Hemant Ojha | The University of New South Wales (original) (raw)

Papers by Hemant Ojha

The culture of access to mountain natural resources Policy, processes and practices

International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 2019

After the introduction of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, existing development inst... more After the introduction of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, existing development institutions are being assessed for their roles in achieving SDGs. In this context, we aim to assess how and to what extent Nepal's community forestry (CF) is contributing to achieve the SDGs. Using an institutional interaction perspective, we conducted policy analysis, literature review and expert consultation. The analysis was guided by six analytical questions covering policy provision, institutional practices, and actors' perception. After four decades of successful implementation, CF has become a strong local institution in Nepal to deliver multiple social and environmental outcomes. The result shows that CF is contributing to 80 targets of the SDGs at various scales of institutional interface. Furthermore, CF is found to be interactive with a range of social, economic, and environmental aspects of the SDGs. We argue that CF has the potential to make significant contributions to SDGs, thus providing a solid institutional framework to efficiently translate SDGs into actions.

The Nepal Journal of Forestry, NTFPs special …, 2003

Increasing subsistence as well as commercial expectations from non-timber forest products necessi... more Increasing subsistence as well as commercial expectations from non-timber forest products necessitates more careful assessment of resource base and sustainable harvesting scheme. Forest User Groups as well as supporting organizations are facing challenges to ensure sustainable harvesting of these products, and in several instances, they are developing specific methods to cope with this. This paper reviews ANSAB and some other organizations' experiences with commercial medicinal herbs and fiberyielding shrubs. These cases demonstrate the need for a diversity of resource assessment approaches to respond to specific plant form and product types, as well as a holistic consideration of social and ecological factors to address often ignored dimensions of sustainable harvesting. Finally, the paper identifies challenges and draws key lessons in developing sustainable harvesting system and practices that could be applicable in the context of participatory forest management.

forestrynepal.org

... Banjade, MR, NS Paudel, H. Ojha, C. McDougall, and R. Prabhu. 2007. Conceptualising meso-leve... more ... Banjade, MR, NS Paudel, H. Ojha, C. McDougall, and R. Prabhu. 2007. Conceptualising meso-level governance in the management of commons: Lessons from Nepal's community forestry. Journal of Forest and Livelihood 6: 48-58. BK, N., RK Shrestha, S. Acharya, and AS ...

Journal of forest and livelihood, Apr 7, 2024

A study was conducted to assess the scaling up processes of soil management practices under maize... more A study was conducted to assess the scaling up processes of soil management practices under maize based farming systems in Panchkhal and Sanga areas of Kavre district. The key objectives of the study are to analyze the scaling up processes and pathways of soil management ...

Building sustainable rural futures: the added value of systems approaches in times of change and uncertainty. 9th European IFSA Symposium, Vienna, Austria, 4-7 July 2010, 2010

Over the past three decades, Nepal's Community Forestry program has undergone a tremendous shift ... more Over the past three decades, Nepal's Community Forestry program has undergone a tremendous shift from state-centric and top-down to community-based participatory approach to forest governance. Research confirms that such shift has led significant improvements in local institutional arrangements (social capital) and the conditions of forests (natural capital). Yet, recent studies indicate that livelihood benefits to local communities, especially the poor and disadvantaged groups, remain limited. Such studies point to the need for problematizing the participatory approach itself to unravel the complex pathways of-and constraints tolivelihoods innovations in Community Forestry. Drawing upon the experience of a participatory action research project, that aims to understand and facilitate innovations systems in forest management in Nepal, we argue that limited livelihood outcomes in Community Forestry can be attributed to the limited 'space for innovation'. This space is restricted mainly by the regulatory practices and bureaucratic behaviour of state forest agencies. Despite legal autonomy, local communities face significant hurdles and impediments as they plan to undertake innovative actions in forest management, use, marketing, and benefit sharing. Furthermore, local communities have limited freedom to explore livelihood opportunities and have limited access to new information and ideas about improved methods, technologies and livelihood opportunities. A key conclusion is that livelihood innovations in Community Forestry may be more related to the relationship with bureaucratic and regulatory structures rather than the commonly assumed internal processes and capacities of the local communities. We also identify emerging threads of innovations that challenge such constraints and expand the space for innovation.

