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The paper deals with the exterior design of townhouses both inside and outside the Historic Monument Zone in the eastern part of Bhaktapur of Kathmandu Valley inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage List in 1979. This paper consists of following steps. First, the authors compose the original format of the survey sheet for Nepali townhouses. Second, the paper hypothesizes that a townhouse either experienced an extension of the upper floors or was totally reconstructed in the course of time. The authors propose "eaves types" as the key idea in this hypothesis. The result of the exterior design survey is primarily compared between inside and outside the Historic Monument Zone of the World Cultural Heritage site. Further comparison among eaves group or eaves types is done. Finally, eaves types are confirmed with the floor extension/reconstruction period demarcated by past devastating earthquakes. The result of the comparison again very well explained the characteristics of each eaves type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Irrigation & Drainage is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

White‐rumped vultures (Gyps bengalensis) are critically endangered species, and protecting their habitats, particularly the nesting trees, may have a positive impact on their reproductive success. For a better understanding of vultures' habitat needs, the characteristics of nesting trees should be accounted. In this paper, we compare the characteristics of the trees that have vultures' nests and that do not by randomly select a control tree within a 10 m radius of the nesting tree. We extensively searched and monitored the white‐rumped vultures' nests, nesting trees, and nesting tree species in Nepal between 2002 and 2022, and measured the characteristics of sampled trees such as their height, girth, canopy spread, branching orders, and whorls. We recorded 1161 nests of white‐rumped vulture in total on 194 trees belonging to 19 species over the past two decades. White‐rumped vultures preferred the kapok trees (Bombax ceiba) for nest construction than other tree species (χ2 = 115.38, df = 1, p <.001) as 66.49% of nests were built on them. In the logistic regression model, the number of whorls on a tree, canopy spread, and the height of the first branch determined whether a nest was present or absent on a tree. These results help to prioritize the tree attributes in a habitat conservation plan for vultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy mix in Nepal is currently dominated by the traditional and inefficient use of biomass (66.54%) and fossil fuels (27.24%), and energy poverty remains extremely high. This paper reviews relevant literature to provide an overview of the current renewable energy status and energy mix in Nepal, and to discuss prospects for the country to achieve a sustainable energy transition. Nepal‐specific papers from peer‐reviewed sources and other agency and academic reports were included insofar as these discussed renewable energy and provided recommendations for policy‐making on sustainable energy and related development goals. Despite the rapidly falling cost of solar photovoltaic, the share of modern renewable energy in Nepal is currently less than 3%. On this basis, and given the country's sustainable energy goals, we conclude that favorable and aggressive policies and strategies are needed to support adoption of clean energy in Nepal, comprised of a high share of solar generation equipped with battery storage, and balanced with storage such as off‐river pumped hydropower technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nepal is located in what was once known as the Himalayan Goitre Belt and once had one of the highest prevalence's of iodine deficiency disorders in the world. However, through a well‐executed universal salt iodization program implemented over the past 25 years, it has achieved optimal iodine intake for its population, effectively eliminating the adverse consequences of iodine deficiency disorders. A comprehensive review of policy and legislation, surveys, and program reports was undertaken to examine the key elements contributing to the success of this program. The paper reviews the origins and maturation of salt iodization in Nepal, as well as trends in the coverage of iodized salt, the iodine content in salt, and population iodine status over the past two decades. The paper describes critical components of the program including advocacy efforts, trade issues with India, the role of the Salt Trading Corporation, monitoring, and periodic program reviews. The paper discusses the recent findings from the 2016 national micronutrient survey demonstrating the success of the salt iodization program and describes emerging challenges facing the program in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of World Water Policy is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this paper, I explore how the diverse labour migration practices of people who challenge their state's restrictive policies produce a form of stigma that extends from people to the places where they reside. Drawing on the findings of Participatory Action Research (PAR) conducted in Nepal, I demonstrate how people residing in one such place attempt to undo stigma by adopting diverse practices amidst restrictive anti‐trafficking and migration policies. I reveal a novel practice of prospective labour migrants negotiating and receiving money from their choicest mobility facilitators to assist their unauthorised labour migration. This exchange of money potentially criminalises prospective labour migrants, their family members, unlicensed and licensed recruitment agents, community leaders, anti‐traffickers, government officials, hotel owners, transport service providers, and airport immigration officials as traffickers. Underscoring the collateral damage of anti‐trafficking in Nepal, I assert that the exchange of money to facilitate unauthorised migration expands the remit of criminalisation of citizens as "traffickers". