What is Permaculture?- Definition, Characteristics,Challenges,Permaculture in Nepal

Permaculture is the art and science of designing human beings place in the environment. It is about working with nature to make a better world for us all. By observing the natural world, we can see that there are a set of principles at work. Permaculture enables people to establish productive environments providing for food, energy, shelter, material and non-material needs, as well as the social and economic infrastructures, which support them. Permaculture means thinking carefully about our environment, our use of resources and how we supply our needs. It aims to create systems that will sustain not only for the present, but for future generations.

More recently, Permaculture has expanded its purview to include economic and social structures that support the evolution and development of more permanent communities, such as co-housing projects and eco-villages. As such, Permaculture design concepts are applicable to urban as well as rural settings, and are appropriate for single households as well as whole farms and villages.

Permaculture means different things to different people. One person may interpret it in a practical sense in terms of growing food, perhaps, while another will focus on a more spiritual side. This diversity is important; it helps to keep a sense of balance, and encourages people to share their resources and knowledge with others.

The simplest definition of permaculture is an ecological design science- a system for the sustainable design of human culture, focusing around ecological restoration and the providing of basic human needs. Permaculture is about working with nature to make a better world for us all. By observing the natural world, we can see that there are a set of principles at work.

A more descriptive definition might be: “A consciously designed landscape which mimics the patterns and relationships found in nature while yielding an abundance of food, fiber and energy for provision of local needs.”
According to Grailville Workshop, “Permaculture addresses the way we live on this planet in a graceful and healthy way, respecting the plants and animals around us, and leaving the biosphere in a more productive and healthy state than we found it.”

Characteristics of permaculture:

• Permanent agriculture is the requirement for a permanent culture can be regarded as a
  valid, safe, & sustainable, completer energy system.
• Permaculture is a harmonious integration of people into the landscape so that land
  grows in richness, productivity and aesthetic beauty.
• It can be applied in any ecosystem marked by cooperation, diversity of species, occupation of essential ecological niches, & stability over time.
• It helps to recovers health and wildness of degraded ecosystem.
• It is a global grassroots movement tor self-reliance of natural ecosystems, community responsibility, and decentralization of social, political, economic, & technical authority.
• It promotes organic agriculture, which does not use pesticides to pollute the environment.

Aim of Permaculture:
The overall aim of permaculture is to produce an efficient low-maintenance productive integration of plants, animals, structures & man, with the ultimate result of on-site stability & food self-sufficiency in the smallest practical area.
It aims to:

• Observe current systems of both human and non-human invention.
• Learn from their success and failures design systems that put humans and the natural world in harmony.
• Stability & diversity.
• Conservation of soil, water, & energy.
• Recycling and wise use of water, waste, and other resources.
• Reduce pollution and waste.
• Strengthen the local economy, create local employment and work co-operatively.
• Ultimately permaculture aim is to produce a system that is ecologically sound &economically profitable.

Why Permaculture is important?
Modernization and the growing population are degrading Earth’s ecosystem. Different environmental issues such as pollution of soil, water and air, loss of plant and animal species rapid consumption of non-renewable resources are major threats. Sustain ability and conservation of natural resources is out of the modern agricultural system. It provides a rich lifestyle for the privileged few, at the expense of poor people alive today and generations to come. Permaculture offers an approach that provides for human needs without compromising the health of the planetary ecosystem, or lowering the quality of life for other people.

Application of Permaculture principles can make our earth more sustainable. Permaculture provides a framework for sustainable living. We can make any places more sustainable through taking into consideration economic, environ mental and social objectives in our permaculture design.

Permaculture in Practice:
Permaculture is about creating sustainable human habitats by following nature’s patterns. “It uses the diversity, stability and resilience of natural ecosystems to provide a framework and guidance for people to develop their own sustainable solutions to the problems facing their world, on a local, national or global scale”.

It is “Maximum contemplation; minimum action”, and is about “thinking before you act”.

Permaculture practitioners, concerned environmentalists, organic gardeners, conservationists, land use planners, urban activists, recyclers, indigenous peoples and anyone working toward creating a sustainable human civilization are practicing permaculture using basic philosophy of working with nature.

Permaculture in Nepal:
Nepal is a developing country and about 85% of population is involved in agriculture. Present internal wars in the country and the modernization in agricultural production have decline the cultural knowledge, skills, and biodiversity. Mainly the sustainable agriculture and permaculture principles are still not clearly stated to farmers. However, the number or permaculture trainings conducted, the growth of individuals or organizations interested in permaculture and the use of its principles in practice indicate that the development of permaculture in Nepal s encouraging.

