Visualizing Sustainability of Selective Mountain Farming Systems from Far-eastern Himalayas to Support Decision Making

Mountain farming systems rely on both empirical and academic knowledge. Their sustainability depends on how effectively diverse knowledge is used for solution-oriented decision making. For mountains, decisions must be conducive to rural farmers whose livelihoods depend on agriculture and related activities. Adopting transdisciplinary research approach, we define a composite Sustainability Space indicator that will help decision makers better understand the ingredients for sustainability, and formulate policy and management decisions to reinforce on-the-ground sustainability. Sustainability Space was derived through analysis of the positive and negative impact factors co-defined by community and disciplinary experts, and visualized through a radar diagram. We used Principal Component Analysis to understand relationships between factors. The results on Sustainability Spaces for eight cases of farming systems from the far-Eastern Himalayas indicated that the sustainability of farming systems is strengthened if decisions holistically cater to (i) geophysical pre-requisites, (ii) ecological foundations, (iii) integrated processes and practices, (iv) resources, knowledge, and value systems, (v) stakeholders’ development and economic aspirations, (vi) well-being of farming communities, and (vii) government support mechanisms. More equitable the attention to these seven components, the higher the sustainability of farming systems in this region could be

IDRC Tracer Study on NEPED Project : report

The study aims to understand the impact of the IDRC-supported capacity-building inputs on the project “Nagaland Environmental Protection and Economic Development (NEPED) through people’s action”; the project’s influence on beneficiaries; its impact on gender mainstreaming; and to document the skills and knowledge acquired. Capacity building included training, workshops, exposure visits, study tours, exchange visits and scholarships. “The constant interaction with donors (read IDRC), living up to their expectations and fulfilling their requirements, in itself was a learning experience.” Such sentiments were expressed by more than 60% of survey respondents. A detailed table of skills enhancement is provided