Routledge eBooks, Dec 12, 2021

Journal of Chitwan Medical College, Feb 20, 2017

Although subarachnoid block is regarded as the most reliable, easy and safe anaesthetic technique... more Although subarachnoid block is regarded as the most reliable, easy and safe anaesthetic technique during caesarean section, the possibility of failure has long been recognized. So, other methods of anaesthesia have to be employed at times. This study was performed in all patients of ASA I and II who underwent caesarean section at Chitwan Medical college, Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal from BS 1st Baisakh 2069 to 30th Chaitra 2072 (13 April 2012 to 12 April 2016) to find the rate of failure of subarachnoid block in Caesarean Section and need of additional anaesthetic supplementation. The total number of patients included in study was 6641 with mean age of 24.2 years and range of 16-39 years. Sub arachnoid block was performed with 25 G Quincke spinal needle at L3-L4 or L4-L5 spinal levels and solution injected was 2.20 ml of 0.5% hyperbaric Bupivacaine. Of the total 6641 patients who received subarachnoid block, 9.9% (n=661) required additional anesthetic supplements. Conversion to general anesthesia was needed in 252 (3.79%) patients. Rest 6.15% (n=409) could be operated with administration of additional intravenous anaesthetic agents.

60, Apr 1, 2012

This Noragric Report was commissioned by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad)... more This Noragric Report was commissioned by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) under the framework agreement with UMB which is administrated by Noragric

Forest Policy and Economics, Jul 1, 2018

Community based adaptation (CBA) to climate change is gaining wider popularity in developing coun... more Community based adaptation (CBA) to climate change is gaining wider popularity in developing countries, and yet little is known about its effectiveness in reducing the vulnerability of marginalized groups. Integrating the concept of adaptive capacity within an environmental entitlement framework, this study explores whether and how community institutions can enhance the adaptive capacity of socially marginalized groups. Using the case study of a community forestry user group (CFUG) in the middle hills of Nepal, this paper shows that in the context of socioeconomic heterogeneity at the wider societal level, it is unrealistic to expect CBA to work successfully for the marginalized groups, unless a concurrent attempt is made to overcome the socio-cultural drivers of marginalization. A key to addressing this is to acknowledge that interactions among different socioeconomic groups in community based institutions vary to different extents. Based on this finding, we recommend that CBA initiatives should focus on addressing the intra-community distribution of vulnerability, and be better aligned with efforts to enhance social inclusion.

Regional Environmental Change, Aug 6, 2018

This paper analyses prospects for ecosystem-based adaptation, through examining diverse forest-pe... more This paper analyses prospects for ecosystem-based adaptation, through examining diverse forest-people interactions in Nepal's community forestry as a social-ecological system (SES). We examine the linkage between social-ecological resilience and societal adaptation in the Middle Hills of Nepal and, based on this, discuss the prospects of this system for climate adaptation. In doing so, we also discuss the prospects of community forestry for ecosystem-based adaptation in the rural agrarian context, focussing on a few attributes of resilience: diversity, modularity, and flexibility. We find that community forestry provides multiple pathways for both reactive and anticipatory adaptation, often reinforcing community resilience. Our finding also shows that, while ecological processes in community forestry (CF) are being managed by local institutions with an explicit goal to enhance the overall resilience of the SES, the underlying social and political dynamics of CF tend to be neglected in adaptation policy and planning. This prevents local organizations from harnessing the benefits of ecological resilience to enhance their adaptive capacity. The contribution of ecological resilience to societal adaptation has been constrained by large scale social and political drivers, especially bureaucratic structures underpinning the governance of forest in Nepal. Based on these findings, we recommend that ecosystem-based adaptation is fully informed by, and takes account of, local power dynamics. For instance, aligning governance and decision-making with the needs of marginalized groups can increase the resilience and adaptive capacity of social-ecological systems.

Foundation Books, Oct 27, 2011

Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, Dec 18, 2015

Journal of Chitwan Medical College, Feb 20, 2017

Difficult intubating conditions, anticipated or unanticipated, are part of every anaesthesist's l... more Difficult intubating conditions, anticipated or unanticipated, are part of every anaesthesist's life. A large number of aids and various techniques have been described for intubating in such situations. The primary job of the anesthesiologist is to secure the airway and provide adequate ventilation to the anesthetised patient. Failure to manage difficult airway has led to many of the total deaths attributable to anesthesia. Proper airway examination and selection of appropriate method for airway intervention is of utmost importance. The retrograde intubation technique is one of the valuable alternative options in places where fiberoptic bronchoscope is not readily available or affordable in cases with anticipated difficult airway. We report a case of cancrum oris with sygnathia (fusion of jaw) leading to inability to open mouth posted for bilateral coronoidectomy with osteotomy of fused bone and lip repair. An awake retrograde nasal intubation with light sedation and local block was performed.