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the exterior design of townhouses in an urban block of the eastern part of Bhaktapur in Kathmandu Valley. The primary purpose is to provide an analysis method to determine the typical combination among exterior design components of Nepalese townhouses. By using multiple correspondence analysis and cluster analysis, 118 samples are grouped into 13 clusters. Secondly, all the clustered samples were put onto the original plots on the map to see the characteristics of their locations. Such a process would help a designer/planner reflect on how they should compose a proper facade in reconstruction works of townhouses after the earthquake in 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooperatives play important role in economic development via multiple channels, particularly, in developing countries' cases. Considering this fact, Nepal's constitution 2017 has incorporated the cooperative as one of the three pillars of her economy. This paper aims to analyze the role of cooperatives in the economic development of Nepal. For this, first, this paper documents the trend and pattern of Nepalese cooperatives' evolving structure, then moves to the econometric estimation to analyze the role of cooperatives in economic growth employing an advanced methodology. Looking at the properties of time series data for the period of 49 years from 1970 to 2018, the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach of cointegration is employed. The major finding is that the development of the cooperatives has a long‐run relationship with economic growth. However, the focus should be seen as on the involvement of many people in the cooperatives' activities rather than just on amassing the cooperatives' capital. The results also suggest that there is a need for the attention of policymakers so ensure that share capital contributes to economic growth. Therefore, the areas of priorities and scope of work of cooperatives need to be reconsidered when formulating new policies related to cooperatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effects of migration on time allocation in work activities of left‐behind family members in Nepal with attention to gender and age. Based on Nepal's Labor Force Survey, we find that, in response to an outmigration of a family member, working‐age women allocate more time towards agriculture and domestic and care work, while the amount of time working‐age men and women spend on collecting water and firewood also rises. Migration also increases girls' and women's time in non‐agricultural responsibilities. Thus, migration generates a loss in household labour supply and reshapes household division of labour in labour‐intensive activities and traditional gender roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes discrepancies in spouses' reports of the use of female‐controlled, nonvisible contraceptive methods using data from rural Nepal that were collected monthly from both spouses of 822 couples between 2008 and 2016. We find that spouses in about half of couples provided discrepant reports during the period of observation, and these discrepancies occurred in 14 percent of the months of observation. We then investigate these discrepant reports as possible indicators of incomplete transparency regarding reproductive choices and examine whether they are associated with wives' education and spouses' relative education levels. We find, first, that wife's educational attainment was negatively associated with discrepant reports of contraceptive use, independent of spouses' relative educational attainment. At the same time, these models suggest that educational differences between husbands and wives were associated with discrepant reports. Couples in which wives had more education than their husbands faced greater odds of discrepant reports of contraceptive use, relative to couples in which spouses had similar education. Among couples in which husbands had more education than wives odds of wife‐only reporting were lower, relative to couples with similar levels of education. These findings offer important new insights into spousal dynamics that may influence transparency regarding contraceptive use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of spatial and temporal actor dynamics in global production networks (GPNs) based on renewable natural resources remains rudimentary. This article contributes to reducing this knowledge gap by showing how upstream actors shape the territorial embeddedness and value dynamics (creation, enhancement, and capture of value) of GPNs. Empirically, we present a fine‐grained analysis of the upstream section of the global production network for commercial medicinal plants harvested in and traded from Nepal. In particular, the paper investigates the within‐group and between‐group dynamics of key actors (traders and wholesalers). Empirical data was generated through 257 quantitative and 121 qualitative interviews with harvesters, sub‐local traders, local traders, central wholesalers and regional wholesalers, supplemented with focus‐group discussions. Analysis focuses on three key areas of interaction: infrastructural and ecological variations; territorial embeddedness and development; and institutional power and network reconfiguration. The findings help to understand the role of upstream actors in reconfiguring GPNs and enhancing the explanatory power of the GPN approach by adding organizational supply‐side insights, thereby facilitating identification of pro‐poor interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the energy sector is the largest global contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) sector account for up to 80% of GHG emissions in the least developed countries (LDCs). Despite this, the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) of LDCs, including Nepal, focus primarily on climate mitigation in the energy sector. This paper introduces green growth—a way to foster economic growth while ensuring access to resources and environmental services—as an approach to improving climate policy coherence across sectors. Using Nepal as a case country, this study models the anticipated changes in resource use and GHG emissions between 2015 and 2030, that would result from implementing climate mitigation actions in Nepal's NDC. The model uses four different scenarios. They link NDC and policies across economic sectors and offer policy insights regarding (1) energy losses that could cost up to 10% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030, (2) protection of forest resources by reducing the use of biomass fuels from 465 million gigajoules (GJ) in 2015 to 195 million GJ in 2030, and (3) a significant reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 relative to the business‐as‐usual (BAU) case by greater use of electricity from hydropower rather than biomass. These policy insights are significant for Nepal and other LDCs as they seek an energy transition towards using more renewable energy and electricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Disasters