Land-Based Mitigation Technologies for Nepal
As part of the LANDMARC deliverable “D2.1: National Narratives” the Nepal team has been refining the technology focus of the case study.
Nepal is a developing country with highly diverse ecosystems. Its net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are estimated to be 31.99 MT Co2 eq per year, equivalent to 0.06% of global emission. The top three potential land-use based mitigation technologies (LMTs) are reforestation, forest management and rice management. Reliable and consistent data for the analysis of the mitigation potential from the land-use sector in Nepal is lacking. Therefore, several LMTs are being asses to evaluate their potential:
Peatland management: Currently, about 5% of total land is categorised as wetlands, covering 750,000 hectares. However, Nepal has already lost about 5.4% of its total wetland area due to the conversion to crop cultivation
Dry seeded rice: Dry seeded rice is one of the climate friendly technologies that can be applied in agriculture. It can reduce methane emissions from rice fields and enhance carbon sequestration. Dry seeded rice is a production method where primed (or pre-germinated) seeds are sown directly in zero-tillage or reduced tillage conditions.
Forest management: Nepal has avoided deforestation and successfully managed forests through the ambitious forest sector policies and stricter laws. Nepal is renowned for its success in community-based forest management at the national level. The country’s Forest Policy 2015 aims to maintain at least 40% of total land as forests. In Nepal’s second NDC this ambition was increased to 45% by 2030.
Agro-forestry: Various policies have aimed to develop agroforestry, as it is considered as an opportunity for livelihood improvement, employment generation and food security. The forest policy of 2015 recognises the need for research and the extension of various agroforestry systems in Nepal.
