Ecosystems Protecting Infrastructure and Communities (EPIC)- NEPAL

Policy Brief October 2016

Eco-safe roads through nature-based solutions: soil bio-engineering, ecosystem management and community resilience

Ministry of Forests and Soil ConservationDepartment of Soil Conservation and

Watershed Management (DSCWM)

EPIC is a global Project involving six countries (Nepal, Chile, Thailand, Senegal, China and Burkina Faso). This project aims to demonstrate the multiple benefits and effectiveness of environmental management as a potentially important “Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR)” strategy in reducing climate risks and enhancing resilience of vulnerable communities especially through practical action. In the field, research by leading bio-engineering and risk analysis experts was combined with on-the ground livelihood strengthening activities in selected vulnerable communities based upon good practices from work on DRR and livelihood security. At the national level, IUCN worked with multiple stakeholders in advocating for greater considerations and investment in Eco-DRR activities, such as soil bio-engineering. This policy brief summarises key findings from the University of Lausanne (UNIL) research and suggests recommendations for greater mainstreaming of Eco-DRR, including greater uptake of the concept of “Eco-Safe Roads” in Nepal.

Project Duration: September 2012 to August 2017

Project Sites: Kaski, Parbat and Syangja Districts of Western Development Region, Nepal

PurposeThe main purpose of the project is to catalyse and quantify the role of ecosystems in protecting vulnerable communities against the risks associated with climate change and natural hazards. In Nepal, the project falls within the specific context of rural earthen roads, exacerbating erosion and landslide risk in the Panchase area.

Figure 1: Illustration from Syangja district showing new road which is reactivating old landslide, threatening

over 100 households. Credit: I. Penna, UNIL

Quick factsThe number of rural earthen roads in Nepal has increased from around 200 km in 1998 to over 4000 km in 2013/14.

In Phewa Lake watershed, there were 179 erosion events recorded along 129 km of rural roads, amounting to 1.5 erosion events recorded per kilometer of earthen roads or 70,133 m3 soil released in the watershed.

In Tilahar village, the EPIC bio-engineering works reduced soil losses from 30 m3 in 2014 to less than 2 m3 in 2016.

125 community people trained by EPIC Nepal project

1.5% of all road budgets are earmarked for environmental protection (DOLIDAR policy) but seldom implemented.

1 million NPR is an average budget for 1 km of bio-engineering roads versus 5 kms of poorly designed roads in Middle Hills.

More than half of allocated of road budgets in the Middle Hills area are used for clearing up rural roads after each monsoon season.

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Rural earthen roads or “unmanaged roads” are constructed by communities themselves without any design, drainage or grading and environmental considerations and are commonly wiped out during heavy monsoon rains.Such roads require costly clearing with heavy equipment and are a leading cause of erosion, shallow landslides economic losses to agriculture fields, and forests.Instead, low-cost and environmental friendly soil bio-engineering along roadsides or “eco-safe roads” using local resources (e.g. locally available deep rooted grasses and low cost civil engineering structures) can significantly reduce economic losses and environmental degradation.

•

•

•

Context

EPIC Policy Brief.indd 1 9/29/2016 12:29:50 PM

1. Gather empirical evidence on the value of ecosystem based approaches to landslide and erosion reduction through three pilot sites

Results

Three soil-bioengineering pilot sites were established in Western Development Region of Nepal: Syangja, Kaski and Parbat districts to demonstrate the effectiveness of low cost community based roadside bio-engineering in collaboration with each District Soil Conservation Office (DSCO) (Figure 2). All three sites were designed, implemented and maintained in partnership with each community, using local knowledge of most appropriate plant species and techniques for low cost soil bio-engineering such as drainage and dry wall construction.

•

Before Before BeforeAfter After After

Saunepani, Bhat Khola-7, Syangja districtThree major gullies due to highly degraded land and water from

expanded road, several houses were at danger.

Gharelu, Sarangkot -9, Kaski districtSeveral houses affected by gushing

water from road run-off.

Tilahar, Tilahar -7, Parbat districtSchool with 1,000 students affected by boulders falling

into school yard by road expansion.