is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Disasters is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Nepal, the world's second most water‐rich country, nevertheless struggles to provide sufficient domestic electricity. Despite Nepal's potential to become the hydropower source for South Asia, it still relies heavily on importing electricity from India. This paper investigates why Nepal's hydropower capacity is inadequately utilized from both domestic and international perspectives and finds that domestic factors such as geo‐climate features, weak infrastructure, political instability, and institutional deficiencies significantly hinder Nepal's hydropower development. From an international perspective, Nepal's geopolitical bonds and energy dependency with India and the regional power‐sharing configuration have significantly influenced its hydropower policy‐making. Furthermore, this paper proposes how Nepal could sustainably develop its hydropower for self‐sufficiency by establishing better policy instruments, attracting foreign investments, and upgrading its electricity infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women in Nepal are primary users of water within and outside of their houses. Studies show that despite being a major stakeholder, women's voices are often absent in water management decisions. One of the effective ways of creating genderinclusive and empowering water management systems is through government policies and strategies. The objective of this paper is to examine whether Nepal's water‐related policies are gender inclusive and empowering. We review Nepal's major water‐related policies—the constitution and various acts and regulations—to assess whether these documents reflect women's interests and representation in various institutions that provide rights and controls over water in communities. Based on the review, we find that recent water policies of Nepal increasingly recognize the role of women as major stakeholders. This recognition is reflected in Nepal's policies such as the requirement to have at least 33% women represented in water user associations and the inclusion of women in executive positions at the community level. However, because of the lack of other strong implementation and monitoring arrangements such as allocation of budget and capacity‐building provisions, these policies are limited in their capacity to empower women to play decision‐making roles in water management. For women to have meaningful participation in water management, it is important that Nepal initiates provisions such as a strong implementation plan, adequate budget allocation for women's capacity building, and frequent monitoring. 尼泊尔妇女是家庭内外用水的主要使用者。研究表明, 尽管妇女是主要的利益攸关方, 但在水管理决策中却常常缺少妇女的声音。创建性别包容和赋权的水管理系统的有效方法之一是通过政府政策和战略。本文旨在研究尼泊尔与水有关的政策是否具有性别包容性和赋权性。我们述评了尼泊尔与水有关的主要政策——宪法以及各种法案和法规——以评估这些文件是否反映了妇女在"提供社区水权和控制权的不同机构"中的利益和代表性。根据述评, 我们发现, 尼泊尔近期的水政策越来越认可妇女作为主要利益攸关方的作用。这种认可反映在尼泊尔的政策中, 例如要求用水者协会至少有33%的妇女代表, 以及让妇女担任社区一级的行政职务。然而, 由于缺乏其他强有力的实施和监督安排, 例如预算分配和能力建设规定, 这些政策在"对妇女赋权, 使其在水管理方面发挥决策作用"的能力有限。为了使妇女有意义地参与水管理, 尼泊尔需要启动"强有力的实施计划、为妇女能力建设分配充足的预算、以及经常监测"等规定。. Las mujeres en Nepal son las principales usuarias de agua dentro y fuera de sus hogares. Los estudios muestran que, a pesar de ser una parte interesada importante, las voces de las mujeres a menudo están ausentes en las decisiones sobre gestión del agua. Una de las formas efectivas de crear sistemas de gestión del agua empoderadores e inclusivos en términos de género es a través de políticas y estrategias gubernamentales. El objetivo de este artículo es examinar si las políticas relacionadas con el agua de Nepal son inclusivas en materia de género y empoderadoras. Revisamos las principales políticas relacionadas con el agua de Nepal (la Constitución y diversas leyes y regulaciones) para evaluar si estos documentos reflejan los intereses y la representación de las mujeres en diversas instituciones que otorgan derechos y controles sobre el agua en las comunidades. Según la revisión, encontramos que las políticas hídricas recientes de Nepal reconocen cada vez más el papel de las mujeres como partes interesadas principales. Este reconocimiento se refleja en políticas de Nepal como el requisito de tener al menos un 33% de mujeres representadas en las asociaciones de usuarios de agua y la inclusión de mujeres en puestos ejecutivos a nivel comunitario. Sin embargo, debido a la falta de otros acuerdos sólidos de implementación y monitoreo, como la asignación de presupuesto y disposiciones para el desarrollo de capacidades, estas políticas tienen una capacidad limitada para empoderar a las mujeres para que desempeñen roles de toma de decisiones en la gestión del agua. Para que las mujeres tengan una participación significativa en la gestión del agua, es importante que Nepal inicie disposiciones tales como un plan de implementación sólido, una asignación presupuestaria adecuada para el desarrollo de capacidades de las mujeres y un seguimiento frecuente. Highlights: The article reviews the water‐related policies of Nepal and assesses whether these policies are gender inclusive and empowering to women.We review various policy documents such as Nepal's Constitution, Water Resource Act, Water Resource Regulation, Irrigation Regulation, and Water Resource Strategies of the last three decades.Compared to older policies, recent policies are gender inclusive. Policies such as Irrigation Policy 2013 and National Water Supply and Sanitation Policy 2014 mandate 33% inclusion of women members in their user groups at the community level.To surmount structural barriers that prohibit women's meaningful participation in water management, Nepal should take additional measures such as building strong implementation plans and allocating adequate budget for women's capacity building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Disasters is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Modeling hydrological processes for managing the available water resources effectively is often complex due to the existence of high nonlinearity, and the associated prediction uncertainty mainly arising from model inputs, parameters, and structure. Despite several attempts to quantify the model prediction uncertainty, reducing the same for improving the reliability of models is indispensable for their wider acceptance. This paper presents a novel modeling framework for minimizing the prediction uncertainty in the streamflow simulation of the conceptual hydrological model (HBV) by integrating with the Bayesian‐based Particle Filter technique (PF) and machine learning algorithm (Random Forest algorithm, RF). Initially, the