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Traditional knowledge and practices are increasingly recognized in the resource conservation and management practices, however are declining in many parts of the world including Nepal
. Studies on the inventory of traditional knowledge are available, albeit limited, and empirical analysis of factors contributing to the decline of traditional knowledge are negligible in Nepal. We thus initiated this study in the Nepal part of the Kailash Sacred Landscape to (i) document traditional knowledge and practices on agriculture, forest-based herbal remedy, and genetic resource conservation; and (ii) identify factors contributing to the decline of traditional practices in the communities. Data was collected during September–December 2015 through key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and households survey. The household survey data was used in binary logistic regression analysis to identify factors contributing to the decline of six key traditional practices. The study documented 56 types of traditional practices. The regressions showed that the age of the respondent, distance to the nearest forest, distance to the nearest motorable road, family members’ ill health, and seasonal migration of the household members for jobs significantly influencing to the decline of the particular traditional practices, however, their effects vary within a practice and among the practices. The use of modern medicine, increasing road linkages, decreasing trend of plant resource availability, and agriculture intensification are responsible for the decline of the particular traditional practices. We recommend to recognize their significance in the governing socio-ecological systems and to link the traditional and scientific knowledge systems through policy formulations
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Traditional knowledge (TK) is very important for sustainable development
. However, it faces the risk of loss in many parts of the world, including Nepal. There are only a few studies on the determinants of the use and erosion of TK and practices in the Kailash Sacred Landscape. The present study documents traditional practices and the factors determining its erosion in the Gwallek-Kedar Area of Baitadi district, Far Western Nepal. The Gwallek-Kedar Area, which spreads across eight Village Development Committees, is rich in biodiversity and cultural diversity. People who live in the vicinity of Gwallek-Kedar use the resources for medication, livelihood support, and livestock feed. The study documents traditional practices in the area, especially on agriculture and forest-based herbal remedy, and empirically determines the factors behind the erosion of such traditional practices
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Occupational health, well researched in developed countries, remains neglected in developing countries
. One issue of particular importance is the use of pesticides on farms, which can have both chronic and acute impacts on human health. This paper focuses on acute health impacts associated with pesticide exposure in rural Nepal. Based on data from 291 households, the study finds that the magnitude of exposure to insecticides and fungicides can significantly influence the occurrence of health symptoms. The predicted probability of falling sick from pesticide related symptoms is 133% higher among individuals who apply pesticides compared to individuals in the same household who are not directly exposed. Households bear an annual health cost of NPR 287 ($4) as a result of pesticide exposure. These costs vary with fungicide exposure. A ten percent increase in hours of exposure increases costs by about twenty-four percent. In aggregate, pesticide exposure contributes to a health burden of NPR 1,105,782 (US $ 15,797) per year in the study area. Although pesticide use in Nepal is low relative to many other countries in the world, this study, which is the first of its kind in Nepal, suggests that farmers and policy makers need to become aware of the health impacts of pesticide use as they continue to promote its use in Nepal
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This pilot study estimated the health costs resulting from pesticide-related acute health symptoms in a mid-hill vegetable growing area of Nepal
. Farmers reported up to 13 acute symptoms due to the use of pesticides. Using the averting cost approach, on average a farmer spent NR 119 (US$ 1.58) annually for safety gear (at the time of study, NR 75 equaled US$ 1). Using the cost-of-illness approach, the total annual household expenditures due to the use of pesticides ranged from NR zero to NR 4451, with an average of NR 1261. Similarly, household willingness to pay (WTP) for safer pesticides ranged from as low as NR 1500 per year to as high as NR 50,000
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