Building resilient rural futures in Nepal's mountains: Turning migration into a choice

In the mountainous district of Jumla, farming has long been the main source of livelihood. For generations families have cultivated apples, Jumla’s best-known crop, alongside indigenous pulses and vegetables that sustain their diets and tradition. However, in recent years the impacts of climate change have become more visible. Rainfall has become unpredictable, snowfall that once kept the soil moisture for weeks is decreasing and landslides are more frequent, damaging crops and making life difficult for those who remain.

With limited livelihood opportunities, many men migrate to the plains or across the border to find work, leaving women to manage farms, households, and family responsibilities while facing the growing uncertainty of a changing climate. 

Since November 2024, the FAO project "Enhancing resilience and empowerment in communities at risk of climate-induced migration" has been working with rural communities in Jumla to strengthen their climate resilience and allowing them to stay in place or migrate with dignity. In partnership with the local organization Karnali Integrated Rural Development Center (KIRDARC), the project supports families in adapting their livelihoods and farming practices to build a future where migration is a choice, not a last resort. 

Implemented in both Uganda and Nepal, the project focuses onempowering communities, especially women who remain behind in migrating households, youth, returnees and smallholders, to enhance their resilience and make migration work for climate adaptation. This is achieved through the adoption of climate-adaptive agricultural practices, improved access to information on safe migration and climate adaptation, engagement of diaspora networks for climate action, and stronger local mechanisms and government capacities to integrate climate mobility into local development and climate plans.

In Jumla, 300 farmers – 197 women and 103 men – across nine wards joined 12 Farmer Field Schools (FFS) on sustainable apple farming. Before the training began, the project assessed how changing rainfall, pests and poor soil health were affecting apple production, while also identifying key barriers such as women's limited access to orchard management training, the lack of irrigation systems, or contingency plans for climate-related disasters. 

To address these challenges, the FFS introduced practical, locally grounded solutions that combine traditional knowledge with modern techniques.  Farmers learned to make biochar and enrich soil with organic fertilizer, mulching, grow legumes and vegetables alongside their apple trees, use biological pest control, and improve pollinator habitats – practices that help restore soil health, boost productivity and protect ecosystems. Six farmer groups also began cultivating previously unused land collectively, sharing knowledge and repurposing abandoned land. 

Kalpana Hamal, one of the beneficiaries, says: “Farming is my main occupation, and I will continue to do so as long as my health allows. Earlier, we used to do farming in a traditional way, which was unorganized, but now, through the Farmers Field School, we have learned about organic practices.”

Water scarcity, a growing concern in Jumla's mountain communities, was addressed through the construction of six soil-cement water tanks, built with the support of trained local builders. These tanks now provide a steady supply of water for both crops and households. 

Migration often provides a vital lifeline when livelihoods decline, and income opportunities are scarce. Yet, it can also bring challenges for those who leave and for the families who remain behind. In consultation with local communities, and in close collaboration with the Government, the project has supported the development and dissemination of information on safe migration and climate adaptation, helping people to make informed choices, migrate with dignity and strengthen their resilience at home. 

To reach communities more effectively, key messages have been shared through local radio broadcasts, pamphlets and posters. Youth have been engaged through sensitization sessions discussing climate action and safe migration in their communities. A traditional Deuda folk song, a cherished art form in Nepal's mid and far-western regions, was also composed and performed to convey these themes. Deuda is traditionally used to express people’s feelings about love, nature, and social issues, and is considered an important part of Nepal’s cultural heritage. The new song tells of the challenges of a changing climate "the climate is changing and temperatures are rising, fruits are disappearing, and droughts are increasing" and of the difficult choices to leave home in search of survival. Yet, it ends on a note of hope, envisioning a future where new agricultural practices help communities adapt to climate change and migration becomes a choice that supports the wellbeing of both migrants and their families.

As communities in Jumla continue to adapt, their experience offers a glimpse of what a resilient future can look like, one where traditional knowledge and innovation come together to sustain livelihoods, protect the environment, and give people the freedom to choose whether to stay or move. By strengthening climate-resilient agriculture and supporting safe, dignified migration, the project is helping turn the challenges of climate change into opportunities for empowerment and hope.