streamflow prediction interval (PI) is derived from the stochastically estimated parameters of the HBV model through the PF technique (HBV‐PF model). As the HBV‐PF model quantifies only parametric uncertainty, the RF algorithm was employed (HBV‐PF‐RF model) for further minimizing the prediction uncertainty by inherently taking care of different sources of uncertainty. The RF algorithm inherently combines the physics of the hydrological system (i.e., process‐based variables) with machine learning‐based approach to minimize the overall prediction uncertainty. The proposed framework was analyzed on Nepal and India's Sunkoshi and Beas River basins, through several statistical performance indices for assessing the accuracy and uncertainty of the model prediction. The framework was observed to be consistently improving the model performance minimizing the uncertainty in both watersheds. Therefore, the proposed framework can be considered to be more reliable in improving the prediction capability of hydrological models. Key Points: Development of a physics‐aware machine learning based hydrological model for streamflow simulationThe proposed framework characterizes the model prediction uncertainty, accounting different sources of uncertainty implicit/explicitlySignificant reduction in overall prediction uncertainty is achieved [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Female quotas for high‐ranking positions in corporations and governments should (i) increase the hiring of women and (ii) inspire more women to apply for these positions. The goal will be that eventually, (iii) even without the quota, more women will apply to and succeed in high‐ranked positions. This paper exploits the variations of female quotas in Nepalese civil service exams across years, services, ranks and exams within the same service to investigate these three effects. Empirical results show that female quotas in a given exam increase applications and the hiring of women. Even in exams without a quota, the female quotas of other exams within the same service increase the number of female applicants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Asia has made significant progress in reducing child undernutrition. The prevalence of stunting declined by one third between 2000 and 2019; as a result, in 2019, there were 34 million fewer stunted children than in 2000, indicating that progress for child nutrition is possible and is happening at scale. However, no country in South Asia is on track for all nutrition targets of Sustainable Development Goal 2, and the region has the highest prevalence of stunting (33.2%) and wasting (14.8%) in the world. Nepal, the best performing country in the region, narrowly missed the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target to half the prevalence of child underweight between 1990 and 2015 and achieved the fastest recorded reduction in stunting prevalence in the world between 2001 and 2011. In 2019, UNICEF Nepal completed a series of papers to examine Nepal's progress on maternal and child nutrition during the MDG era. The series explores the trends, distribution and disparities in stunting, micronutrient deficiencies and feeding practices in children under 5 years and anaemia in adolescents and women. Besides, it reviews national micronutrient programmes (vitamin A supplementation, iron and folic acid supplementation and universal salt iodization) and Nepal's first Multi‐Sector Nutrition Plan, to illuminate the success factors and enduring challenges in the policy and programme landscape for nutrition. This overview paper summarizes the evidence from these analyses and examines the implications for the direction of future advocacy, policy and programme actions to improve maternal and child nutrition in Nepal and other similar contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Disasters is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of World Water Policy is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Aim: To describe the epidemiology of cerebral palsy (CP) in children from low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) using data from the Global Low‐ and Middle‐Income Country CP register (GLM‐CPR). Method: The GLM‐CPR is a multi‐country initiative that combines and compares data from children with CP (<18y) in LMICs. Children with CP are registered after detailed neurodevelopmental assessment by a multidisciplinary medical team using a harmonized protocol. Data are collected on agreed core variables. Descriptive analyses are completed to report findings from participating countries. Results: Between January 2015 and May 2019, 2664 children were recruited from Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, and Ghana (mean age [SD] at assessment: 7y 8mo [4y 8mo], 95% confidence interval 7y 6mo−7y 11mo; male [n=1615] 60.6%, female [n=1049] 39.4%). Overall, 86.6% children acquired CP prenatally and perinatally (e.g. preterm birth, birth asphyxia, neonatal encephalopathy). Median age at CP diagnosis was 3 years. Moreover, 79.2% children had spastic CP and 73.3% were classified in Gross Motor Function Classification System levels III to V. Notably, 47.3% of children never received rehabilitation services (median age at receiving rehabilitation services was 3y; 12.7% received assistive devices) and 75.6% of school‐age children had no access to education. Interpretation: Population‐based data show that the proportion of severe cases of CP is very high in LMICs. Children with CP in LMICs lack access to rehabilitation and educational services and a large proportion of children have potentially preventable risk factors, for example, birth asphyxia and neonatal infections. Delayed diagnosis, severe motor impairments, and lack of rehabilitation in most children call for urgent action to identify preventive opportunities and promote early diagnosis and intervention for children with CP in LMICs. What this paper addsThe proportion of severe cases of cerebral palsy (CP) is very high in rural low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs).Children with CP in LMICs lack access to rehabilitation and educational services.A large proportion of children with CP in LMICs have potentially preventable risk factors. What this paper adds: The proportion of severe cases of cerebral palsy (CP) is very high in rural low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs).Children with CP in LMICs lack access to rehabilitation and educational services.A large proportion of children with CP in LMICs have potentially preventable risk factors. This original article is commented by