The Pollination of Micronutrient-rich Crops and Effect on Nutritional Status in a Changing Climate in Jumla, a Remote Mountain District of Nepal (Micro-Poll)
Introduction
Nepal is a low-income food-deficit country (FAO 2018) where people have micronutrient-deficient diets and micronutrient deficiencies are common. Pollinator loss disproportionately harms developing countries, as they are both less resilient to yield drops and more reliant on the micronutrients found in small-scale pollinator-dependent crops. Providing population-wide vitamin supplementation is neither practical nor sustainable in remote parts of the world; instead, diversifying the diet by increasing access to micronutrient-rich fruits, vegetables and legumes could provide a solution.
General Objective:
This project aims to describe the dietary intake and record the nutritional status of populations in rural Jumla district over a 12-month period to identify crops providing important dietary micronutrients to these populations. The project aims to record the pollinators of these crops and their sensitivity to climate change so as to assess the vulnerability of local people to crop yield losses as a result of pollinator decline and climate change. We aim to use this information to design strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change and pollinator loss on human health.
Specific Objective:
Our project has five specific objectives:
1) Identify the crops providing key micronutrients to populations in Jumla district using dietary recall surveys.
2) Identify the dominant pollinators of these micronutrient-rich crops using field surveys in the same villages.
3) Predict the effect of climate change on these key crop pollinators and the ensuing impact on crop production and micronutrient intake using a simulated modelling approach.
4) Devise mitigation practices to protect crop pollinators from climate change and thereby safeguard the micronutrients in people’s diet.
5) Develop a policy and education package to mitigate the effects of climate change on crop pollination and micronutrient intake.
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Important Statistics
- Sample Size 800
- HR Mobilization 50
- Coverage Area 1 district
Project Partner(s)
Associated Team Members
Deepak Joshi
Manager: Operational Research and EvaluationDeepak Joshi, MPH is a Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Specialist with 8 years of experience in qualitative and quantitative data analysis with a background in monitoring and evaluation for projects funded by USAID, Gates Foundation, DFID and other notable partners/academia. He has extensive experience working on maternal and child health projects. As Researcher, he has experience of working in different study designs that includes longitudinal study, quasi experimental study, quantitative surveys and qualitative study. His experience and expertise of data [...]
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Sushil Chandra Baral
Managing DirectorKey Expertise Dr Sushil Chandra Baral is an experienced heatlh and development expert of Nepal, specialising in health systems strengthening and health policy and planning at the national and international level. He has twenty five years of experience in health systems and services, health policy and planning, operational research and social development sector in developing countries context. He has got considerable professional experience in health system, health policy and planning, health service delivery, health research and programme management. He has [...]
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Private: Shraddha Manandhar
Programme CoordinatorPersonal bio Shraddha Manandhar, a strong professional with a Master in Public Health degree specialized in Primary Health Care Management. She is dedicated and resourceful Public Health Professional with a proven history of working over 7 years in International/Non-Profit Organizations. A humanitarian aid and development worker with a strong work ethic and excellent breadth of experience in foreign aid programs. She has experience of working in maternal and child health nutrition, nutrition in emergency and new-born health projects. Further, she [...]
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Sujan Sapkota
Project ManagerPersonal bio Mr. Sujan Sapkota is an experienced professional with specialization in Public Health Nutrition. Having Master’s degrees (MSc. in Food Science and Nutrition, MA in Rural Development and additional courses in Research Methodology) along with Bachelor’s in Public Health, he has 10 plus years of experience in health, nutrition, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) fields. He has experience of working with national and international non-government organizations with the major responsibility of planning, implementing and [...]
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Santosh Giri
Senior Officer - Data Management and Information TechnologyDedicated and highly motivated public health professional with history of successful research goals utilizing consistent and organized practices. Organized and dependable with success in managing multiple priorities with a positive attitude. Data Manager with over 4 years of successful experience in research, data management and analysis. Recognized consistently for performance excellence and contributions to roles undertaken.
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Private: Dambar Rokaya
Project CoordinatorA public health professional having a experience of more than 9 years.
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