Locusts may remain in Nepal for over a month, to hit food security

Experts have projected that the outbreak of locusts in Nepal may last for more than a month, and it may hit food security.
The entry of locust swarms into the country after fall armyworm and the Covid-19 pandemic is going to pose food security in Nepal. Food insecurity has also been compounded by coronavirus containment measures like lockdown, which has disrupted production and supply chains.
“A swarm of adult and premature locusts entered Nepal from Bara district via India yesterday,” former director general of the Department of Agriculture Dr Dilliram Sharma said, adding that it may remain in Nepal for around a month. “A premature locust can survive for a month while a mature one can survive around two weeks.”
“If a matured locust cannot lay eggs, it won’t survive for more than two weeks and it has to fly back to Rajasthan in order to lay eggs,” he added.
Likewise, locust, which usually migrates in large numbers – some 80 to 100 million – and destroys crops voraciously, however has entered Nepal in a swarm of few hundred thousands only. “So it could be controlled using insecticides.”
But the locusts, which had entered Nepal from southern plains are now traveling toward the western hilly regions as well. The swarms of locusts were also sighted in various other districts like Rupandehi, Palpa, Bara, Sarlahi, Parsa, Dang and Kathmandu.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is considered the most dangerous of all migratory pest species in the world. It threatens people’s livelihoods, food security, the environment and economic development. They can reproduce rapidly, migrate long distances, devastate crops and pastures and can easily affect more than 65 of the world’s poorest countries. Nepal might be in for a massive food insecurity, if locusts start ravaging crops amid this Covid-19 pandemic.
The FAO report reads that the desert locust has the ability to change its behaviour and appearance, under particular environmental conditions – unusually heavy rains – and transform itself from a harmless individual to part of a collective mass of insects that form a swarm, which can cross continents and seas, and quickly destroy a farmer’s field and his entire livelihood in a single morning.
Before entering Nepal, the locust must have been sighted in India and Nepali experts failed to monitor their movement, and the government also had claimed that the locust will not enter Nepal. But the government estimation came wrong, as it had happened in the case of coronavirus.
After reports of millions of hectares of land under attack by billions of locusts in Africa, China, Pakistan, and India, the government had formed a five-member task force in late May to study the possibility of their arrival in Nepal. However, a preliminary study by the task force had said that locusts are unlikely to invade Nepal.
Experts also said that the movement of the swarms will depend on the direction of the wind. The wind has been blowing west to the north for the last two days.
According to the FAO, an adult desert locust can consume roughly its own weight in fresh food per day that is about two grams every day. “A one square-kilometer size swarm contains about 40 million locusts, which eat the same amount of food in one day as about 35,000 people, 20 camels or 6 elephants,” the FAO report reads.
After sudden attacks from locusts reported in different districts yesterday, the Agriculture Ministry called an emergency meeting, inviting government officials and experts from all seven provinces, and asked them to be on high alert. “Nepal had experienced its first locust attack in 1962,” according to the ministry. “However, the worst locust attack was observed in 1996 when swarm incursions destroyed 80 per cent of crops in Chitwan and partially damaged crops in Makwanpur, Mahottari and Bara districts.”