Paneth on page 1245 of this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research calls for the sexual and reproductive rights field to prioritize gender norms to ensure that women can act on their reproductive rights. However, there is a gap in accepted measures. We addressed this by including important theoretical components of gender norms: differentiating between descriptive and injunctive norms and adding a referent group. Our team originally developed and validated the G‐NORM, a gender norms scale, in India. In this paper, we describe how we subsequently adapted and validated it in Nepal. We administered items to women of reproductive age, conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and examined associations between the subscales and reproductive health outcomes. Like the original G‐NORM, our factor analyses showed that descriptive norms and injunctive norms comprise two distinct scales which fit the data well and had Cronbach alphas of 0.92 and 0.89. More equitable descriptive gender norms were associated with higher decision‐making scores, increased odds of intending to use family planning, disagreeing that it is wrong to use family planning, and older ideal age at marriage. Injunctive gender norms were only associated with disagreeing that it is wrong to use family planning. Findings offer an improved measure of gender norms in Nepal and provide evidence that gender norms are critical for agency and reproductive health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occurrences of extreme events, especially floods, have become more frequent and severe in the recent past due to the global impacts of climate change. In this context, possibilities for generating a near‐accurate streamflow forecast at higher lead times, which could be utilized for developing a reliable flood warning system to minimize the effects of extreme events, are highly important. This paper aims to investigate the potential of a novel hybrid modeling framework that couples the random forest algorithm, particle filter, and the HBV model for improving the overall accuracy of forecasts at higher lead times through the dynamic error correction schematic. The new framework simulates an ensemble of streamflow for estimating uncertainty associated with the predictions and is applied across two snow‐fed Himalayan rivers: the Beas River in India and the Sunkoshi River in Nepal. Several statistical indices along with graphical performance indicators were used for assessing the accuracy of the model performance and associated uncertainty. The modeling framework achieved the Nash Sutcliffe Efficiency of 0.94 and 0.98 in calibration and 0.95 and 0.99 in validation for the Beas and Sunkoshi river basin respectively for a 7‐day ahead forecast. Thus, the proposed framework can be considered as a promising tool having reasonably good performance in forecasting streamflow at a higher lead time. Key Points: Hybrid hydrological model integrates process‐based model with machine learning algorithm through data assimilation techniqueDynamic error correction framework capable of improving the streamflow forecast at longer lead time is proposedOverall the developed framework improves the forecast accuracy along with quantifying the model prediction uncertainty [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Making reference to recent scholarly discussions on neoliberalism and disaster recovery, in this paper I discuss how the implemented neoliberal doctrines of governance have reinforced the existing asymmetrical power relationships between the state, international agencies and citizens. This process constitutes a major barrier to achieving sustainable recovery after the 2015 Nepal earthquake. In particular, three issues, namely the risk of disempowering local communities' capacity, lack of commitment to long‐term recovery, and commodification of the recovery process, have resulted that the recovery policy basically favours the interests of international donors, and NGOs, not those of local communities. To achieve sustainable recovery, post disaster interventions must be socially inclusive. Local affected communities should be meaningfully engaged, and that social learning and sustainability transformation should be enabled as these are key processes at the core of community resilience and of any community resilience‐building strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rate of hydropower dam construction on rivers is increasing in emerging economies in South Asia, to achieve economic development goals. These large infrastructure projects are likely to have many negative consequences on freshwater species but have not yet received much consideration. Among freshwater small mammalian species, water shrews are seriously impacted by these large structures. This paper aims to determine if water shrews have been considered during the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of these hydro dam project sites, as well as present the sightings of the water shrews from Nepalese rivers with hydropower potential. We reviewed 44 EIA reports of such projects in Nepal using a set of four criteria and 15 questions to analyze the methods of impact assessment for mammals and the reports on the presence of water shrews in each built area. The study found that the number of mammal species reported during the EIA varied from five to 55 species but no relationships between the hydropower structure's size and any water shrew species were considered in the studies. In almost all EIA reports, the term aquatic ecosystem was prioritized over the term aquatic small mammals, and the latter was not considered in the assessment. The major reason for not considering these species is probably due to the lack of robust methods to capture small mammals such as shrews, or due to survey methods focused only on terrestrial mammals. The Aquatic Animal Protection Act was fully reviewed and assured to be followed in a majority of the reports, yet the monitoring parameters and indicators were not available for aquatic small mammals. Ignoring the presence of these mammals while constructing hydropower plants is a serious threat to their persistence. We also reported the Himalayan water shrew in the Barun River and the elegant water shrew in the Upper Tamakoshi River of Nepal. Therefore, a better understanding of these species among hydropower developers, and all concerned agencies, is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Irrigation & Drainage is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper investigates how variations in sediment supply, grain size