Sanjeev Poudel is final year post-graduate M.A. student in Sustainable Development at TERI University, New Delhi India. Sanjeev is associated as an intern for six months until May 2014 with Women in Environment in the LCC Project. His research as an intern involves understanding migration and climate change impacts in the most vulnerable region of Nepal.
Email: sanjeevdevs@gmail.com
Research Synopsis
“Out-Migration and Livelihoods in Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region: Evidence from Mali Village, Dolakha District, Nepal”
Introduction
The Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region accounts for 15 percent of the world’s population (ICIMOD, 2011). The HKH range is a fragile ecosystem providing ecological services to 210 million people (Karki, 2012). Out of eight HKH countries, Nepal covers 100 percent proportion of the total area (Sharma & T, 1994). The dependence on the climate sensitive sectors like rain-fed agricultural practice and fragile mountain ecosystems makes the country vulnerable to negative impacts of climate change.
The extreme event like erratic rainfall is increasing in the mountainous region (Lama & Devkota, 2009). Due to adverse environmental conditions people are forced to migrate from the mountain region. The major migration push factors include poverty, lack of employment opportunities, decade long civil war, and among others (Sharma & Sharma, 2011). The absentee population from mountain region of Nepal recorded in recent census 2011 was more than 0.1 million. Amongst the absentee population male outnumbers the female migrants (CBS, 2011). However, the decision to migrate from the mountain ecological belt is a cause of environmental change or economic reason is not clear from the literature except few studies (Massey, et al., 2007 and Curran, 2002).
Objectives and Research Questions
The out-migration of male member has multiple effects on the roles and responsibilities of women in the high lands. Men would migrate after harvesting season for the non-farm work. They would leave behind their families to manage the natural resources as well as agricultural work (Synnott, 2012). This is common experience among the mountainous vulnerable community. In this scenario, it is imperative to understand how male out-migration results in gendered division of labor.
This study examines the migration process in Mali village of HKH region, and it will try to focus why people decide to migrate. The research will attempt to visualize how the changes in environmental conditions and perceptions of people play a vital role in deciding migration in highlands. Therefore the study tries to explore whether it is an economic factor or environmental change that drives people to migrate.
Methodology
This research will gather the evidences from ward six of Mali Village, Dolakha District,which lies in Central Development Region of Nepal. Dolakha District ranks very high in terms of vulnerability index as per NAPA 2010 (Ministry of Environment, 2010). The total sample households of the study are fifty households (HHs) out of hundred HHs (CBS, 2012). Stratified random sampling technique will be used to collect primary data using structured interview schedule. The research applies mixed method (qualitative and quantitative) research design.
Expected Outcome
The expected outcome of this study will contribute to the ongoing dialogue and debate on whether people decide to migrate due to economic or environmental reasons from mountainous region of Nepal. This research would be beneficial to policymakers and researchers who would be interested in knowing the context of migration patterns in the mountain region of Nepal.