Project Description
YAE in partnership with Rupantaran Nepal under the funding of the USAID Paani Program provided technical assistance for the implementation of IFF in the Ten watersheds from the Karnali, Mahakali, and Rapti River basins following a coordinated and participatory decision-making process. YAE developed the technical manuals on the IFF, CSVF and LWM, and FPP in both Nepali and English languages and delivered 28 trainings (10 in Integrated Fish Farming (IFF), 10 in Climate Smart Vegetable Farming (CSVF) and Local Water Management (LWM) and 8 in Fish Processing and Preservation (FPP)) across the ten Paani Priority watersheds. Regular guidance and supervision were provided on the issues, constraints and challenges on technical aspects of the IFF, CSVF and LWM, faced by the community to intervene and adopt the IFF. The IFF supported and provided a sustainable source of employment to the communities, returnee migrants and marginalized local communities in the difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The IFF, CSVF and LWM approaches are well accepted by the farmers, local communities, local government and other stakeholders that are working in the watersheds. Notably, the technical assistance provided to the communities in collaboration with the local grantees has developed self-reliance for agri-business (fish farming, vegetable farming, livestock farming, processing of products and marketing) and farmers are positive, motivated towards the intervention activities. The IFF technology in the mid-hills of the western region amongst small landholders was found feasible and internalized into the farming system by the farmers/beneficiaries for improving the productivity of limited land. Likewise, the project intervention showed the adjunct yield from the integration of livestock raising and vegetable farming at the dikes.