distribution and climate change affect channel morphology and flood inundation in the Nakkhu River, Kathmandu, Nepal. Climate change‐induced extreme rainfall is expected to increase flood intensity and frequency, causing severe flooding in the Kathmandu basin. The upper reaches of the Nakkhu River are susceptible to landslides and have been impacted by large‐scale sand mining. We simulate potential erosion and deposition scenarios along a 14 km reach of the Nakkhu River using the landscape evolution model CAESAR‐Lisflood with a 10 m digital elevation model, field‐derived sediment grain size data, daily discharge records and flood forecast models. In a series of numerical experiments, we compare riverbed profiles, cross‐sections, flood extent and flow depths for three scenarios (1.2‐, 85‐ and 1000‐year return period floods). For each scenario, the model is first run without sediment transport and then with sediment transport for three grain size distributions (GSDs) (observed average, finer and coarser). In all cases, the inclusion of sediment led to predicted floods of a larger extent than estimated without sediment. The sediment grain size distribution was found to have a significant influence on predicted river morphology and flood inundation, especially for lower magnitude, higher probability flood events. The results emphasise the importance of including sediment transport in hydrological models when predicting flood inundation in sediment‐rich rivers such as those in and around the Himalaya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive picture of extreme precipitation across Nepal from 1976 to 2015 based on high‐quality daily precipitation observations from 28 precipitation stations spatially distributed across the country. We computed 11 extreme precipitation indices. The selected indices allow the analysis of extreme events (such as flood/inundation) related to heavy precipitation and evaluate the linkage with indications of agricultural production and drought (such as consecutive dry and wet days). Using a simple daily intensity index (SDII) and the number of days with daily precipitation ≥10 mm (R10), along with the total amount of annual precipitation (PRCPTOT), we summarized the distribution of the wet periods of the year at different locations. We divided the study period into two halves (T1: 1976–1995 and T2: 1996–2015) to examine the temporal mean, trends, and their shift. We emphasized the changes in those indices between these two periods across the country. Our results show that although the amount of precipitation (in terms of PRCPTOT and SDII) did not change significantly between the two periods (i.e., T1 and T2), there exists a clearly increasing trend of extreme precipitation indices in T2 compared to T1. In addition, the consecutive dry days show the rising tendency of elongated dry spells that can adversely affect plant/crop growth in the future. Our study recommends the need for effective management of both precipitation extremes (i.e., drier and wetter), for instance, by introducing irrigation facilities and flood mitigation measures. Plain Language Summary: We computed different precipitation indices using daily data from 28 precipitation stations spatially distributed across Nepal to obtain a clear picture of extreme precipitation from 1976 to 2015. We divided the study period into two halves of 20 years each. This study emphasizes the changes in magnitudes and trends of extreme precipitation between the two periods. Overall, we find that heavy precipitation indices increased significantly in the later period. Notably, dry spells (i.e., no rainfall) for consecutive days showed a remarkably increasing trend. Our results indicate the need for mitigation of this extreme precipitation to prevent both floods and drought. Key Points: We divide the study period (1976–2015) into two halves to analyze precipitation patterns and their shiftWe emphasize changes in the precipitation indices across the country between the two periodsWe find a clearly increasing trend of extreme precipitation indices in the recent period when compared to the earlier one [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new Constitution of Nepal established a federal system of governance in 2015. Implementation began in 2018 following the 2017 subnational elections. The new system is comprised of seven provinces and 753 local governments. The constitution assigns important functional responsibilities to provincial and local governments and mandates that they have significant autonomy in deciding how services will be delivered. Subnational governments accounted for over one‐third of total government expenditures planned for FY2021, financed primarily by intergovernmental transfers. This paper describes the new federal system, discusses the early implementation successes and challenges, and draws some lessons from Nepal's experience. Applications for Practice: The main lesson learned from Nepal's experience is the clarity of purpose that guided the reform design. It shows that a comprehensive fiscal decentralization program can be successfully introduced in smaller countries.Nepal employed innovative tools: (i) in assigning expenditure responsibilities to the different levels of governments the decisionmakers used an "unbundling" approach; and (ii) they put an institution, interprovincial council, in charge of resolving disputes.There also are lessons to be drawn from Nepal's failures: (i) failure to appoint a blue‐ribbon commission of experts to design and coordinate the federalism implementation plan—this would have allowed the government to set a timeline for the rollout of the full reform and steered the government toward focusing on better sequencing of reforms; and (ii) failure to provide for the data and other information needed to monitor economic development, expenditure needs, and fiscal performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of World Medical & Health Policy is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