Human development in Nepal stagnates

Nepal’s HDI value for 2018 is 0.579 – which put the country in the medium human development category – positioning it at 147 out of 189 countries and territories – one rank up from last year’s 148 position, revealing that the country's status in human development almost remained stagnant. The rank is shared with Kenya. The report also reveals that Nepal has just maintained its position in the medium human development with the threshold of 0.55-0.69 points.
Nepal’s 2018 HDI of 0.579 is below the average of 0.634 for countries in the medium human development group and below the average of 0.642 for countries in South Asia. From South Asia, countries which are close to Nepal in 2018 HDI rank and to some extent in population size are Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, which have HDIs ranked 170 and 71 respectively .
Between 1990 and 2018, Nepal’s HDI value increased from 0.380 to 0.579, an increase of 52.6 per cent. Between 1990 and 2018, Nepal’s life expectancy at birth increased by 16.1 years, mean years of schooling increased by 2.8 years and expected years of schooling increased by 4.7 years. Likewise, Nepal’s GNI per capita increased by about 130.5 per cent between 1990 and 2018, according to the report that was launched simultaneously from Kathmandu and seven provinces in Nepal today.
Despite global progress in tackling poverty, hunger and disease, a ‘new generation of inequalities’ indicates that many societies are not working as they should and Nepal is not an exception, according to a new human development report. “The old inequalities were based on access to health services and education whereas the new generation of inequalities is based on technology, education and the climate, according to the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) report.
“Previously, we talked about wealth as a major driver for inequality but now, countries like Nepal are in another inequality trap and that concerns technology and education,” finance minister Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada said launching the report.
While South Asia was the fastest-growing region, with 46 per cent growth, in the 1990-2018 period, Nepal’s human development index (HDI) rose from 0.380 to 0.579, an increase of 52.6 per cent, the report reads, adding that people are living longer, on average, are more educated and have greater incomes. “For example, between 1990 and 2018, Nepal’s life expectancy at birth increased by 16.1 years to 70.5 years, mean years of schooling increased by 2.8 years and expected years of schooling increased by 4.7 years.”
Likewise, Nepal’s Gross National Income (GNI) per capita also increased by about 130.5 per cent between 1990 ($1,192) and 2018 ($2,748). Nepal, however, is still below the average value of 0.634 for countries in the medium human development group and below the average of 0.642 for countries in South Asia. “Nepal lags behind most South Asian countries, ranking above Pakistan (152) and Afghanistan (170). But the report, which ranks countries on their average achievement in key dimensions of human development, like life expectancy, education and per capita income, reveals that Nepal trails behind Sri Lanka (71), the Maldives (104), India (129), Bhutan (134) and Bangladesh (135).
Despite progress in most human development indicators, the report also shows that Nepal has a poor Gender Inequality Index (GII) with a value of 0.476 – a huge gap between the HDI for men and women in the country – ranking it 115 out of 162 countries. The HDI for men is 0.612 while that for women is 0.549.
“The gender equality gap is so huge that if we started working to reducing the gap now, it will take us 202 years,” resident representative of the UNDP Ayshanie Medagangoda-Labe, said at the report launch. “There are also questions about whether the artificial intelligence era will further increase inequality,” she said, adding, “Yes, but the choice is in our hands.”
The report has also pointed out that prevailing inequality is threatening human development.
Likewise, some 33.5 per cent of parliamentary seats – in Nepal – are held by women, but just 29 per cent of adult women have reached at least a secondary level of education, compared to 44.2 per cent of males, according to the report. “For every 100,000 live births, 258 women die from pregnancy-related causes.”
But female participation in the labour market is 81.7 per cent, compared to 84.4 per cent for men.
Nepal’s HDI at 0.579 is a modest improvement but when the value is discounted for inequality, the index falls to 0.430, a loss of 25.8 per cent due to inequality in the distribution of the HDI dimension indices, the UNDP flagship report reads.
Likewise, in Nepal, some 34 per cent of the population – 9.96 million people – is multidimensionally poor while an additional 22.3 per cent is classified as vulnerable to multidimensional poverty (6.54 million people). Multidimensional poverty takes into account the various deprivations experienced by poor people in their daily lives like poor health and living standards, lack of education and living in areas that are environmentally hazardous.
The breadth of deprivation in Nepal – which is the average deprivation score experienced by people in multidimensional poverty – is 43.6 per cent. The Multidimensional Poverty Index, which is the share of the population that is multidimensionally poor, adjusted by the intensity of the deprivations, is 0.148, the report reads, adding that the multidimensional poverty with income poverty is measured by the percentage of the population living below $1.90 per day.
Norway, with HDI of 0.990, stands at first position, while Sri Lanka is ranked 71st among 189 countries.

