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Livelihood Diversification and Poverty Reduction in Panchkhal Municipality, Kavre
(2025) Adhikari, Amit; Tikaram Gautam
This study explores the relationship between livelihood diversification and poverty reduction in Panchkhal Municipality, Kavre, with a focus on how households adapt to changing socio-economic conditions by engaging in multiple livelihood strategies. Livelihood diversification is defined as the process by which rural families construct a diverse portfolio of activities and social support capabilities in order to survive and to improve their standards of living. Livelihood diversification, the process of engaging in varied income-generating activities, has increasingly become survival strategy for rural and semi-urban households in Nepal. As traditional subsistence farming proves inadequate to meet growing needs, diversification into non-farm, off-farm, and service-oriented occupations is becoming more prominent. This study explores the key livelihood diversification strategies employed by households, and captures how these shifts are associated with poverty reduction. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining quantitative surveys of 101 households and qualitative interviews with nine respondents consisting of local residents, cooperative members, and key informants. The research employed purposive sampling to ensure inclusion of households with varied economic backgrounds and experiences in diversification. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, thematically, and field-based interpretation. This explored how households diversify their income sources through agriculture, business, employment, and remittances. Findings highlight the crucial role of
diversified livelihoods in enhancing economic stability, improving living standards, and providing better access to education and healthcare. Findings show that households in Panchkhal have increasingly moved beyond traditional farming to embrace activities such as vegetable farming, animal husbandry, small-scale trade, foreign employment, and engagement in cooperatives and small businesses. Access to credit, local market integration, and skill development programs were found to be enabling factors. However, challenges such as lack of capital, inadequate skills, small
market size, and limited access to technology continue to hinder broader diversification. By using both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as Chi-square test and ANOVA, the study concludes that livelihood diversification has played a significant role in reducing household poverty by increasing income stability, improving access to education and health services, and enhancing food security. Nevertheless, its success depends on structural support, access to resources, and institutional linkages. Despite significant challenges such as lack of capital, skills, and access to financial services, the community demonstrates resilience and adaptability. Family and community support, including financial assistance and knowledge
sharing, significantly contribute to these efforts. The study underscores the importance of social capital, consistent with Bourdieu's
theory, in facilitating livelihood diversification. Respondents' future plans indicate a proactive approach to ensuring long-term economic stability through business expansion, agricultural mechanization, and investment in income-generating activities. The research concludes that addressing the challenges through improved access to finance, training, and infrastructure is essential for supporting households in their diversification efforts. This research contributes to understanding how localized strategies can foster economic resilience, and highlights the need for targeted interventions in training, financial access, and market development to further enhance the livelihood prospects of semi-urban communities in Nepal.
Key Words: livelihood diversification, livelihood strategies, social capital, poverty
Habitat use and conservation Threats of Otters in the western bend of Karnali River, Nepal
(2025) Acharya, Madan; Laxman Khanal
Otters are carnivorous mammals in the family Mustelidae. They face many conservation challenges, including habitat loss, pollution, lack of resources, illegal hunting and trade. Three species of otters- the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), the smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata), and the Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea) are recorded from Nepal. Due to limited studies, baseline information on otters is lacking for most of the wetland sites in Nepal. This study investigated the habitat use and conservation threats of otters in the Western Bend of the Karnali River in western Nepal. Otter distribution was surveyed using direct observations and recording indirect signs, such as scat, pugmarks and food remains,
environmental and anthropogenic variables potentially affecting their occurrence were also recorded in the field. Logistic regression model identified key habitat factors influencing otter occurrence, including river width (CI -4.36–0.62, P < 0.05), water current (CI = -2.35 to -0.8, p < 0.05), and substrate type width (CI 0.49–2.12, P < 0.05). Results indicate that otters prefer narrower river sections with small stone bank substrates and moderate water flow, while avoiding areas with high human density (CI -10.15– -3.12, P < 0.05) and domestic dog presence (CI 0.95–4.94, P < 0.05). Conservation threats such as habitat degradation, illegal fishing, and human encroachment were documented from the study area. The study highlights the need for targeted conservation efforts, including habitat protection and community-based program to mitigate human activities as well as dog-otter conflict, to ensure the long-term survival of otters in this ecologically significant region. Findings provide baseline data for future monitoring and management initiatives.
Discourse analysis on social inclusion narratives in nepal's Bureaucracy
(2025) Mijar, Madhu; Pasang Sherpa
This study explores the narratives surrounding social inclusion within Nepal's bureaucracy through a critical discourse analysis (CDA) framework, drawing on the theories of Michel Foucault, Norman Fairclough, and Teun A. van Dijk. The primary aim of this study was to examine how policy and legal frameworks influenced social inclusion practices within Nepal's bureaucratic structures. By analyzing official discourse, this research investigated how bureaucratic actors construct and interpret social inclusion policies and their implications for marginalized groups in Nepal, including women, ethnic minorities, and lower-caste communities.
The study has applied the theory developed by Foucault who has focused on the ideas of power, knowledge, governmentality, and how social inclusion is constructed and regulated within state institutions. Foucault's notion of “regimes of practice” was useful in analyzing how bureaucratic actors internalize and reproduce certain discourses around social inclusion. Another theory developed by Fairclough who has discussed
critical discourse analysis approach, focusing on how language constructs power relations and ideologies within institutional settings. Fairclough’s three-dimensional framework (text, discursive practice, and social practice) has helped to examine both the text of policy documents and the broader social practices that influence inclusion. Also van Dijk’s model of discourse as a representation of social cognition has been
applied to understand the role of narratives in shaping public opinion and attitudes toward social inclusion, as well as how power and ideology are embedded in those narratives. Thus, utilizing Foucault's concepts of power and knowledge and governmentality, Fairclough’s three-dimensional approach to discourse, and van Dijk’s theory of ideological discourse, this study critically examined the role of discourse in shaping
and reproducing power relations within bureaucratic settings. The analysis highlighted how bureaucratic actors, such as civil servants and policymakers, both reflect and challenge prevailing social hierarchies in their interpretations of inclusion policies. Additionally, the study delved into the influence of power dynamics within the bureaucracy, exploring how these dynamics impacted the development and implementation of social inclusion policies, as well as the broader societal implications of such policies. The findings emphasized the complex interplay between policy narratives and bureaucratic practice, demonstrating that social inclusion policies were not merely topdown directives but were continuously reshaped through
discursive practices that both reproduced and contested the status-quo. By providing a nuanced understanding of the discourse surrounding social inclusion, this study contributes to a broader understanding of how power, ideology, and governance intersect within Nepal’s bureaucratic systems, with significant implications for policy development and social justice. Given the strong theoretical and methodological foundation, the study has made an important contribution to both critical discourse analysis and social inclusion studies in the context of Nepal's bureaucracy.