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Despite decades of concerted efforts to address the problem, Nepal's rural water supply sector continues to be laced with gender and social exclusion. This study provides insights from community water-user groups in two geographically and socially diverse contexts to better understand, from a gender and social inclusion perspective, and through institutional bricolage, how some water-user groups adapt to local contexts, shaping varied group dynamics that are not always equitable. Findings reveal that policies promoting social inclusion are difficult to implement amid the complex web of social and economic factors associated with community-managed water supply systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale male outmigration has placed new pressures on both men and women, especially regarding labour division in farm households and involvement in Water Users Associations (WUAs). This paper illustrates how the interplay between existing gender norms, male migration, remittances, and alternative sources of male labour influence women's agency and WUA decision-making processes in Nepal. Despite official quotas aimed at promoting women's participation in WUAs, some women prefer to monetise membership contributions rather than actively engage with the organisation. Others pursue strategic interests through changing WUA rules and, in the process, bringing about an adjustment of cultural norms. Women's agency is derived not only from their knowledge of irrigation systems features and their ability to manage them; it is also related to their ability to learn new organisational skills and to apply them in the WUA context to negotiate and mobilise rules and resources. Women (re)shape their WUA involvement in conjunction with their farming strategies, their view of the WUA's functionality, and whether they perceive the involvement as either an opportunity for productive engagement or as merely an increase in their already heavy workload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most densely populated Terai Plains of Nepal with poor access to irrigation water in the dry season resulting the food insecure community. Several initiatives have been carried out to improve the irrigation facilities by extracting the ground water resources using solar, diesel, and grid operated electric pumps. Sustainability of all those initiatives and identifying the most viable solution is always in question. In this context, this study attempts to assess the cost effectiveness of these pumping technologies considering life cycle cost (LCC) in the context of Terai region of Nepal. Observation, Key informant interview (KII), in depth interview, and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) were conducted in 14 different sample sites to assess the performance of technology, life cycle cost and unit water cost (UWC) in different capacity utilization factors (CUFs), farmer's perception, affordability, and profitability. The characteristics considered while selecting the sample sites were of size of pumping system, date of installation, beneficiary households, grid situation, solar vendor, implementing organization, major application of solar pumped water, and major cost associated. Low utilization factor of solar pumps has been observed in almost all sites. Solar pumps become expensive than diesel pump, if it is operated at less than 45% CUF. Grid operated electric pumps are found cost effective than diesel and solar, if gridline is near to pump site. If solar pump is operated at 10% CUF, the per unit water cost is NPR. 24.4, and the cost is reduced to NPR. 2.83, if it is operated at 90% CUF. Solar pumps need to be operated at least 700 hours per year to compete with diesel pump. The payback period for solar pump was calculated considering cost per unit of water at three different price NRs 5.51, 7.92, and 10 and found as 6.97, 4.1, and 3.14 year respectively for 70% utilization factor. High upfront cost of solar powered system, poor access to financing and technology seems to be hindering factor to popularize the system. Effective supply chain network, easy access to repairing service, introduction of cash crops instead of traditional crops, promotion of micro irrigation techniques, better access to finance and technology, operation of solar pump at high CUF through grid connection to sell/buy surplus/deficit energy, and subsidized price of solar operated irrigation technology could help to become solar powered techniques as sustainable option in near future to popularize and easy operation for irrigation water management in Terai Region of Nepal. However, Government needs to formulate and implement the policy for utilization and overexploitation of groundwater resources with expansion of solar, diesel, and electric operated pumps in near future to make groundwater resources sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The relationship that mountain communities have with global capitalism are complex, being mediated by a diverse topography and ecology, both of which provide opportunities for capital accumulation, while also isolating older, “pre‐capitalist” modes of production. This paper takes a case study valley from Nepal's eastern hills, tracing over two centuries of agrarian change and evolving interactions between “adivasi” and “semi‐feudal” economic formations with capitalism. In recent years, the expansion of markets, rising demand for cash, and climate stress have solidified migrant labour as a core component of livelihoods, and the primary mechanism of surplus appropriation from the hill peasantry. Through a focus on three altitudinal zones, however, it is demonstrated how the trajectory of this transformation, including the interactions with persisting pre‐capitalist formations, is mediated by both political–economic processes and the local agro‐ecological context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The diagnosis of the spinal lesions often puts the clinician in dilemma. The definite diagnosis is obviously needed for the proper management of the disease. The wrong diagnosis not only imposes the adverse effects, but sometimes may lead to the disabling conditions and even prove to be life threatening. This study is aimed at evaluating the need of fluoroscopy guided percutaneous transpedicular biopsy for establishing the proper diagnosis and find the diagnostic yield., Methods: This is the descriptive cross-sectional study conducted over the period of 10 years in the Upendra Devkota Memorial National Institute of Neurological and Allied Sciences among the patients who underwent transpedicular biopsy for various spinal lesions., Results: Among the 77 cases, 38 (49%) of the lesions on MRI were single level whereas 39 (51%) of the lesions were multiple. Most of the lesions were diagnosed as the non-tubercular infection 30 (42%), followed by the osteoporotic fractures and malignancy in 18 (25%) and 15 (21%) respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the radiology with the background of clinical scenario was 79.5% and 90.9% respectively. The diagnostic yield of the biopsy was 93.5%., Conclusions: The transpedicular biopsy of the spinal lesion is the must for the proper diagnosis and treatment plan of such cases. The change in the diagnosis after biopsy is often possible which will drastically alter the treatment plan.