Regional UN meeting presents new research on market dynamics of agriculture mechanisation

Experts at a regional meeting in Chitwan unveiled new analysis on the links between agricultural mechanisation and the market with implications on reducing rural poverty in the Asia-Pacific region.
The preliminary findings of research – discussed at the fifth member meeting of the Regional Council of Agricultural Machinery Associations in Asia and the Pacific (ReCAMA) and co-organised by the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanisation (CSAM) of the United Nations (UN) Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) with the Nepal Agricultural Machinery Entrepreneurs’ Association (NAMEA) – also included a research paper Mechanisation of Agriculture: Market Dynamics of Selected Member Countries of ReCAMA commissioned in 2019. The study leverages expertise on both sustainable agriculture and commerce to analyse market dynamics and forecast needs for agricultural machinery, in order to optimise agricultural production and innovation in the region.
The meeting also brought together policymakers, academics, researchers and private sector and industry association representatives to make concrete decisions on the council’s direction promoting the availability, adoption and sustainable use of agricultural machinery in the region through a demand-driven model.
Commenting on the event, head of CSAM Li Yutong said that sustainable and balanced development of agricultural mechanisation requires programmes, incentives and assistance from both national associations and the private sector. “Of vital importance is an enabling policy landscape as well as a network and close-knit community where information is shared, partnerships are developed, and valuable cooperation is catalysed, which can optimise the engagement and contribution of all entities towards advancement of sustainable agricultural mechanisation.”
The continuing work of ReCAMA through regional cooperation and agricultural development has emerged as an important channel for CSAM to contribute towards Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
ReCAMA was established in 2014 as the outcome of the first Regional Forum on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization in Asia and the Pacific held in 2013. The ReCAMA aims to enhance the exchange of knowledge and information, strengthen the capability of agricultural machinery associations at both regional level and national level, and conduct capacity building programmes to promote the idea of sustainable agricultural mechanisation. ReCAMA has 20 member associations from 14 countries till now.

Strengthen, implement right to food law: AI

Nepal must strengthen and implement its new law on right to food, if it is to meet its commitments to rid the country of hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity, according to a report published by the Amnesty International (AI) today.
The report, which is made public today, presents a detailed analysis of the Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act, enacted last September in order to implement the rights relating to food guaranteed under the Constitution. According to Article 36 of the Constitution, every citizen has the right to be safe from the state of being in danger of life from the scarcity of food, and every citizen has the right to food sovereignty in accordance with law.
Hunger was one of the root causes of Nepal’s decade-long internal conflict, and it persists across the country. Nearly half of all the households in Nepal face food insecurity, and a tenth are ‘severely food insecure’. More than a half of all children under five years of age are anaemic, while more than a third of them have stunted growth.
In an important step towards realising its goal of ‘zero hunger’ by 2025, the Nepal government enforced Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act in September.
However, as per AI’s briefing, Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act requires amendment to make it effective. Besides, rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of the law need to be formulated.
“If the government of Nepal wants to ensure that no one goes hungry in the country, it must strengthen the law. The mechanisms, such as the rules and regulations, need to be crafted in a way that makes the right to food a reality for all,” said AI South Asia director Biraj Patnaik.
The law needs to be amended to clearly define terms and avoid unnecessary confusion and misinterpretation, which could weaken its effectiveness. As the law stands, it remains unclear what constitutes ‘hunger’ and ‘starvation’.
The report presents recommendations under 16 different topics, covering a range of issues such as increasing scope of legal protection to ensure that the right to food is extended to non-citizens; amending the Act to require an inquiry into any deaths resulting from starvation; and guaranteeing accountability against breach of duty to prevent starvation.
Nepal must also take meaningful steps to prohibit public authorities from interfering with people’s efforts to feed themselves. The law, in its current form, provides little protection to the people as stated in the AI briefing.
It also recommends that the law be specific on how the government will address the threat of starvation. There must be inquiries into any deaths resulting from starvation. It calls for marginalised communities, such as Dalits and land-dependent indigenous peoples, including Tharus, to be granted access to cultivable land.
The briefing recommends that specialised food councils be established throughout the country at national, provincial and local levels to monitor the implementation of the act.
“The authorities have an obligation to prevent malnutrition in all its forms," Patnaik said, adding, "Without addressing these weaknesses of the Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act and consulting the appropriate stakeholders, Nepal will not be able to rid an estimated two million people of malnutrition in the country." He also stressed on the urgency to implement the act.
Right to Food was first recognised as an international human right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. In 1966, the International Covenant on Socio, Political and Economic Rights endorsed Right to Adequate Food. Since then, several other international conventions have endorsed this as a fundamental right. 
Nepal currently ranks 72nd out of 119 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) which scores countries based on an assessment of the progress and setbacks they have incurred in combating hunger. Over 50 per cent of Nepal's households is food insecure, according to 2016 National Demographic and Health Survey.

