Nepal, one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, is facing severe impacts from climate change, particularly in its agricultural sector, which employs two-thirds of the population and contributes more than a quarter of the nation’s GDP. Smallholder farmers, the backbone of this sector, are grappling with rising temperatures, erratic monsoon patterns, droughts, and increasingly frequent extreme weather events. Adapting to these challenges through Climate-Resilient Agriculture (CRA) is essential to ensuring food security and safeguarding the livelihoods of millions.

CRA incorporates nature-based practices, such as biological pest control and organic fertilization, alongside modern technologies like digital agroadvisory services and advanced weather forecasting. These strategies aim to stabilize crop yields and farmers’ incomes amid climate variability. With many men migrating for work, the feminization of labour in agriculture has created opportunities for women to take on leadership roles in farm management. For CRA to be effective, increased support in resources, insurance, and government subsidies is crucial.

The Green Resilient Agriculture Productive Ecosystems (GRAPE) project, led by ICIMOD, focuses on developing socially inclusive, climateresilient agricultural technologies in Nepal’s Karnali and Sudurpashchim provinces. Through 19 community learning centres, the project empowers local smallholder farmers by facilitating on-farm experiments and action research, enabling them to witness the effectiveness of CRA firsthand. GRAPE emphasizes gender equality and equitable resource access, promoting gender-friendly tools and encouraging women’s participation in digital services and collaborative research.