I. ABSTRACT
We usually hear that Karnali zone is one of the least
developed zones of Nepal. Though so many projects had been launched for the
development of Karnali, they didn't come out to be so progressive. This article
tries to figure out the main causes behind failure of poverty reduction policy in
Karnali zone and recommends some suggestions to minimize the poverty rate. I am
using secondary quantitative data to strengthen my argument in this article so
that I could argue on the basis of those data.
Keywords: Poverty,
Reduction, Karnali, Vocational skills, Agriculture
II.
INTRODUCTION
In 1995, United Nations defined poverty as a condition
characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including safe
drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and
information. To uplift people from such deprivation is poverty reduction. Karnali
is one of the least developed zones of Nepal which has five districts Dolpa,
Humla, Jumla, Kalikot and Mugu. This zone has covered 14.5 percent of the total
geographical area that represents 1.3 percent of the total population of the
country (Assessment of Karnali Employment Program (KEP) 2012).
The reason behind the poverty in Karnali is not lack
of poverty reduction policy as the total numbers of projects completed till
2009-10 are 3,252 in the region (KEP, 2012). Some of them are Karnali
Employment Program 2006, Poverty Reduction Strategy and Approach of the current
Three-Year Plan (2010/11-2012/13) (Assessment of Karnali Employment Program
(KEP, 2012).
This data proves that more than enough poverty
reduction policies have been launched in Karnali. But poverty rate has not been
improved so far. People in Karnali have
been facing different kinds of problems like poverty, diseases, lack of
education and lack of food. One of the reasons behind their backwardness is geographical
structure as well as the policies implied from different organizations and
government which have made them passive day by day (UNDP, 2015). Poverty
mapping strategy is very important to recognize the nature and level of poverty
in a particular area. Accountability and transparency of local government
bodies play vital role to reduce poverty (Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper,
2003).
III.
LITERATURE REVIEW
According to Assessment of Karnali Employment Program 2012,
only 8 percent people are food secure for whole year, 18 percent are food
secure only for 3 months, 33 percent are food secure for 6 months and 41
percent are found to be food secure for 9 months. The Government of Nepal had
announced the Karnali Employment Program (KEP) through the budget speech of
2006. It was initiated as a scheme with ‘Ek ghar ek rojgar’ (one family,
one employment) as its objective with the aim of providing 100 days of
guaranteed employment for one unemployed family members in every household (MoLD,
KRDU: 2007).
Though there were so many projects launched for the
poverty reduction in Karnali, the poverty. rate has not been improved yet. The
central Bureau of Statistics 2011 emphasized unemployment as a leading cause of
Karnali's underdevelopment. More than 42 percent of Karnali residents live
below the poverty line almost double the national average, 25.16 percent (UNDP,
2015). According to the World Food Program (WFP) Karnali is the poorest and
most food insecure region in Nepal, with food production sufficient for only
3-6 months of the year.
The total budget set out for Karnali Employment
Program reached NRs. 1,316 million, 2 percent of the total budget is taken as
the administrative cost that distributed from the centre to the local level
government bodies. Of the total budget, around 85 percent has been spent, while
of the released budget, it is 100 percent. From the viewpoint of expenditure,
the figures clearly indicate a high level of performance in the implementation
of KEP (KEP, 2012).
In the past, Karnali was considered a prosperous
region for its subsistence agriculture. It is
still a region which has potentialities but now being
suffered from food deficits, diseases,
and various unfulfilled basic needs. Now Karnali has become a typical case of
exclusion,
deprivation and dependence in all aspects of social
life. It is a case of failure of government's policy on agriculture and food
security. In 2004 and 2005, the government spent Rs 140.6 million and Rs 152.4
million for food aid in Karnali alone (Food Security in Karnali).
This data shows that millions of rupees had been spent
for food security in Karnali, but people are still suffering from starvation.
World Food Program (2008:3) states that 80,700 people in Karnali zone (42,400
in Kalikot, 18,800 in Humla, 14,300 in Mugu and 5,200 in
Dolpa) were at risks of food insecurity in June 2008.
The investment
should have been invested in agriculture rather than to spend in providing
food. I am not sure whether the mentioned amount was spent in food security but
though it has been spent, it is not sustainable and long term policy. Karnali's
districts have not been able to promote growth and progress as expected even if
billions of rupees and many advices are spent to reduce poverty there (UNDP,
2015). The reason behind failure of poverty reduction policies are misuse of
the donations and budgets that had have been distributed by government and
different donor agencies to reduce poverty rate in Karnali. Another reason
might be the lack of knowledge about the recourses, possibilities and
opportunities that could be utilized in that area. Nepal government and donor
agencies usually provide food to the people of Karnali zone rather than
providing them training to grow their own food, they offer them job opportunities
rather than to encourage them to be an entrepreneurs to do their own business (Poverty
Reduction Strategy Paper, 2003).
IV.
METHODOLOGY
Secondary resources and
qualitative methodology is used in the article. Reports of UNDP, WFP, Nepal,
National Planning Commission are compared to make sure that there is no lack of
poverty reduction policy in the region but there is lack of implementation of
practical strategies suitable to the context of thae region.
V.
POSSIBILITIES TO REDUCE POVERTY IN KARNALI
There are so many
possibilities to reduce poverty rate in the Karnali region. It lacks proper
policy based on the need of people. Agriculture is the main occupation of the
people of Karnali. Development of the agriculture sector could be one of the
best solutions to reduce poverty rate. Millet, Wheat, maize are the main crops
grown there. Use of modern technology, facility of irrigation, availability of
seeds and fertilizers in need are the things that could be provided to them. Once they have all the facilities to grow
their own crops they won't suffer from starvation (Food Security in Karnali) .
