Ingrid L.P. Nyborg

Determinants of Farmers’ Adoption of Improved Soil Conservation Technology in a Middle Mountain Watershed of Central Nepal

This study explores different socio-economic and institutional factors influencing the adoption of improved soil conservation technology (ISCT) on Bari land (Rainfed outward sloping terraces) in the Middle Mountain region of Central Nepal. Structured questionnaire survey and focus group discussion methods were applied to collect the necessary information from farm households. The logistic regression model predicted seven factors influencing the adoption of improved soil conservation technology in the study area including years of schooling of the household head, caste of the respondent, land holding size of the Bari land, cash crop vegetable farming, family member occupation in off farm sector, membership of the Conservation and Development Groups, and use of credit. The study showed that technology dissemination through multi-sectoral type community based local groups is a good option to enhance the adoption of improved soil conservation technology in the Middle Mountain farming systems in Nepal. Planners and policy makers should formulate appropriate policies and programs considering the farmers’ interest, capacity, and limitation in promoting improved soil conservation technology for greater acceptance and adoption by the farmers.

Analysis of the sustainability of upland farming systems in the Middle Mountains region of Nepal

This paper examines the sustainability of vegetable production systems as compared with traditional cereal cropping patterns in terms of their ecological suitability, economic profitability, social acceptability and institutional viability. An assessment was carried out using combined quantitative and qualitative data collected from on-farm experimental plots, soil and plant sample analysis, a household survey, focus group discussions and a workshop in Pokhare Khola Watershed of Middle Mountain Nepal. The study showed that adoption of vegetable farming improved the socio-economic condition of the upland farmers, particularly the poor, women and disadvantaged groups, in terms of their food security, farm income, resource accessibility, employment opportunity and social status. These indicators revealed that vegetable-based cropping patterns are economically profitable and socially acceptable and thus contribute somewhat to the sustainability of upland farming. However, such achievement has been made through intensive cultivation practices such as increased use of agrochemicals and hybrid seed, that have led to declining soil fertility and increasing dependency of farmers on external inputs in commercial vegetable production and, therefore, threaten the sustainability of mountain farming in the long run. Additionally, institutional mechanisms for vegetable production and marketing are minimal and do not squarely address problems of upland farming. To ensure environmentally and socially sustainable production, government policy and programmes should promote locally available resources for vegetable production and support market mechanisms which can be competitive in national and international markets.

Recovering from disasters: a study of livelihoods in post-quake villages in northern Pakistan

The October 2005 earthquake in northern Pakistan severely affected the livelihoods of 1.5 million people. With the destruction of material assets and communications infrastructure, the quake had a devastating impact on peoples way of life in this remote mountainous region. This paper explores livelihood revival interventions undertaken during the earthquake response, and considers how differentiated livelihood outcomes were achieved. In addressing this objective the paper examines livelihood rehabilitation schemes in terms of structural aspects, working strategies, key factors, strengths of interventions and the role of human agency in influencing livelihood trajectories of quake-affected communities. Primary data for this study was gathered in northern Pakistan between October 2008 and January 2009. The study identifies structural shortcomings and strengths of the programmes attempting to revive the livelihoods of poor and vulnerable households. It identifies how households in two villages made the most of opportunities to improve their lives and move towards favourable outcomes.

False Promises False Hopes: Local Perspectives on Liberal Peace Building in North-Western Pakistan

The global discourse on ‘winning hearts and minds’, engages the USA, local governments, and international actors in liberal peace building in conflict-affected settings. In north-western Pakistan, the Pakistani government supports this discourse by claiming to pursue a 3-pronged strategy based on dialogue, development, and deterrence. This paper examines how peace-building activities have been practiced in north-western Pakistan in relation to development and humanitarian interventions that support community needs. Field data were gathered in Swat and Peshawar valleys between September 2010 and February 2011, through semi-structured interviews that covered peace-building efforts in the form of local perceptions of development and humanitarian interventions, perspectives on development schemes, aid priorities, and the relationship between aid and security. Furthermore, the paper relies on secondary data sources such as development and humanitarian response plans, research briefs, and news events. The paper closely examines the dynamics of liberal peace building in terms of humanitarian aid operations and development activities in north-western Pakistan. Empirical evidence from the region highlights the conflations in liberal peace concerning the imbalances in policies, plans, and activities in north-western Pakistan. The large disconnect between liberal peace building and effective development policies and practices in north-western Pakistan reflects the diverse interests of different actors, states, development and humanitarian response actors and elites, in problematizing issues. The paper concludes that the liberal peace agenda has contributed to securitization of development assistance in the region, which in turn has significantly limited the impact of development assistance to crisis-affected communities.

Climate Change and Disasters: Institutional Complexities and Actors’ Priorities for Mitigation, Adaptation and Response

Over the last decade, Pakistan has faced several major disasters, involving both natural hazards and conflict. These crises prompted tremendous national and international response, and triggered the Government of Pakistan to establish new institutions, policies, strategies and action plans. Donors, humanitarian and development organisations,however, tend to follow their own policies, plans and interests, which may be quite different from the government entities dealing with humanitarian efforts, climate change and disaster.To what extent do these different perspectives affect the ability of the government to respond effectively and coordinate with humanitarian and development organisations during different phases of a crisis? This article examines the existing institutions, policies and perspectives that guide how government, humanitarian and development organisations, and community members understand risk and vulnerability, and respond to climate changes. It suggests how knowledge sharing and coordination might be improved to better face the challenges of risk and vulnerability reduction in the future.

Can Technology Build Trust? Community-Oriented Policing and ICT in Afghanistan

This paper will explore the motivation, workings and potential effect of the police’s use of various information and communication technologies to build trust in Afghanistan. To what degree do these efforts in fact contribute to trust-building and broader human security? What happens to trust-building when it comes to technology mediated interaction? Attention will be given to how the police, in addition to their own efforts, might link to ICT solutions being developed in civil society that are also aimed at improving accountability and more relations with the police and government in general. In doing so, it will consider the wider relations between the government and civil society, and the role technology might have in mediating this relationship and contributing to or hindering broader human security.

Social vulnerability and local adaptation in humanitarian response: The case of Pakistan

This article looks at the experiences of two areas hit hard by the 2010 mega-floods in Pakistan, one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one in Sindh. It examines how different humanitarian actors understand climatic changes, risk and vulnerability, how this influences their choices of disaster risk reduction activities, and whether these activities promote changes which are merely cosmetic, or transformational. The findings point to the need to expand institutional understandings of risk and vulnerability to include social vulnerability in disaster risk reduction measures, and the importance of knowledge sharing and collaboration between humanitarian and development organisations, government and local communities, particularly at the district levels, to be able to address long-term risk reduction and adaptation.