Foundation Books, Oct 27, 2011

The culture of access to mountain natural resources Policy, processes and practices

International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 2019

After the introduction of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, existing development inst... more After the introduction of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, existing development institutions are being assessed for their roles in achieving SDGs. In this context, we aim to assess how and to what extent Nepal's community forestry (CF) is contributing to achieve the SDGs. Using an institutional interaction perspective, we conducted policy analysis, literature review and expert consultation. The analysis was guided by six analytical questions covering policy provision, institutional practices, and actors' perception. After four decades of successful implementation, CF has become a strong local institution in Nepal to deliver multiple social and environmental outcomes. The result shows that CF is contributing to 80 targets of the SDGs at various scales of institutional interface. Furthermore, CF is found to be interactive with a range of social, economic, and environmental aspects of the SDGs. We argue that CF has the potential to make significant contributions to SDGs, thus providing a solid institutional framework to efficiently translate SDGs into actions.

The Nepal Journal of Forestry, NTFPs special …, 2003

Increasing subsistence as well as commercial expectations from non-timber forest products necessi... more Increasing subsistence as well as commercial expectations from non-timber forest products necessitates more careful assessment of resource base and sustainable harvesting scheme. Forest User Groups as well as supporting organizations are facing challenges to ensure sustainable harvesting of these products, and in several instances, they are developing specific methods to cope with this. This paper reviews ANSAB and some other organizations' experiences with commercial medicinal herbs and fiberyielding shrubs. These cases demonstrate the need for a diversity of resource assessment approaches to respond to specific plant form and product types, as well as a holistic consideration of social and ecological factors to address often ignored dimensions of sustainable harvesting. Finally, the paper identifies challenges and draws key lessons in developing sustainable harvesting system and practices that could be applicable in the context of participatory forest management.

forestrynepal.org

... Banjade, MR, NS Paudel, H. Ojha, C. McDougall, and R. Prabhu. 2007. Conceptualising meso-leve... more ... Banjade, MR, NS Paudel, H. Ojha, C. McDougall, and R. Prabhu. 2007. Conceptualising meso-level governance in the management of commons: Lessons from Nepal's community forestry. Journal of Forest and Livelihood 6: 48-58. BK, N., RK Shrestha, S. Acharya, and AS ...

Journal of forest and livelihood, Apr 7, 2024

A study was conducted to assess the scaling up processes of soil management practices under maize... more A study was conducted to assess the scaling up processes of soil management practices under maize based farming systems in Panchkhal and Sanga areas of Kavre district. The key objectives of the study are to analyze the scaling up processes and pathways of soil management ...

Building sustainable rural futures: the added value of systems approaches in times of change and uncertainty. 9th European IFSA Symposium, Vienna, Austria, 4-7 July 2010, 2010

Over the past three decades, Nepal's Community Forestry program has undergone a tremendous shift ... more Over the past three decades, Nepal's Community Forestry program has undergone a tremendous shift from state-centric and top-down to community-based participatory approach to forest governance. Research confirms that such shift has led significant improvements in local institutional arrangements (social capital) and the conditions of forests (natural capital). Yet, recent studies indicate that livelihood benefits to local communities, especially the poor and disadvantaged groups, remain limited. Such studies point to the need for problematizing the participatory approach itself to unravel the complex pathways of-and constraints tolivelihoods innovations in Community Forestry. Drawing upon the experience of a participatory action research project, that aims to understand and facilitate innovations systems in forest management in Nepal, we argue that limited livelihood outcomes in Community Forestry can be attributed to the limited 'space for innovation'. This space is restricted mainly by the regulatory practices and bureaucratic behaviour of state forest agencies. Despite legal autonomy, local communities face significant hurdles and impediments as they plan to undertake innovative actions in forest management, use, marketing, and benefit sharing. Furthermore, local communities have limited freedom to explore livelihood opportunities and have limited access to new information and ideas about improved methods, technologies and livelihood opportunities. A key conclusion is that livelihood innovations in Community Forestry may be more related to the relationship with bureaucratic and regulatory structures rather than the commonly assumed internal processes and capacities of the local communities. We also identify emerging threads of innovations that challenge such constraints and expand the space for innovation.