Karnali zone is very
beautiful. There is also possibility of tourism sector. There are beautiful lakes in Mugu district,
beautiful Himalaya can be seen and trekking can be developed as a tourism
business. Karnali is resident of different cast and ethnic groups. They have
their own culture and heritage. If there would be proper policy to develop
Karnali as a touristic zone there would be lots of employment opportunities to
the people living there. They could be able to run their own home stay and
restaurants. The life would be far better and poverty would be reduced
gradually if this region would be developed as a touristic zone (Impact Study
of Karnali Ujjyalo Programme, 2012).
To provide vocational
trainings that would be relevant to the local people would also be one of the
solutions to reduce poverty rate there. Training of making mat, bamboo baskets
and other handicrafts would make them self dependent. They could sell the
handicraft in the local market as well as to the tourists who would visit
there.
Agriculture policy,
Development of Tourism and Use of local resources are the best strategies to
reduce the poverty rate in Karnali. If people grow their own food which would
be sufficient to them to survive for whole years they could focus on tourism
and hospitality. If there would be flow of tourists from different countries
they could sell their local products and handicrafts to them. It will spread
good message to all over the world that people from such a remote area are also
self sustained and capable enough to manage their own bread. If these things
could be implemented, Karnali will no more be burden for the country rather it
would lead the whole country to prosperity.
VI.
FINDINGS
*
Total
number of poverty reduction projects in Karnali zone completed till 2009-10 are
3,252.
* Karnali Employment Program is one of the biggest
projects launched by the government through the budget speech of 2006. The
total budget set out for Karnali Employment Program KEP reached NRs. 1,316
million in 2012.
* Assessment of Karnali
Employment Program 2012 shows that only 8 percent people of Karnali are food
secure for whole year, 18 percent are food secure only for 3 months, 33 percent
are food secure for 6 months and 41 percent are found to be food secure for 9
months.
* More than 42 percent of
Karnali residents live below the poverty line almost double the national
average, 25.16 percent.
* In 2004 and 2005, the
government spent Rs 140.6 million and Rs 152.4 million for food aid in Karnali
alone while World Food Program (2008:3) states that 80,700 people in Karnali
zone (42,400 in Kalikot, 18,800 in Humla, 14,300 in Mugu and 5,200 in Dolpa)
were at risks of food insecurity in June 2008.
* One of the reasons of declining food security in
Karnali is decline in local self-sufficiency in
food like decline in local production. In recent
times, Karnali has lost its traditional food producing capacity and food
securing mechanisms. On the other hand, it has not been able to bring new
developments in food production. This transition has been a huge burden on the
people of Karnali.
VII.
CONCLUSION
Research plays a vital role in policy making process.
Most of the policies get failed in Karnali, because they were made without
doing any research. Before making and implementing any policy in any sector a
research should be done to know about problems, solutions and possibilities in
the particular area (Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, 2003).
The use of participatory research methods to provide
policy makers with the information about poor people perspectives on poverty was
increasingly common in early 1980s. The relationship between participation and
poverty reduction policy must be seen in the context of shifting discourses of
development. Such discourses represent both the way in which the value and
purpose of participation are interpreted by powerful development actors, and
the shaping of agendas concerning valid strategies and policy instruments for
poverty reduction (Brock and McGee, 2002). This strategy was lacking in all the
policies made for the poverty reduction in Karnali. The very first step that
has to be done before making any policy is participatory research method that
connects local people with the policy makers. Things get changed as time goes
on but people living in such remote areas may not update themselves with time.
Before launching any employment program or policy, the policy makers should
make sure that the local people are skilled and capable enough to do the works
as an employee. If they are not skilled then they should be provided needed
trainings. The works have not to be beyond their understanding and capability. Countries across the developing and developed
world are increasingly supporting microfinance in playing an active role in
development initiatives (Heshmati Maasoumi
&Wan, 2015). Micro Finance policy can also be adopted to reduce
poverty in Karnali.
Being so frank some
individuals and organizations have been benefited in the name of Karnali and
innocent people living there. Karnali zone is the most supported zone in
poverty reduction, education, food security and so on. Karnali has become a way
if earning to some of the individuals. The reason behind not decreasing poverty
rate in Karnali is flood of policies done without any researches, not
understanding the need of local peoples and not utilizing the local resources. People
have to be taught how to catch fish rather than to provide them fish that is
ready to eat. Education plays vital role to reduce poverty in any places.
Vocational education is very important to make people independent. When people become educated they come to know
about different knowledge and skills which helps them to make money. Once
people learn any skill, it becomes their sustainable way to survive. But if
they only get money or food just to fulfill their current need that makes them
passive and that doesn't go long term way. Local people, local government and
different social organizations that have been working in Karnali should have
coordination and collaboration based on participatory research to reduce
poverty rate in Karnali and make them self sustained in long term.
References:
National Planning Commission (2012). Assessment of Karnali Employment Program. Government of
Nepal, Kathmandu.
Brock, K., &
McGee, R., (2002). Knowing Poverty,
London.
CARE-Nepal. Food Security in
Karnali, Lalitpur.
Heshmati, A., Maasoumi,
E., & Wan, G. (2015). Poverty
Reduction Policies and Practices in Developing
Asia. Emory University, USA.
International Monetary Fund (2003). Poverty
Reduction Strategy Paper, Washington DC, US.
Ministry of Local
Development (2007). Karnali Employment
Program: Operation Procedure, KRDU,
Kathmandu.
Ministry of Finance
(2011). Budget Speech 2011-12,
Government of Nepal, Kathmandu.
National Planning
Commission (2010). Three Year Plan
Approach Paper, (2010/11-2012/10), Government of Nepal, Kathmandu.
UNDP (2015). Nepal Human Development Report,
Kathmandu.
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