Figure 2: Three pilot sites in Syangja, Kaski and Parbat districts

Figure 3: Phewa Lake Watershed study of land use changes 1979-2016 illustrates the 2016 road network and 174 landslides after July 29, 2015 rainfall event and the 14 landslides pre-existing landslides in 2014. Credit: M. Tonini and C. Vuillet, UNIL

Two studies document the role of rural earthen roads in contributing to increased erosion and landslides•The first study completed in 2015 by UNIL documented over 179 erosion events along 129 km of roads surveyed (of 340 kms), amounting to an estimated 100 m3 of soil released to the watershed /km/year along earthen rural roadsides in Phewa Lake watershed.

A second study focused on land use changes in Phewa Lake watershed over 30 years documenting an increase in roads from 23 kms in 1979 to 340 kms in 2016. The study was on-going when an intense rainfall event (315 mm) occurred over 24 hours on July 28-29, 2015, killing nine persons in the study area due to a landslide. As a result of this event, UNIL documented 174 landslides (as compared to 14 landslides before the event), of which 68 landslides were situated either at the top or bottom of a road.

­

­

Quantifying the role of vegetation in reducing erosion rates•Terrestrial LIDAR technology is a state of the art method for monitoring surface changes and vegetation growth. The three pilot sites were measured before any interventions were undertaken, then twice after the 2014 and 2015 monsoon seasons. Plantations were made in strips along the demonstration site roadside segments, with plants selected from the most common bio-engineering species, in consultation with each community.

Figure 4 illustrates the slopes in Tilahar village before the bio-engineering interventions were installed, where about 30 m3 of soil were lost during the monsoon season in 2014. In 2015, the slopes were modified with a toe wall and planted with four different types of species. Results in 2016 demonstrate that soil loss was reduced to 1.5 m3 after the 2015 monsoon season. (Fig. 5), or a 95% reduction in erosion at this site.

­

­

EPIC Policy Brief.indd 2 9/29/2016 12:29:53 PM

Figure 4: LIDAR measurements after 2014 monsoon season and before bio-engineering measures. Credit: C. Michoud, Terranum consulting/ UNIL

Figure 5: LIDAR measurements after 2015 monsoon season and after bio-engineering measures.

Credit: C. Michoud, Terranum consulting/ UNIL

2. Demonstrate the value of “eco-safe roads” through an economic cost-benefit analysis comparison with grey roads

Plant survival rates and climate resistance•Research by PhD candidate Sanjaya Devkota, (Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University) focused on survival rates, root depth and root strength of four of the most commonly used local grass species. The data are based on nearly 20,000 seedlings planted in the three demonstration sites and play an important role in improving soil slope stability.

­

Local species name and latin name Survival rates Number of seedlings plantedBroom grass (Thysanalaena maxima) 86.8% 2225Urlo khar (Cymbopogon microtheca) 87.7% 6400Nepiyar (Penniseluim purpurreum) 92.5% 6000Salim khar (Chirysopogon gryllus) 82.5% 3215

Nepiyar has the highest survival rate, a dense and fine root architecture but is weak in terms of strength. Further research demonstrates that Broom Grass has the deepest roots, up to 1 meter below the soil, however Salim khar has the strongest roots. These preliminary findings provide guidance for bio-engineering best practices, especially as we consider more intense rainfall and longer drought periods.

­

A study by Dr. M. Vicarelli, (Department of Economics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA), in collaboration with UNIL compares conventional bulldozed, or grey roads with bio-engineered or “eco-safe roads” over a 40 year time horizon. Scenario 1 (Figure 6) assumes a “normal” monsoon season (based on historical rainfall records) with conservative yield losses due to damaged agricultural land adjacent to rural roads. In this scenario, the “eco-safe road” becomes more cost-effective after 12 years as repair costs are significantly lower.Scenario 5 has estimated that in case of high agriculture losses along grey roads, the cost of grey roads may be significantly higher than the “eco-safe road” from the very first year of construction and the costs of the “eco-safe roads” actually decrease over time while benefits accrue due to income generated from the bio-engineering grasses. These losses and repair costs are often not taken into account by policy makers and communities when considering how to use funds for constructing roads.

