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Growing climate change exacerbates natural disasters, including pest outbreaks which threaten crop production and increase food insecurity. To minimize pest damage and enhance food security, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) presents a crucial opportunity to promote climate-resilient and ecosystem-based agricultural practices. Despite its introduction decades ago in Nepal, IPM adoption at the local level remains limited. A recent study led by internationally recognized researchers, including Himavat Institute’s collaborators Dr. Subodh Adhikari and Rabin Bastola, underscores significant gaps in its implementation

The study was published in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management.

“IPM has been a policy option for sustainable agriculture in Nepal for the last 25 years, and its relevance in the face of growing climate change and disasters is increasing. Our findings reveal that policy priorities are not reflected in actions at the farm level, indicating gaps in planning,” said lead author Dr. Subodh Adhikari, Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA, and an international collaborator of Himavat Institute.

The government of Nepal has taken steps to promote more sustainable and ecologically focused pest management approaches through various policy and legislative initiatives, as well as associated projects. However, little is known about how these approaches have been adopted on the ground and what lessons have been learned since their launch.

The study identified that current IPM programs fail to consider the ecological impacts of pesticide use, with management decisions often driven by economic factors, lack of awareness, or limited accessibility. IPM in Nepal remains piecemeal, experimental, and ad hoc, rather than being adopted as a holistic agricultural system with ecosystems as its backbone. The study calls “for a paradigm shift towards an ecosystem-centered approach that integrates technological innovations, ecological principles, and coordinated efforts at all levels.”

The study, “Twenty-Five Years of Integrated Pest Management in Nepali Agriculture: Lessons, Gaps, and the Way Forward in the Context of Climate Change,” was published in Volume 15, Issue 1 of the Journal of Integrated Pest Management and authored by Subodh Adhikari, Rabin Bastola, Yubak Dhoj GC, and Buddhi Achhami. The study recommends:

• Developing pest management approaches that address climate variability while integrating ecosystem principles.
• Enhancing coordination among federal, provincial, and local institutions.
• Strengthening research and outreach programs, supported by robust funding mechanisms.
• Promoting the use of biopesticides and indigenous pest management techniques to reduce environmental and health risks.

The article is available for free under an open-access license and can be accessed at: Journal of Integrated Pest Management.