FCA recognises impact faced by women in Nepal through climate award
Bio-fertilizer scientists win FCA’s inaugural climate innovation award in Nepal that focuses on impact on women during the organisation’s tenth anniversary celebrations in the country.
SEPTEMBER 12 2024, FCA hosted the first ‘FCA Climate Innovation for Her’ awards in Nepal. To coincide with 10 years of FCA work in the country, the awards aimed to highlight the importance of gender-sensitive approaches in climate action and to encourage the development of innovative solutions that could be scaled and replicated.
The winner of the “FCA Climate Innovation for Her Award” was Dr. Pooja Manandhar and Nepal Bioscience Research Laboratory Pvt. Ltd. for their groundbreaking use of indigenous microorganisms to develop bio-fertilizers. This project addresses the harmful effects of soil degradation—caused by excessive use of chemical fertilisers—on women’s livelihoods. The bio-fertilizers, produced through sustainable agricultural waste management, offer a long-term solution.
The award was launched earlier in the year as an open call for applications from Nepali individuals, organisations, private companies, NGOs, and academic institutions.
FCA Nepal received twenty-nine applications submitted from across Nepal, each presenting creative ideas to combat climate change. The enthusiasm and level of innovation were inspiring, showing how both individuals and organisations are working to make communities more climate resilient.
Runners-up included Nitro Grow Agrotech Nepal, for their initiative Grow Greener, Grow Stronger: Harvesting Hair for Sustainable Future which converts waste human hair into organic, nitrogen-rich fertilizer, and Bighnaharta Nepal’s Bio-engineering Social Enterprise for Disaster Risk Reduction and Livelihood Upliftment which combats soil erosion and enhances sustainable livelihoods through broom grass plantations.
“This award is valuable to me and my company as it recognizes our efforts to develop and produce a bio-fertilizer that addresses the impact of soil degradation on women caused by the overuse of chemical fertilizers. It is especially meaningful as it marks our first recognition after several previous nominations. We thank FCA for this honor and for recognizing organizations working to address the impact of climate change on women in Nepal,” said award winner Dr. Pooja Manandhar.
Sofia Olsson, FCA’s Country Director for Nepal, felicitated the nominees and presented the award, along with a cash prize of NPR 100,000 to the winner, in the presence of FCA’s Executive Director, Tomi Järvinen.
Nepal is primarily an agricultural country. The latest data from the country’s agricultural census of 2021/22 shows that around 66% of households in Nepal are engaged in agriculture. This context is important because the majority of Nepali households, especially in rural areas, have lifestyles, household chores, cultural influences, incomes, and gender roles shaped by agricultural practices.
With climate change having a significant impact worldwide, Nepal too has been severely affected. These consequences directly impact the lives of Nepali women, as many male members of the household seek employment abroad for additional income.
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Text: Anish Shrestha
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Notes on award selection:
The award had three key criteria: applicants had to be Nepali, their initiatives needed to address climate challenges, and the projects had to be successfully piloted or implemented. An external jury panel was formed to review the submissions based on relevance, innovation, impact on women, scalability, and sustainability.
The jury included Juna Mathema, Chairperson of the Startup & Innovation Forum at the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI); Björn Söderberg, Social Entrepreneur and Managing Director of Build Up Nepal; and Shakti Gurung, Executive Director of the Centre for Disaster Management Studies (CDMS).