Community-Based Research for Climate-Resilient Rice Production
Supported by: The Toyota Foundation International Grant Program
Project Period: November 2025–October 2027
Project Countries: Nepal and Bangladesh
Principal Investigator: Bhav Narayan Jha
The project promotes climate-resilient rice production through community-based research, field demonstrations and germplasm/knowledge exchange between Nepal and Bangladesh. It addresses the increasing impacts of drought, cold, irregular rainfall, Bacterial Leaf Blight and Rice Blast on rice production and smallholder farmers’ livelihoods.
In Nepal, JWAS works with farmers, local government, agricultural researchers and extension agencies to establish on-farm trials and crop cafeterias for testing disease-, drought- and cold-tolerant rice varieties. Farmers participate in crop observation, evaluation and selection based on yield, maturity, disease resistance, production costs and local adaptability.
The project also organizes farmer training, field days, workshops, study visits and cross-border learning. Nepal will share knowledge on cold-tolerant rice varieties, while Bangladesh will contribute experience in drought-tolerant and disease-resistant varieties.
The project aims to demonstrate at least three disease-resistant and five drought or cold-tolerant rice varieties, identify suitable varieties for wider adoption, strengthen farmers’ access to climate-smart technologies and share community research findings with researchers, extension agencies and policymakers.