How does male out‐migration impact women's experience of post‐disaster reconstruction? This paper employs survey data collected by Nepal's Housing Recovery Reconstruction Platform in 2018 to establish robust associations between male out‐migration and three indicators of women's participation in rebuilding their private houses after the 2015 Gorkha earthquake: (i) knowing where to consult for information; (ii) visiting a local government official by oneself; and (iii) signing a rebuilding agreement with the local government. Twenty‐six semi‐structured interviews conducted in 2022 further revealed that women whose husbands were abroad undertook roles that they would not have performed had their spouse been present, including in relation to management and decision‐making. However, the interviews also highlighted challenges that women had to overcome, such as a lack of knowledge of procuring materials and difficulties leading the process as a woman. This study advances the literature by establishing a relationship between male out‐migration and variation in women's post‐earthquake rebuilding experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha (Nepal) earthquake induced prolonged postseismic deformation extending northward beyond the Yarlung Zangbo Suture, which provides unique opportunities to better understand the lithospheric rheology in Himalaya and southern Tibet. Here, we used the first 5‐year Global Positioning System observations to study the main postseismic processes following this event, including viscoelastic relaxation and afterslip, based on a three‐dimensional finite element model. We considered a realistic geometry of the underthrusting Indian plate according to various geophysical images. We found that the models with a uniform elastic Indian lower crust fail to fit the vertical displacements. A heterogeneous Indian lower crust with the transition from elastic (high‐viscosity) to low‐viscosity approximately under the Main Central Thrust is required to reproduce the observed postseismic uplift between China‐Nepal border and Peiku Lake, indicating the weakness of the Indian lower crust from the Lesser to High Himalaya. The afterslip simulated using a weak shear zone takes place in the adjacent area downdip of the rupture zone. The preferred model suggested that viscosities of the Tibetan lower crust, weakened Indian lower crust, and shear zone are 3 × 1018, 1019, and 4 × 1018 Pa s, respectively. The viscosity of the underthrusting Indian upper mantle was roughly estimated to be greater than 1021 Pa s. The model results imply that the near‐field deformation is dominated by both afterslip and viscoelastic relaxation of the weakened Indian lower crust, not only afterslip as suggested by previous studies. Plain Language Summary: On 25 April 2015, an Mw 7.8 earthquake occurred in the central Himalayan area (near Gorkha). Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements show that the induced postseismic deformation extends northward beyond the Yarlung Zangbo Suture. In this paper, we considered the postseismic displacements within 5 years after this earthquake and studied the two main postseismic processes (afterslip and viscoelastic relaxation of the lower crust and upper mantle) using finite element modeling. We explored the parameters governing afterslip and viscoelastic relaxation of the lower crust and upper mantle beneath Himalaya aiming to fit GPS observations. We found that an Indian lower crust with the transition from elastic to low‐viscosity approximately under the Main Central Thrust is necessary to explain the observed uplift between China‐Nepal border and Peiku Lake. The postseismic deformation of the 2015 Gorkha earthquake provides independent evidence for the weakness of the Indian lower crust from Lesser to High Himalaya, which is of great importance to understand the uplift evolution of the Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau. Key Points: We study the postseismic viscoelastic relaxation and afterslip due to the 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha earthquake by finite element modelingA heterogeneous Indian lower crust is required to reproduce the observed postseismic uplift between China‐Nepal border and Peiku LakeThe modeling results reveal the weakness of the Indian lower crust from the Lesser to High Himalaya [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of social pensions on child nutrition and health outcomes in Nepal. Empirical estimates suggest that the outcomes are heterogeneous with gender playing a key role, both of the social pension recipients as well as that of the children. The social pension received by females is found to have a positive influence on the weight‐for‐height of girls but no such impact is existent on that of boys. In contrast, social pensions received by male had no implications for children's nutrition irrespective of their gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While illicit capital flight is a major concern of policymakers in developing countries, there is only little research on the possible link between capital flight and development aid. In this paper, we address the issue for Nepal, a stereotypical financially closed developing economy that is highly dependent on resources from abroad. Distinguishing features of our approach are the use of a narrowly defined proxy of capital flight, based on trade cost‐adjusted mirror trade statistics, and the focus on the foreign‐exchange cash component of development aid. We document a robust partial correlation between aid and outward capital flight that is economically and statistically significant. Interestingly, this positive correlation is not observable for remittances, an alternative form of foreign‐exchange inflows where the capital flight motivation is absent. Furthermore, it is visible in the FX cash component but not in broader aid definitions that include in‐kind transfers, or in multilateral and IMF loans. Finally, when comparing the subcomponents of export underinvoicing and import overinvoicing, only the latter is driving our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how educational and geographic capital are assorted among households in rural Nepal, and how women's marital age may shape this distribution. Our focus on the timing of marriage adds a new dimension to studies of geographies of youth and marital assortment, while our emphasis on the physical and spatial attributes of households leads us to propose the concept of geographic capital, operationalised here as agrarian landholding and access to rural markets. Using data on 17,284 women from rural lowland Nepal, heat tables showed substantial pairing among uneducated spouses, whereas educated men married women with varying levels of schooling, partly because fewer women were educated. Multivariable logistic regression models showed that the odds of marrying an educated man increased substantially for women with secondary education, and vice versa. Educated women were also more likely to marry into households with geographic capital. However, landowning husbands tended to marry younger wives, perhaps because the natal home was prepared to marry daughters