Nepal - Bees for biodiversity and the rural economy

One of IRHA's project takes place in Kaski and Chitwan districts in Nepal. In partnership with three local partners Sapana Village Social Impact - SVSI, Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Resarch and Development - LI-BIRD and Kanchan Nepal - KN, the project aim improve community resilience and living conditions by restoring ecosystem functionalities, enhancing water availability, consolidating agricultural practices and strengthening collective/sustainable management of natural resources by local actors.

Lately, conducted by SVSI technical officer Dharma Raj Dakal and with the help of a local trainer, a honey beekeeping and beehive management practical training has been held in the Chepang communities around Tobang, Chitwan. The one day training is split into two modules :

- Module 1: Showcasing the modern honey beehive box (based on frames with an overlying structure), its parts, preparation for placing honey bees, and its utilities and benefits to the farmers in comparison to their conventional honey beehive boxes.

- Module 2: Visit the local type conventional honey beehive box at one of the farmer’s houses and show the participants how to remove the beehive along with honey bees into the modern beehive box.
Practical training conducted for the honey beekeeping practices and the proper management of the honey beehive.

In total, along three days, 77 enthusiastic farmers from five Rain Communities have followed the training (Gurkesh, Kaule, Chhap Dada, Tobang and Hattibang). The next step will be the distribution of 80 beehives financed both from the Rain Communities project (mainly funded by Fédération Genevoise de Cooperation and Swisslos - Kanton Argau) and the local government (Ichchhakamana Rural Municipality).

Implementing beekeeping activities generates additional revenues but also motivates the surrounding farmers to practice organic farming without the use of pesticide since it would kill the bees. Moreover, the presence of bees will increase pollination of surrounding environment. Thus it will strengthen the resilience of local flora, spread biodiversity and bolster farming economy.