepal.

GIS-based assessment of debris flow hazards in Kulekhani Watershed, Nepal

Debris flows are a hazardous natural calamity in mountainous regions of Nepal. Torrential rainfall within a very short period of the year is the main triggering factor for instability of slopes and initiation of landslides in these regions. Furthermore, the topography of the mountains and poor land use practices are additional factors that contribute to these instabilities. In this research, a GIS model has been developed to assess the debris flow hazard in mountainous regions of Nepal. Landslide-triggering threshold rainfall frequency is related to the frequency of landslides and the debris flow hazard in these mountains. Rainfall records from 1980 to 2013 are computed for one- to seven-day cumulative annual maximum rainfall. The expected rainfall for 1 in 10 to 1 in 1000 years of return periods is analyzed. The expected threshold rainfall is modeled in the GIS environment to identify the factor of safety of mountain slopes in a study watershed. A relation between the frequency of rainfall and debris flow hazard area is derived for return periods of 25, 50, 100, and 200 years. The debris flow hazard results from the analysis are compared with a known event in the watershed and found to agree. This method can be applied to anticipated rainfall-induced debris flow from the live rainfall record to warn the hazard-prone community in these mountains.

Engaging female community health volunteers in maternal health services and its satisfaction among village mothers in Hill and Mountain Regions, Nepal.

BackgroundFemale Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) are service providers and educators for maternal health at the village level (in the hill and Terai district) in Nepal. At present, there are insufficient data and little is understood about the maternal health service (MHS) of FCHVs from Nepali mothers' perspective.MethodologyThe research was undertaken in three hill and mountain regions where there should be at least one FCHVs per ward, Thulo sirubari, Sano sirubari and Jalkeni in Chautara Sangachowkgadi in Nepal, during five days from 5 April to 9 April 2019. The study worked with a local partner organisation, Green Tara Nepal (GTN). The study took the form of a qualitative approach with a community-based snowball approach (seed-and-recruit approach), which consisted of interviews with six key informants and 11 village mothers who have a child aged under five.ResultsThe study found that all participated mothers recognised FCHVs and that it was easy to contact them within walking distance. They were happy with FCHV's existence and had a close relationship between them. They were all satisfied with MHS from FCHVs. In particular, accessibility of FCHVs, frequent home visits, monthly mothers' meetings, and regular ANC were the main points of satisfaction. Moreover, NGO intervention increased their satisfaction and contributed significantly to FCHV activities. However, the lack of meeting place and sustainable incentives are challenging to implement monthly mothers' meetings. Sufficient regular refresher training for FCHVs is also required to educate them better. Furthermore, the local government's unequally distributed budget for FCHVs programmes, small incentives, and benefits for FCHVs are challenges.ConclusionThis study offered various views with vivid memories into the satisfaction of FCHV's MHS among village mothers in three hill and mountain regions of Nepal. FCHVs are essential assets for MHS in rural communities. The FCHVs programme should be complemented by (1) supporting suitable meeting place of mother's meeting, (2) providing sustainable and sufficient budget for mother's meeting and FCHVs, (3) distributing the budget equally in each ward, (4) offering frequent FCHVs training to improve the MHS for village mothers.

A Study of Dark (Disaster) Tourism in Reconstructed Barpak, Nepal

Barpak is one of the largest and self-reliant villages of Nepal, situated at an altitude of 1900m of Gorkha district the village is popularly known for home-stay based tourism destination in the mountainous region of Nepal. At present, Barpak has been garnering attention as epicenter of Earthquake 2015. The earthquake transformed the former traditional homogeneous architectural attraction into seeming architectural repulsion. There is confusion among the locals about their identity that was predominantly related with their homogeneity. There is an upsurge of cognitive dissonance and locals see the present context as tourism impossibility and are quite hopeless about post-disaster tourism development. This article adapts synchronic approach to highlight the tourism dynamics of Barpak in the aftermath by contemplating on the fact that disaster-led repulsion could be turned into attraction via an alternative paradigm. Developing both dark and non-dark (leisure) attractions that includes sociology of death, beliefs of death and disaster, commoditization of death, mortality mediation, memorials on one side and the landscapes, place, identity, socio-cultural diversity, instant culture in the Aftermath, reconstruction narratives from the locals, on the other side, respectively. A leap from leisure tourism destination to niche tourism destination and continuation of both by complimenting each other. This unique mixture of dark and non-dark products at one place could be a prototype for post-disaster tourist destinations.