Transboundary Flood Resilience in Nepal: Disaster risk reduction and climate-smart agriculture

Through the Transboundary Flood Resilience (TBR) project, Lutheran World Relief and our local partners assisted communities located along the India-Nepal border to strengthen their resilience to the devastating effects of annual flooding. Launched in 2013, TBR organized community members into community disaster risk management committees (CDMCs) as well as into transboundary citizen forums to prepare for and adapt to recurrent flooding by enhancing community capacities on early warning, first aid, search and rescue and rehabilitation services. We also advanced community adaptation through climate-smart agriculture practices and livelihoods diversification, including riverbed farming, portable vegetable nurseries, raised nurseries, and hanging vegetable farming. Lutheran World Relief implemented the project through a market systems approach that engaged private sector actors, such as insurance companies, agrovets and seed companies, as well as local cooperatives and savings and loan associations to support rural livelihoods and ensure more robust linkages to local and national government institutions. 

Lutheran World Relief has been working in Nepal since 2009, reaching indigenous, Dalit and marginalized communities with programs in agriculture and food security, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and humanitarian assistance. Our holistic approach prioritizes women and youth and helps communities to build the resilience they need to thrive. By partnering with local non-governmental organizations, farmers’ organizations, and private sector actors, Lutheran World Relief continues to strengthen agricultural enterprises while enhancing sustainable water management and climate adaptive systems.