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pahad
The Pahad sector of Nepal, also referred to as the Hilly Region, is located between the Terai and Himal region. It is the country's central region and consists of small mountains and forests that cover up the hills and grasslands. It has some of the most fascinating natural landscapes and is home to Nepal's most diverse landforms with its numerous mountains, hills, flatlands, and deep valleys.
It is the largest geographical region, occupying about 64% of Nepal's total land area and 45% of the population. The higher concentration of people has made the terrain rugged. However, there are much more effective and developed transportation and communication systems in this sector compared to the Himal region.
himal
tarai
pahad
percent distribution of population
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Structure of Pahad
The hills in the region are a natural and cultural mosaic since they were shaped by both: geological forces and human activity. Despite agriculture serving as an essential economic activity, the Pahad Region was a food-deficit area in the early 1990s. Marginal farmers had to develop several techniques to increase production in the area. The various hills have been sculpted by humans into massive complexes of terraces. Agriculture in the region is primarily performed in terraces. However, these regions tend to be less productive than lower valleys that are more densely populated. The region’s close interrelationship between crops, livestock, and greenery maintains ecological stability and comprises Nepal’s “Mid-Hill Farming System”.
Though the Pahad is the most fertile and urbanized region of Nepal, it is also the country’s political and cultural center due to decision-making powers being centralized in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital.
Drought Impact
Climate-induced drought hazards are emerging in the Pahad, posing major threats to the mid-hill farming system and rural livelihood.
Let's take a look at the influence drought carries on the production of major crops in Nepal...
Major Crop Loss (Metric Tons)
Year
The effects these droughts are carrying on food security, food production, productivity, and cropping patterns are completely halting the agriculture and hill farming system. There have even been noticed changes in the region's species composition and seasons of plantation. However, climate-induced droughts are not only impacting crops and land productivity. They have far-reaching involvements of the region's socioeconomic status and devastating effects on overall rural livelihood. Considering how the rural livelihood of the Pahad is highly dependent on rain-fed subsistence agriculture, these droughts are completely stifling the region. The increase in climate-induced droughts will further create a major source of uncertainty in Nepal's food production, which will result in major social and agricultural conflicts.
Migration
In regions with agrarian livelihoods, like the Pahad, migration is indirectly related to various factors such as climate stress and agricultural production. With climate change increasing the amount of droughts in the agricultural lands of the Pahad, there are several push factors that affect livelihoods. With droughts lowering the amount of livestock and crop production, there is a loss in income and employment. This forcibly pushes people to abandon their agriculture work, encouraging human mobility and out-migration. The intersections between climate change and political-economic stresses forms gendered vulnerability in the agrarian region. Nepal's patriarchal structure encourages the men to be the ones to emigrate in hopes of finding job opportunities. This leaves women behind, having to take care of their kids and livestock on their own. The workload of women increases significantly, apart from just their current productive roles.
Though migration tends to happen in several socioeconomic groups in Nepal, women from marginal farmers are the most vulnerable. Due to the deeply embedded gender norms of Nepali culture, women in the Pahad have a limited range of adaptation options. Off-farm jobs are only socially acceptable for men, making work opportunities difficult to find for women. Even if they do find work, they are still paid less. Male out-migration has resulted in the creation of the feminization of agriculture.
The feminization of agriculture refers to when the rising share of farm work is undertaken by women. Changing agricultural practices are evolving women's participation in the agricultural sector by increasing women's workloads and responsibilities. Male out-migration is a driving factor in this, pushing women to take on new agricultural and household duties.
What even is the feminization of agriculture narrative?
Deconstructing the Narratives of Feminizing Agriculture
Labor feminization refers to the rapid and substantial changes in the amount of labor women must perform and is measured through the increased agricultural and household duties.
Labor Feminization
Managerial feminization involves household decision-making and managing in various fields such as managing finances, crop production, and land.
Managerial Feminization
There are two main narratives applied in regards to the feminization of agriculture. The first narrative frames the feminization of agriculture as greater burdens being placed among women by increasing their workload in agriculture. It also recognizes the lack of resources women need for their success and survival. Women are left behind and left out when men migrate for new economic opportunities. The second narrative documents the feminization of agriculture as a form of women's empowerment. Now that the men are migrating out of rural households and communities, there are supposed improved gender equalities since women are given more autonomy, increasing their overall visibility and voices.
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