GTZ Project Document No. 51 Report on Nahi Baseline Survey

Nahi Approach Road of Hope RRA Survey May 2001Annexure 1.5 Brief Background note on Nahi geog for RRA participantsInformation on Nahi geogNahi is one of the geogs under Wangdue Dzongkhag Administration. The nearest village is aboutthree hours walk from Wangdue bridge, and now with the opening of a motorable road (11 Km inlength) links the geog to the Wangdue Tsirang and Thimphu highway making the life for thepeople more easier. However, a web of small footpaths and mule tracks still remains the mainlinkage to the most of the villages in the valley.Nahi valley is quite steep with most of the settlements on the northern slopes. The HindeyRongchu is the main river going through the valley, and it divides the valley almost exactly intotwo halves. The geog has almost 91% of its area covered with forest. Thus forest plays animportant role in the geog’s agricultural system.The geog approximately covers an area of about 65 square Km with 104 households spread widelyover the area. The geog ranges from an altitude of 1200 meters at the easternmost corner to analtitude of 3600 m in the west.Land UseThe farming system prevalent in the geog presents a combination of crops, livestock and forestactivities with strong integration among these components. Therefore, the wetland is the maindominant land use (144.0 acres) followed by dry land (60 acres), shifting cultivation (47.9 acres),kitchen garden (8.1 acres), apple orchard (4.2) and 2.7 acres of orange orchard as of 1995. Thecrops cultivated in the valley include paddy, barley, wheat, millet, mustard, maize, buckwheat, etc.The animals include cattle, pigs, chickens and horses mostly of local breeds. The cattle is the mostimportant domestic animal which is essential for crop production as well as a source of nutrientsfor the family members and also as a source of cash income.Forest is an important component of the farming system not because it provides inputs forlivestock and crop production activities but also serves as an important source of cash for thefarmers by selling some non timber forest products. The most commonly collected forest productsinclude mushroom, ferns, bamboo, wild asparagus, xangthozylum, etc. which are usually taken tothe markets for sale. The other forest products include walnut, champ, blue pine, chirpine, and oak,etc. mostly used for construction purposes and firewood as well.Developmental InstitutionsThe geog has a primary School and a RNR Extension centre. At the moment due to the untimelydemise of the AH extension staff only AG extension is available. However, as per the village gup,AH extension post is expected to be filled up by one of the NRTI trainee passing out in July 2001.With regard to human health facilities, nearest hospital is Bajo and Army Hospitals in Wangdue.At the village level Village Health Workers (VHW) are the main source of services for basictreatment or provision of medicines, besides the traditional measures.Main Problems and Developmental PrioritiesThe common problems include; Lack of access to market and other facilities (partially improved at the moment) Irrigation problem mainly in Hali and insufficient irrigation water Lack of additional land for share croppers Lack of manpower during the peak seasons Wild animals problems Unproductive cattle breedxiii