Project Title: Community Based Biodiversity Management (CBM) in Nepal

The main objective of the project is to enable farming communities to assess, conserve, utilize and secure access and control over their genetic resources through local capacity building and by influencing favorable policy changes. 

• To identify partners, stakeholders and implementing farming communities, and to establish modality of partnership with them.
• To document and assess community genetic resources and associated knowledge, and to increase awareness  and value for conservation of these resources.
• To analyze implication of existing policies and laws for conservation of genetic resources, including farmers’ rights and promotion of a supportive policy environment.
• To prepare a comprehensive proposal for the use and conservation of agro-biodiversity by adopting a CBM approach and submitting funds. 

• Consultation with the Department of Agriculture and Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) and agree on the modalities of partnership for implementation of the project.

  

  Diversity fair at Dang
• Organise stakeholder scoping workshop to identify key local (district level) stakeholders based on their interest, legitimacy and power and agree on modality for partnership.
• Organise village workshop to share project information, raise awareness, agree on working modality and make logistical arrangement for  implementation of project.
• Conduct situation analysis ,needs assessment, and baseline studies in the farming communities identified for implementation of the project.
• Facilitate farming communities to identify community-based biodiversity conservation strategies and plans based on their needs and resources.
• Facilitate documentation of community genetic resources and associated knowledge by organising diversity fairs and conducting socio-economic surveys for situation analysis and need assessment. 
• Facilitate maintenance and management of information on community genetic resources and knowledge through various means such as community biodiversity registers (CBR), participatory video documentation, photographs, folder art etc.
• Establishment of diversity blocks, characterization and validation of identified crops (in diversity blocks and home gardens).
• Strengthen community capacity to access and mobilise research and development resources and support services.
• Facilitate identification of value addition options and opportunities for utilization of genetic resources for food, nutrition, cultural requirements and income.
• Organise training workshops for stakeholders (government extension and local civil society organisations) and farming communities on value addition through breeding, as well as non-breeding (processing and marketing) methods.
• Support establishment of network of farmers and farming communities to promote and sustain value addition for production utilization of local genetic resources.
• Strengthen technical, organisational and managerial capacities of these community organisations for sustainable management of local genetic resources.    
• Assist in preparing community code of conduct for the access, utilization and control over local genetic resources.
• Support establishing functional linkage between community seed-banks and national gene-banks for increased and secured access to plant genetic resources.
• Review and analyse existing policies and laws for conservation of genetic resources and draw policy implication on utilization of local genetic resources.
• Facilitate production of audio-visuals and publications for raising public awareness, policy advocacy and supporting creation of favourable policy environments.
• Organise workshops for farmers/community networks and policy makers at local, district and national levels, and also provide favourable environment for public interactions and dialogues for policy change.

Geographical Location :  Jhapa, Sindhuli, Tanahun, Mustang, Nawalparasi, Dang, Doti, Jumla, Kaski* and Bara* (* Project resource sites).

Collaborators : Department of Agriculture (DOA), NARC and IAAS.

Duration : January 2012 to December 2016

Funding Support :  The Development Fund, Norway.

Project Team : Sajal Sthapit, Sandesh Neupane, Shanti Ale, Indra Paudel, Laxmi Lama, Purna Poudel, Krishna Shrestha, Jhalak Paudel, Ratna Chandra Upadhyay, Birendra Chaudhary, Gurudutta Dahal, Samjhana Sunuwar, Renuka Rai.