•

•

•

Figure 6: Left: Scenario 1 conservative comparison of initial costs and estimated losses over time comparison between one kilometer of an “eco-safe road” and a grey road over 40 years, assuming a discount rate of 0.1 (which translates

the stream of costs and benefits into a single monetary value, or the net present value (NPV)). Right: Scenario 5 worst case scenario of high losses due to repair costs and agricultural losses due to grey roads.

Small inserted figure on right shows the “eco-safe road” in more detail for this scenario.

EPIC Policy Brief.indd 3 9/29/2016 12:29:54 PM

3. Build national and local level capacity to promote implementation of Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR); including training key stakeholders on low cost and locally appropriate soil bio-engineering techniques at the community and national levels

4. Create multiple benefits from soil bio-engineering, with focus on enhancing livelihood opportunities

5. Disseminate lessons learned and share soil bio-engineering knowledge to enable replication in other areas

RecommendationsConsidering the strategic importance of rural access roads, it is imperative that roadside soil bio-engineering, proper drainage and design become standard practice rather than the highly costly heavy equipment, and post monsoon clean up approach for conventional “grey” unplanned rural roads.Low cost and locally available deep rooted grasses supplemented by local materials for stabilisation and drainage are available: it is a question of good governance, enforcement and implementation.Investing in “eco-safe roads” is cost-effective: according to most conservative estimates, it becomes significantly less expensive after only 12 years and in worst case scenario with high losses, it can be less expensive even from year 1. Investing in Ecosystem based Disaster Risk Reduction and adaptation is “no-regrets” solution: in addition to reducing erosion and landslide risk, it creates multiple benefits to populations and increases resilience during droughts and other climate vagaries.

•

•

•

•

Partners:Department of Soil Conservation and Watershed Management, Government of Nepal International Union for Conservation of Nature, Nepal Country OfficeUniversity of Lausanne, Institute of Earth Sciences, Switzerland

•••

For more information, please contact:Ms. Anu Adhikari, Programme OfficerEmail: anu.adhikari@iucn.orgIUCN Nepal Country Office, Kupondole, Lalitpur Phone: +977 1 5528781Funding Agency: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB)

EPIC Nepal has conducted two national workshops and two regional workshops to raise awareness about Eco-DRR with the specific case of “eco-safe roads” with journalists, parliamentarians and decision makers who were brought to the field for practical knowledge of the issues and solutions. Over 120 participants were trained.Community-based soil bio-engineering trainings with practical exercises using locally appropriate low cost bioengineering techniques (Figure 7). A training manual on roadside bio-engineering which was used and distributed at each training and workshop opportunity.

•

•

•

Figure 7: From left to right: Community bio-engineering training in Gharelu (Kaski district); Bhat Khola (Syangja district) and Tilahar (Parbat district)

“Eco-safe roads” also create benefits for communities through the generation of extra income (e.g. use of grasses and shrubs for fodder, sale of brooms from Amriso (Thysanalaena maxima), and fruits planted on previously unproductive and unstable roadside land. Three nurseries were established in each district, two were managed by District Soil Conservation Offices (DSCO) which distributed the plants (both bio-engineering, fodder and livelihood generating such as coffee) to vulnerable communities and in Tilahar, a nursery was established with the women’s group, DSCO, the school and the roads committee with the intention of creating skills and additional income for community members.

•

•

Lessons learned were disseminated in several ways and with multiple stakeholders:•Interested community people visited the demonstration sites and IUCN organised cross learning visits between the communities of the three demonstration sites;

Field visits were organized by IUCN, DSCO offices and others such as ICIMOD with national level policy makers, representatives from different ministries, journalists and I/NGOs working in disaster risk reduction (DRR);

The Ecosystem based Adaptation (EbA) project (IUCN, UNDP, UNEP) also replicated the soil bio-engineering knowledge in their project areas.

­

­

­

EPIC Policy Brief.indd 4 9/29/2016 12:29:54 PM