The final dissemination workshop of the collaborative research project, “Assessing households’ adaptive capacity to climate change in the diverse socio-cultural and geographical landscape of south Asia”, funded by the Alliance of National and International Science Organizations for the Belt and Road Regions (ANSO), was successfully held in Kathmandu on 4-5 December, 2024. The workshop brought together 110 experts, scholars, government officials, and NGO representatives from Nepal, China, Bangladesh and India to share the research findings and promote discussions on climate change. The project, which began in 2022, spans three years and focuses on analyzing the impacts of climate change on the livelihoods of farmers in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh, as well as assessing the adaptive capacity of local households. The research team, consisting of eight researchers from four countries, provided scientific data and policy recommendations related to climate change adaptation.
During the workshop, Prof. Dr. Prem Sagar Chapagain presented the major research findings. He highlighted the growing impact of climate change on natural resources such as water, agriculture, and grazing lands, stressing that farmers' adaptive capacity is weak and in urgent need of policy support. He also pointed out the gaps in adaptation policies in the South Asian region and offered specific recommendations for policy improvement. The research team published seven academic papers and shared the outcomes of six workshops and ten international conferences. At the closing session of the workshop, Prof Dr. Khadga K C, the Rector of Tribhuvan University (TU), summarized the workshop's achievements and underscored the importance of international cooperation in climate change research. He also stated that TU will continue to promote research-based higher education, particularly in the field of climate change.
Addressing the workshop, Rt'hon'ble former President of Nepal, Mrs. Vidya Devi Bhandari highlighted the importance of this research and mentioned that, the findings of this research, conducted across Nepal, India, and Bangladesh—South Asian countries where a large portion of the population relies on agriculture as their primary means of livelihood—along with in China, will prove valuable in enabling farmers in these regions to address the challenges posed by climate change. She also extended her gratitude to ANSO, for invaluable support in conducting this research.
The Hon'ble Vice-Chairman of the Nepal Planning Commission of Nepal Prof. Dr. Shiva Raj Adhikari mentioned that research on climate change impact on farmers is very important in Nepal and assured utilizing the findings of this research into climate change policy implementation at the local level in Nepal.
The successful organization of the workshop not only provided scientific evidence for the formulation of climate change adaptation policies but also furthered multinational collaboration and academic exchange.
Courtesy meeting of the team with the Rt'hon'ble Mrs. Vidya Devi Bhandari, former president of Nepal
Contributor: Name & Organization
LIU Linshan, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research Chinese Academy of Sciences
CHAPAGAIN Prem Sagar，Tribhuvan University
SHRESTHA Shobha，Tribhuvan University
Tel: 86-10-84097121
Email: anso-public@anso.org.cn
Location：No.16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
