“Humla Development Initiatives” for Better Livelihoods in the Face of Isolation and Conflict

Abstract

Humla, situated in the north-western corner of Nepal on the border withChina, is one of the poorest and least developed districts of Nepal.Constraints are imposed by low agricultural productivity in mountainousterrain under harsh climatic conditions. Food subsidies and other formsof external support have created a state of dependency, stifling localinitiative and reducing reliance on local resources. Development effortswere hampered until recently by the Maoist insurgency. It was under suchconditions that ``Humla Development Initiatives'' was formed to identifyproblems by conducting a needs assessment and work out solutions inclose cooperation with local communities. Introducing improved watermills, promoting local food to substitute for subsidized rice, andcultivating nontimber forest products (NTFPs) on marginal farmland aresome of the activities recently carried out to increase food securitywhile reducing dependency on external support. Future activities includethe establishment of community-based monitoring systems and cooperativesas the basis for the sustainability of the program as well as fortransferring ownership to the villagers.