Project Title: Regional Project on Shifting Cultivation (RPSC): Promoting Innovative Policy and Development Options for Improving Shifting Cultivation in the Eastern Himalayas

General objective : To contribute to the livelihood security of the shifting cultivators in the Eastern Himalayas through innovative policy support for improvement of shifting cultivation systems that secure traditional tenure systems, enhance income, and sustains resource base

Objectives :

• To assess tenure changes and institutional arrangements in different shifting cultivation areas caused by various policy interventions and evaluate economic, social and ecological impacts, and  identify gaps and needs for improving the relevance of policy interventions;
• To analyze and compare good practices and options related shifting cultivation and alternative options adopted to generate new knowledge for appropriate policy recommendation;
• To share good policies and practices related to shifting cultivation and     alternative options through regional exchange.     

Major Activities :

Farmers from Chepang community using A frame

• Review of land use policies and assess its effects on shifting cultivation practices; comparative analysis of shifting cultivation and other land use practices and mapping the current land use and changes over years in selected VDCs and analyze using GIS and P3DM. 

Expected outputs:

• Effects of policies on land use in shifting cultivation areas reviewed and analyzed;
• Shifting cultivation and other land use options analyzed, compared and recommended best options for shifting cultivation areas;
• Adaptative management approaches recommended for shifting cultivation area;
• P3DM prepared  and used at the project sites to show the extent of shifting cultivation practices, tenure, institutions and other land use options; 

Duration : June 2009 - September 2011

Funding Support:

Core Project Team Members: Gandhiv Kafle, Project Co-ordinator, and Mr. Gyan Bandhu Sharma, Project officer  

Professional Members:Dr. Pratap Kumar Shrestha, Ph.D, Chief Technical Advisor; Mr. Bikash Poudel, Programme Officer; Mr. Gandiv Kafle, Programme Officer; Mr. Puspa Raj Tiwari, Senior Programme Officer; Mr. Bir Bahadur Tamang, Project Officer