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tarai
The Tarai is a subtropical, lowland region in southern Nepal. Tarai is presumed to be a term of Persian descent that directly translates to "damp". The region is parallel to the Pahad and serves as an alluvial belt of flat, marshy terrain that stretches along the Nepal-India border. It consists of several valleys, such as the Rapti Valley in central Nepal and the Dang valley in western Nepal. Its overall flat terrain provides the residents with a greater availability of agricultural land.
Though the Tarai is the smallest region, it is the most populated. It constitutes approximately 23% of Nepal's total land area and is home to 47% of the population. The flatter terrain makes the region's communication and transportation facilities the most developed and effective.
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tarai
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pahad
percent distribution of population
Living in Plains
Being the most fertile and productive region of Nepal, the Tarai is rich in forestry and dominates the agriculture field. A majority of the country's agro-based industries are here, making farming the main occupation. The better facilities, fertile soil, transportation systems, and industries makes the region's population density the highest.
Though the Tarai is the smallest region, it is an important sector of Nepal's agrarian economy and accounts for over 56% of the country's cereal production (maize, wheat, rice, etc.).
Agriculture
The Tarai's availability of rich fertile soils and massive rivers is why the region consists of dense forests. Forests from the region make up about 20% of the country.
Forestry
Tarai agriculture is the principal of Nepal's economic activity. Approximately 80% of the population is reliant upon farming for their livelihoods.
Climate Change & Farmers
Climate change has resulted in a turbulence in the weather pattern of Tarai, miserably disturbing the lives of farmers. During the monsoon season, there have been various shifts in the weather, seen from the increased temperatures and intense rainfalls. The increased monsoon rains, glacial melts, and floods, and temperature alterations are placing the lives of Tarai farmers on the verge of vulnerability.
Cold Waves
With the climate extremity phenomena increasing from global climate change, the effects of cold waves are projecting onto the Tarai. Nepal's experience with global warming has impacted all regions in the country by increasing climate extremities, sicknesses among people, and changes in production patterns over the past couple of decades. Cold extremity is posing a threat on vulnerable communities in the region such as children, pregnant women, and the elderly. They tend to occur from mid-November to mid-February.
Since 2004, the durations of cold waves in the Tarai have risen. Let's take a look...
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Year
Major Crop Loss (Metric Tons)
With the surge of the durations of cold waves, the amount of deaths have been increasing in the sector. Out of all the regions in Nepal, the Tarai has the most amount of deaths caused from cold waves (during 1974–2013) with 89% of the deaths taking place in the Tarai.
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Food shortages from seasonal changes, declines in soil productivity, and infestations of new crop pests have all been recorded. In the Tarai alone, over two-thirds of farmers have claimed personally experiencing evidence of climate change. 90% of farmers in the Western Tarai have reported seeing increases in climate-related risks such as flooding, droughts, erratic rainfall, wind storms, riverbank erosion, and insect infestations. Over 75% of those respondents reported there being changes in flowering and fruiting time periods for plant species and delayed onset of the monsoon.
Migration & Women
The Tarai is often referred to as the "food basket" of Nepal with its fertile soils and agricultural lands. Despite its richness, the sector is still highly sensitive and vulnerable to the sufferings caused by climate change. Just like with the other two regions, migration is very common in the Tarai. It is increasingly becoming an essential strategy to fulfill men's desire for employment and better incomes. Though the idea of getting a better job and income seems drawing, it has resulted in the shrinkage of nuclear families, leaving women in rural homes with greater responsibilities. Women are also often excluded from decision-making about forests in the region due to deeply rooted cultural norms and patriarchal values.
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67% of households in the Tarai have revealed that a family member has left for work elsewhere in the past 6 months.
60% of Nepal's agricultural production relies on the Madesh.
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Madhesi Women
The majority of Madhesi and Tharu people live in the Tarai. Madhesis make up 87% of the Tarai and the Tharus make up 12.5%. Ever since a conflict arose between Nepal and the East India Company, where inhabitants from the Tarai fought alongside the British, ethnic groups from this sector have long faced oppression from Nepal's government. The Madheshi are an ethnic group that have constantly faced discrimination from the northern hill people in Nepal, which can be seen through the treatment of Madhesi women. Due to their proximity and close relations with India, Khas Aryas (hill elites) question the loyalty of Madhesis to Nepal. Though the Madhesh, a region that consists of various parts of Tarai, is responsible for 60% of Nepal's agricultural production, the sector is systematically underprivileged.
​Though all women in the Nepal are vulnerable to climate change, Madhesi women face multi-faceted discrimination due to deeply entrenched patriarchal mindsets and the marginalization of their gender, caste, language, culture, and region. They are perceived as outsiders and are always criticized and subordinated for their appearance, clothing, skin color, and identity. While people from the Pahad politically and economically dominate Nepal, the Madhesis from the Tarai are underrepresented and discriminated against. They face several socio-cultural obstacles, seen from their lack of access to appropriate healthcare, education, governmental representation, and overall living conditions. These disparities systematically target women from the Madhesi community. Their access to equal rights as women and citizens of Nepal are both denied. Their exclusion and marginalization have made them suffer years of disputes, conflicts, and instability. This has made them one of the most oppressed and vulnerable groups in Nepal.
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