• Proceedings of the Korean Association of Geographic Inforamtion Studies Conference
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.153-161
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• 2008

Agriculture and forest are basis for livelihood in Nepal while both sectors constitute around 40 percent of the national product and over two-thirds of the economically active population is dependent on agriculture. However, radical changes in land use, depletion in crops production and food availability are major threats due to loss of soil fertilityand severe environmental degradation. In this study, we used time series data from 1986/87 to 2005/06 about food crop production and population published by Government of Nepal, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and Central Bureau of Statistics. Descriptive statistics and ArcGIS were used to assess and map the food security status of Nepalese Terai based on the local food demand and supply system. Food supply to demand ratio(FSDR) was the main idea of assessment. Our results showed that out of 20 districts, only 8 districts were categorised under secured food districts whereas 5 districts were still under food unsecured situation. The analysis further revealed that 7 districts had faced food deficit more than 8-16 times during the last 20 year periods. Data further showed that there was surplus food supply relative to the requirements dictated by FSDR. However, the average FSDR was less than 1.2(less than 20% surplus) exploring fact that most of the districts were not producing sufficient food to cope up the food shock and after 1995 it was relatively stagnant. Our prediction reveals that food supply in Terai even in the future would remain at almost the same level as now, and there will not more than 16-17% surplus by 2021 considering medium vibrant population growth. The findings thus, indicate that Terai may not be a food secure region in the future, even though the region is considered as a food storage house of Nepal. In addition, this paper suggests ways to make future comprehensive case studies more widely comparable in Terai, Nepal.

• 한국공간정보시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.280-285
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• 2007

Since the human civilization, people's livelihood is dependent on natural resources primarily on forest. Human dimensions such as population, poverty, agricultural expansion and infrastructure development are some of the underlying factors and their interrelated associations which could play a vital role in deforestation and forest degradation. This process is not only related to the human population but also connected to the various socioeconomic factors. This paper focuses to link the spatio-temporal extent of population, poverty incidence and forest dependency and their severity on Terai forest of Nepal. Secondary data on censuses were used. ArcGIS and descriptive statistics were also used for data analysis. Based on analysis & literature review we concluded that population, poverty and forest dependency have largely expanded over time in Terai and their interrelated associations substantively influence on deforestation. However, the direct relationship of such factors with deforestation and forest degradation found to be incompatible, complex and hard to perceive with fragmented and inconsistency censuses data. So, deforestation and forest degradation issues intertwined with socioeconomic factors need detailed analysis to comprehend where these linkages are still unravel.