History of Permaculture in Nepal

• In ancient time Nepal is following sustainable agriculture knowingly or unknowingly. But after B.S. 2030, the modernization concept and its ill-effects has marked the realization of the sustainable agriculture.
• The history of permaculture design course training dates back to 1986 when INSAN in collaboration with APROSC and Win rock International organized it in Kathmandu which was facilitated by Bill Mollison. Since then many permaculture workshops have been held and permaculture is a common term for all kinds of activities in the development of sustainable farming in Nepal.
• As NECOS has also conducted the design course training, its number has further increased since its inception in l1991. The number has again increased when JPP (Jajarkot Permaculture Program) started providing it independently since 1993.
• It is roughly estimated that there have been more than 30 permaculture graduates in Nepal (308 graduates have been listed in the directory produced by NPG in 1995; a great number are missing from it).
• LI-BIRD is also contributing to permaculture through enhancing on-farm agro-biodiversity which maximizes the use of farm space and increase total production by using varieties of crops and animal species that complement with each other.

Situation of Permacultural activities:
A number of individuals, institutions, and organizations have adopted permaculture designs in different farms. The different models adopted by the farmers and the practicenor can be the study Site tor the students and researchers. The different activities have been conducted in different districts of Nepal which are presented below:

Jhapa – activities like establishment of organic tea garden, use of poultry manure to enhance soil fertility have been conducted.

Chitwan – Farmer Chandra Prakash Adhikari of Fulbari V.DC. has taken the permaculture design course training conducted by insane and he has found 10-15% yield increase in agricultural production.

Kathmandu– sustainable farming, organic agriculture, and urban agriculture are three categories of agricultural system are found in Kathmandu. Besides, sustainable agriculture other two are practiced mainly. AAA farm, Bagmati organic vegetable farming is main organic agriculture. Kapali nursery in Maitidevi is good example of urban agriculture. Most of the organization involved in sustain able farming permaculture and organic farming are situated here.

Banke– Permaculturist Khadga Regmi of Bhatanpur, Nepalgunj has put the concept of permaculture to fit fishes, vegetables, small forest and livestock in his farm.

Why farmers are interested in Permaculture?

Major drawbacks of permaculture in Nepal:

• AS it requires more time, labor and effort including capital, farmers seems reluctant to this approach.
• It takes several years for an obvious positive result thus effects are slow. In developing countries like our, an ordinary famer would not likely to adopt the technique immediately.
• Lack of good market for quality (organic, etc) produce are also main problems in our country.
• The permaculture design courses conducted by different organizations lack the active participation of ordinary farmers as they cannot afford the charges. Without proper knowledge none one can shift to permaculture.
• It lacks the government support and strong policy for implementation.
• Permaculture is neither known nor familiar to the ordinary farmers due to poor information.

Challenges of permaculture:

• Development of a large number of productive and self-sufficient permaculture model farms, which are replicable in different farmer settings.
• Coordination of technology developed by different organization and information; experience sharing is must for updating permaculture.
• Adequate information-based publications on permaculture and its distribution country wide.
• Creating awareness on the indirect cost of modern agriculture is another most important challenge.
• Implement permaculture system manipulating old methods.
• Create public awareness about the bad impact of disorganized agriculture activities.
• Encouragement of farmers to apply modern technology by not destroying natural resources.
• The development of a large number of productive and self-sufficient permaculture model farms, which are replicable in different farmer settings, is essential in order to develop permaculture practices in community level.
• To develop and disseminate appropriate alternatives and achieve an official favor of the government of Nepal is another necessary task.
• Besides, in our Nepalese context, development of better market tor quality (organic, etc) produce is another essential task in order to attract the farmers towards permaculture.

Permaculture is an agroecosystem which is designed and manipulated by its owner to provide for their food, energy, shelter, and other material and non- material needs in a sustainable manner. This permanent culture needs through examination to understand its importance. Of course, not everything happens the way they plan it. Permaculture design uses the basic principles to develop integrated systems and provide healthy & efficient community. It has been successfully used around the world to maximize food production, regenerate springs, bring home nature, transform lives and reduce pollution. Quality of life can be improved by applying the principles of Permaculture design of working with rather than against nature and reducing the impact on ecosystem. Permaculture is still novel concept in Nepal and its development seems to be in starting phase.

Writer: Ajay kumar Yadav(Address: Nepalgunj, Banke ,College: Gauradaha Agriculture Campus)