To provide more insights into these issues, this Working Paper identifies and maps spring systems, water budgeting, groundwater flows, and governance issues around the pilot areas of the Chibo–Pashyor watershed of Kalimpong. A total of 55 springs were mapped in the study site and 12 critical springs were selected for monitoring and detailed study, based on vulnerability criteria developed for this research. An analysis of water access, discharge, and budgeting, based on the “National Rural Drinking Water Programme Guidelines 2013”, was also conducted. Furthermore, in order to understand spring sources and resources as well as recharge areas, hydrogeological and lithological studies were conducted.

For this study, understanding groundwater flow was critical. Groundwater is stored and transmitted through aquifers. So, an aquifer is considered the basic element in any study of groundwater or watershed development. Spring water is part of the groundwater system and only becomes “surface water” after flowing into a surface waterbody such as a stream or a lake.

Based on a study of critical springs in the watershed, the paper presents a set of recommendations related to key issues of governance and management. It also explains the science behind the drying up of springs in the study area. Finally, key take-home messages for communities, practitioners, and administrators are provided to promote conservation of these springs for the future water security of the area, and to link it to climate change adaptation actions
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Teesta river is 414 km long with a total catchment area of 12,159 km2. Teesta basin is home to around 30 million people, 2% in Sikkim, 27% in West Bengal; and 71% in northwest Bangladesh of which 78% are rural and 22% urban. Sikkim is mountainous with very low population density, whereas West Bengal has a mix of low hills and plains, and in Bangladesh the terrain is almost flat. There are two large barrages on Teesta that diverts water for mainly irrigation purpose: one at Gajoldobha in India and the other at Duani in Bangladesh
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This Farmers Resource Book is a ready-made guide for large cardamom farmers to learn, share, and exchange knowledge and experiences for reviving and expanding large cardamom cultivation in Nepal and elsewhere.

It is envisaged that the cultivation of large cardamom, adopting appropriate climate-resilient practices and management procedures, will bring a significant change in the sustainability of agro ecologically sound large cardamom-based traditional farming systems. This change will contribute immensely to the improvement of livelihoods of the marginal farmers in Nepal and in other countries where large cardamom is growing
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This publication describes the results of a detailed investigation into the role of Apis cerana in large cardamom pollination, designed to establish whether the bee is a pollinator or pollen robber and determine its impact on crop yield and quality. The research was conducted on farmers’ fields located at different sites in Sikkim, India: Lingee Payong (1,100 masl) and Hee Martam (1,500 masl) in West Sikkim, and Jaubari (2,000 masl) in South Sikkim.

The methodology consisted of on-farm experimental research and data collection through regular field observations, and a review of the literature on large cardamom pollination. Three experimental procedures were used at each site: (i) observations of the foraging behaviour of Apis cerana bees on cardamom flowers, and the impact of pollination by Apis cerana and other pollinators on capsule yield and quality (capsule weight and number of seeds per capsule), in a plot with a medium-sized healthy colony of Apis cerana placed at the centre; (ii) observations of the foraging behaviour of bumblebees and other pollinators, and of capsule yield and quality, in a plot about 250 m away from the plot containing the Apis cerana colony; and (iii) observations of capsule yield and quality in plants caged in a nylon net (3 x 3 x 3 m) to exclude all pollinators as a control.

The results of the study showed that Apis cerana is an effective pollinator of large cardamom. Although the Apis cerana bees are relatively small, they landed on the anther-stigma column of the cardamom flowers multiple times from different directions while collecting pollen which ensured that they also touched the stigma and thus pollinated the flowers. Other favourable foraging attributes included foraging throughout the day, visiting all flowers on a panicle and then moving on to another, and multiple visits to flowers. The favourable attributes translated into a 45% increase in yield compared to natural pollination in fields with a supplementary Apis cerana colony. The fruit set, seed set, and fruit and seed weight (capsule quality) were all significantly higher in plots with an Apis cerana colony than in plots without a colony or with all pollinators excluded. The results suggest that especially in areas where bumblebee populations and other natural pollinators are scarce, Apis cerana can be used to pollinate large cardamom to ensure a reasonable harvest and better quality capsules
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Indigenous farmers in the Sikkim Himalaya have, through generations of innovation and experimentation, established a variety of land use systems to nurture a great diversity of both wild and domesticated plants and animals. Local agrobiodiversity features more than 126 landraces of cereals, including rice (77), maize (26), and millet (7); 18 cultivars of oilseeds; 34 cultivars of pulses/beans; 132 species of vegetables; 38 species of spices/condiments; 33 landraces of tubers/roots; and 64 species of fruit. Sikkim’s traditional system of cultivation also supports more than 200 species of wild edibles, 119 species of multipurpose agroforestry trees, 52 crops with high social and cultural value, and 69 species of plants sacred to indigenous communities. It also has a diversity of land uses, with 15 to 20 field types, and specific land use categories. Similarly, there is a high diversity of domestic animals, with about 21 different local and indigenous breeds. Homesteads on marginal farms make up 40–70% of Sikkim’s total landholdings and account for 50–80% of these households’ requirements. Homesteads are centres of agrobiodiversity and associated traditional ecological knowledge, are traditional sources of food and nutrition, and are important contributors to food and livelihood security among farming communities.

Agriculture in Sikkim contributes about 16% of the state’s GDP and supports more than 64% of the population, who sustain their livelihoods on the rapidly shrinking cultivable land available for farming
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