Routledge eBooks, Dec 12, 2021

Journal of Chitwan Medical College, Feb 20, 2017

Although subarachnoid block is regarded as the most reliable, easy and safe anaesthetic technique... more Although subarachnoid block is regarded as the most reliable, easy and safe anaesthetic technique during caesarean section, the possibility of failure has long been recognized. So, other methods of anaesthesia have to be employed at times. This study was performed in all patients of ASA I and II who underwent caesarean section at Chitwan Medical college, Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal from BS 1st Baisakh 2069 to 30th Chaitra 2072 (13 April 2012 to 12 April 2016) to find the rate of failure of subarachnoid block in Caesarean Section and need of additional anaesthetic supplementation. The total number of patients included in study was 6641 with mean age of 24.2 years and range of 16-39 years. Sub arachnoid block was performed with 25 G Quincke spinal needle at L3-L4 or L4-L5 spinal levels and solution injected was 2.20 ml of 0.5% hyperbaric Bupivacaine. Of the total 6641 patients who received subarachnoid block, 9.9% (n=661) required additional anesthetic supplements. Conversion to general anesthesia was needed in 252 (3.79%) patients. Rest 6.15% (n=409) could be operated with administration of additional intravenous anaesthetic agents.

60, Apr 1, 2012

This Noragric Report was commissioned by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad)... more This Noragric Report was commissioned by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) under the framework agreement with UMB which is administrated by Noragric

Forest Policy and Economics, Jul 1, 2018

Community based adaptation (CBA) to climate change is gaining wider popularity in developing coun... more Community based adaptation (CBA) to climate change is gaining wider popularity in developing countries, and yet little is known about its effectiveness in reducing the vulnerability of marginalized groups. Integrating the concept of adaptive capacity within an environmental entitlement framework, this study explores whether and how community institutions can enhance the adaptive capacity of socially marginalized groups. Using the case study of a community forestry user group (CFUG) in the middle hills of Nepal, this paper shows that in the context of socioeconomic heterogeneity at the wider societal level, it is unrealistic to expect CBA to work successfully for the marginalized groups, unless a concurrent attempt is made to overcome the socio-cultural drivers of marginalization. A key to addressing this is to acknowledge that interactions among different socioeconomic groups in community based institutions vary to different extents. Based on this finding, we recommend that CBA initiatives should focus on addressing the intra-community distribution of vulnerability, and be better aligned with efforts to enhance social inclusion.

Regional Environmental Change, Aug 6, 2018

This paper analyses prospects for ecosystem-based adaptation, through examining diverse forest-pe... more This paper analyses prospects for ecosystem-based adaptation, through examining diverse forest-people interactions in Nepal's community forestry as a social-ecological system (SES). We examine the linkage between social-ecological resilience and societal adaptation in the Middle Hills of Nepal and, based on this, discuss the prospects of this system for climate adaptation. In doing so, we also discuss the prospects of community forestry for ecosystem-based adaptation in the rural agrarian context, focussing on a few attributes of resilience: diversity, modularity, and flexibility. We find that community forestry provides multiple pathways for both reactive and anticipatory adaptation, often reinforcing community resilience. Our finding also shows that, while ecological processes in community forestry (CF) are being managed by local institutions with an explicit goal to enhance the overall resilience of the SES, the underlying social and political dynamics of CF tend to be neglected in adaptation policy and planning. This prevents local organizations from harnessing the benefits of ecological resilience to enhance their adaptive capacity. The contribution of ecological resilience to societal adaptation has been constrained by large scale social and political drivers, especially bureaucratic structures underpinning the governance of forest in Nepal. Based on these findings, we recommend that ecosystem-based adaptation is fully informed by, and takes account of, local power dynamics. For instance, aligning governance and decision-making with the needs of marginalized groups can increase the resilience and adaptive capacity of social-ecological systems.

Foundation Books, Oct 27, 2011

Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, Dec 18, 2015

Journal of Chitwan Medical College, Feb 20, 2017

Difficult intubating conditions, anticipated or unanticipated, are part of every anaesthesist's l... more Difficult intubating conditions, anticipated or unanticipated, are part of every anaesthesist's life. A large number of aids and various techniques have been described for intubating in such situations. The primary job of the anesthesiologist is to secure the airway and provide adequate ventilation to the anesthetised patient. Failure to manage difficult airway has led to many of the total deaths attributable to anesthesia. Proper airway examination and selection of appropriate method for airway intervention is of utmost importance. The retrograde intubation technique is one of the valuable alternative options in places where fiberoptic bronchoscope is not readily available or affordable in cases with anticipated difficult airway. We report a case of cancrum oris with sygnathia (fusion of jaw) leading to inability to open mouth posted for bilateral coronoidectomy with osteotomy of fused bone and lip repair. An awake retrograde nasal intubation with light sedation and local block was performed.

Foundation Books, Oct 27, 2011