The aim of our Higher Education programme is to help nurture the next generation of climate change adaptation professionals.
In June 2019, Charlotte Thomas an MSc Student from University of Southampton travelled to Nepal to spend time at Deusa Agro Forestry Resource Centre. Along with a fellow Southampton student and two students from Tribhuvan University, Charlotte researched elements of the work we are enabling in Nepal.
Her dissertation has been very useful to the ongoing design and delivery of our project work with EcoHimal Nepal. Charlotte has produced a report based on her dissertation to summarise her findings. It is the first such report we have published.
The findings are very important and must be into consideration by TGT and our partners as we design and deliver adaptation work in Nepal. Our UK Co-Director, Dr. Morgan Phillips has written a foreword. We quote from it here:
Climate change adaptation is part of the sustainable development process in Nepal. In the village of Deusa, where a ground-breaking Agro Forestry Resource Centre has been established, development has been rapid for many families over the last decade. Inevitably, this has had a disrupting impact for some.
Charlotte has identified the factors that prevent some female members of the community from benefiting from the recent move towards coffee production. If this is not addressed, inequalities may begin to widen.
The insights this report gives us, will enable us to ensure that project work takes gender equality issues into consideration as agroforestry scales in the region.