A two-day Province-level Workshop on Agro-met Advisory Services was held in Surkhet on 6th and 7th October 2026, Karnali Province, welcoming government representatives, local governments, technical agencies, research institutions, development partners, and other stakeholders to strengthen climate-resilient agriculture and anticipatory action practices in the province.
The workshop was jointly organized by The Green Evolution, Green Karnali, SAMUTTHAN, and PRARAMBHA projects, with the objective of strengthening understanding and practical application of agro-met advisory services.
The workshop was inaugurated in the presence of Chandra Prasad Risal, Secretary, Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoLMAC), Karnali Province, with Hon. Jumkit Lama, Minister, MoLMAC, Karnali Province, as the Chief Guest. Dean from the Graduate School of Agriculture and Forestry (GSAF), Mid-West University, Dr. Karan Singh Dami and the Office of Hydrology and Meteorology (OHM), Surkhet, including Dr. Indira Kandel, also inaugurated the event.
The workshop focused on enhancing participants’ knowledge of agro-met advisory services and their relevance to climate-resilient agriculture, food systems, and livelihoods. It also provided a platform to strengthen understanding of localized landslide anticipatory action, including risk assessment, trigger mechanisms, early warning systems, preparedness measures, and risk communication. The event further facilitated experience sharing among local governments, technical agencies, research institutions, and development partners on emerging practices, challenges, and lessons learned.
Participants included representatives from MoLMAC Karnali, Integrated Agricultural Laboratory, Agriculture Development Office, Livestock Development Office, Karnali Province Training Academy (KPTA), RHVAP, Directorate of Agriculture Research, NARC, GSAF Mid-West University, National Agricultural Environment Research Center (NAERC/NARC), and OHM Surkhet. Agriculture and livestock representatives from municipalities and rural municipalities of Surkhet, Dailekh, and Salyan also participated. Representatives from DCA Nepal, Welthungerhilfe (WHH), FELM Nepal, LI-BIRD, SOSEC Nepal, DCA partners, and other development and non-governmental organisations working in Surkhet joined the learning and sharing event.
The two-day workshop featured technical sessions on climate change and its impacts on livelihoods and food systems in Karnali Province; meteorological and hydrological forecasting, including its context, use and implications; and agro-met advisory services, including their history, application, mechanisms, and importance. Participants also shared experiences on the localisation of agro-met advisory services and risk communication mechanisms at the local level.
A plenary panel discussion gathered representatives from MoLMAC, Agriculture Development Office, university, Office of Hydrology and Meteorology (OHM), veterinary services, and local government to discuss the challenges and opportunities for establishing and institutionalising agro-met advisory services in Karnali Province. Mr. Ramesh Acharya, S-2 NARC, along with representatives from Gurbhakot Municipality and Barbardiya Municipality, shared experiences and lessons from their efforts to localize agro-met advisory services.
The workshop concluded with a clear focus on institutionalizing agro-met advisory services in Karnali Province. Key commitments included initiating priority-level discussions within MoLMAC, identifying a focal person to coordinate agro-met advisory-related work, strengthening collaboration and support among relevant stakeholders, and taking forward the development of an appropriate operating procedure/mechanism for agro-met advisory services. Dr. Chandra Prasad Risal, Secretary of the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoLMAC), Karnali Province, highlighted the importance of agro-met advisory services in addressing the agricultural challenges of Karnali. Appreciating LI-BIRD’s initiative, he confirmed the Ministry’s commitment to supporting and actively engaging in the initiative. “Agro-met advisory is very important in the context of Karnali Province. We appreciate LI-BIRD’s initiative and assure our full support and involvement in advancing this work,” said Dr. Risal.
The workshop provided an important platform for connecting climate information, agricultural decision-making, and anticipatory action, while strengthening collaboration among provincial and local governments, technical institutions, research organizations, and development partners for more climate-resilient and risk-informed agricultural and livelihood systems in Karnali Province.
Following the completion of the workshop, the second day formally marked the inception of the SAMUTTHAN project, with the beginning of the project’s implementation and collaboration with relevant stakeholders in Karnali Province. The inception was also attended by representatives from the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment (MOITFE), Karnali Province, and Ministry of Social Development, Karnali Province along with the attendance of participants from the workshop.