Crises in rural areas threatens progress in hunger, poverty reduction

Marked by deepening cycle of hunger and malnutrition, persistent poverty, limited economic opportunities, and environmental degradation, rural areas continue to be in a state of crisis in many parts of the world, threatening to slow the progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), global climate targets, and improved food and nutrition security, according to the 2019 Global Food Policy Report (GFPR) released today by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
Rural areas remain underserved compared to urban areas and face a wide array of challenges across the globe: rural areas struggle with environmental crisis in China; severe agrarian crisis in India, and acute shortage of jobs for the growing youth populations in Africa. The report calls for rural revitalisation – to overcome these challenges –highlighting policies, institutions, and investments that can transform rural areas into vibrant and healthy places to live, work and raise families.
“Revitalising rural areas can stimulate economic growth and begin to address the crises in developing countries, and also tackle challenges holding back achievement of the SDGs and climate goals by 2030,” said director general of IFPRI Shenggen Fan. "Rural revitalisation is timely, achievable, and, most important, critical to ending hunger and malnutrition in just over a decade," added Fan.
A majority of the world’s poor live in rural areas: rural populations account for 45.3 per cent of the world’s total population, but 70 per cent of the world’s extremely poor. The global poverty rate in rural areas is currently 17 per cent, more than double the urban poverty rate of 7 per cent.
"Rural transformation requires a holistic economic approach to connect rural and urban economies," administrator at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and co-author of the lead chapter in the report Achim Steiner said, adding that strengthening these connections can spur growth and diversification in the farm and non-farm sectors, closing socio-economic and quality-of-life gaps between urban and rural areas.
The report emphasises that rural areas could become premiere hubs of innovations in just under a decade. It recommends revitalising rural areas with a focus on five building blocks: creating farm and non-farm rural employment opportunities, achieving gender equality, addressing environmental challenges, improving access to energy and investing in good governance.
"In south Asia, there is a greater emphasis on growth in rural employment, and agricultural productivity by strengthening of the agriculture-based rural nonfarm economy," said director for South Asia at the IFPRI, and co-author of the report chapter on South Asia, Pramod Joshi. To ensure all can participate and benefit from growth and transformation of rural areas, the report recommends investing efforts in reducing general disparities. “Empowering women can improve agricultural productivity, overall well-being of mothers and children, and increase their capacity to contribute to rural revitalisation,” said researcher at IFPRI, and co-author of report chapter on gender equality, Hazel Malapit.
Beyond economic progress and human capital, rural environments must also be restored and improved to secure the many services they provide. “To engage rural residents as custodians of valuable natural resources, their rights to these resources should be recognised in law and practice,” said deputy division director, and co-author of the report chapter on environment, Claudia Ringler.
Achieving these policy goals require investments in good governance. The report identifies three aspects of governance critical for rural revitalisation: appropriate and predictable laws and regulations; effective policy implementation and enforcement; and accountability of those in positions of power and authority.