earlier in order to access this geographic capital. The youngest‐marrying women were least likely to marry into households with accessibility to markets. Our findings may help understand the decisions of both a woman's natal and marital household over the timing of her marriage, and the investment in her formal education. These patterns have implications for both spouses because capital not only shapes marital pairing, but also the spatial niche of the household within which women and their children will experience their life‐course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unipolar international order led by the USA has given way to a multipolar order with the emergence of China as a great power competitor. According to many commentators, the deterioration of Sino–US relations in recent years heralds a "new Cold War." The new Cold War differs from its namesake in many respects, and in this paper we focus on its novel territorial logic. Containing the USSR was the overriding objective of American foreign policy for nearly four decades, but in contrast, the USA and China are engaged in geopolitical‐economic competition to integrate territory into value chains anchored by their domestic lead firms through the financing and construction of transnational infrastructure (e.g., transportation networks and regional energy grids). We show this competition poses risks as well as opportunities for small states to articulate and realise spatial objectives. We present cases from Nepal and Laos that demonstrate that by hedging between China and the USA and its partners, their governments are able to pursue spatial objectives. In order to achieve them, however, they must implement significant reforms or state restructuring. The result is the emergence of what we term the 21st‐century infrastructure state, which seeks to mobilise foreign capital for infrastructure projects designed to enhance transnational connectivity. The "rise" of China has precipitated a multipolar international order and, according to some commentators, heightened US–China tension heralds a "new" Cold War. In this context, small states hedge between the USA and its partners and China, as they pursue longstanding state spatial objectives. This necessitates state restructuring, which in some cases leads to the emergence of the 21st‐century infrastructure state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supportive counseling and facilitated referrals to support organizations have shown positive effects on mental health and coping with domestic and family violence. However, the reasons why and how such effects are significant remain unknown. The current paper used data from a randomized controlled trial of a psychosocial intervention implemented in Nepal among 140 abused pregnant women. The hypothesized mediating effects of self‐efficacy and social support on mental health and quality of life of abused pregnant women were tested using serial mediation analyses. Significance of parameter estimates and bias‐corrected 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the indirect effects were generated using bootstrapping. The postintervention changes in self‐efficacy and social support were found to have significant mediating effects on the relationship between the intervention and changes in both mental health and quality of life of participants post intervention. The positive effects on outcomes were seen at follow‐up as well, though to a lesser extent. Further interventions should focus on enhancing abused women's self‐efficacy and social support to ensure their positive mental health and better lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Notably, IMERG Early and Late products reveal a similar level of extreme precipitation detection, inferring the use of these products for a rapid assessment of extreme precipitation events. The extreme precipitation detection is "True" when both SPEs and rain gauge observations show a daily rainfall >=1mm, while it is "False" when SPEs detect rain during non-rainy days based on rain gauge observations. This paper illustrates the importance and applicability of satellite-based precipitation estimates to diagnose the hydrometeorological hazards in quasi-real-time and provides a baseline in early disaster preparedness for decision-makers in the Nepal Himalaya. [Extracted from the article]

The earlier a woman learns about her pregnancy status, the sooner she can make decisions about her own and infant's health. This paper examines how women learn about their pregnancy status and measures how access to pregnancy tests affects earlier pregnancy knowledge. Using 10 years of individual‐level monthly panel data in Nepal, we find that, on average, women learn they are pregnant in their 4.6th month of pregnancy. Living approximately a mile further from a clinic offering pregnancy tests increases the time a woman knows she is pregnant by one week (5 percent increase) and decreases the likelihood of knowing in the first trimester by 4.5 percentage points (16 percent decrease). Women with prior pregnancies experience the most substantial effects of distance within the first two trimesters, while, for women experiencing their first pregnancy, distance does not affect knowledge. These results suggest that, while access to clinics can increase pregnancy awareness for women who recognize pregnancy symptoms, other complementary policies are needed to increase pregnancy awareness of women in their first pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is not a history of cartography but focuses on the interlinkages between British rulers and decisions for shaping inadvertent borderlands, through imperial supremacy and spatial knowledge. In this sense, the paper fills in a gap in the geographical history of India's unique borderland that holds a useful key to "cultural" and "geopolitical understandings" of south Asia and its impressions on modern Indo‐Nepal ties. The theme of the study is to analyze the chronological decisions and rationale of "historical faults" in the implementation by a colonial power in marshalling all available resources in surveying, mapping, and demarcating India's only open border as the ever‐shifting "turbulent frontier" that attracted imperial concern for peace and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nepal has one of the largest personal remittances‐to‐gross domestic product ratios globally, which raises questions regarding the role of remittances in key welfare–related outcomes among the left‐behind population. This paper assesses the impact of remittances from international migration on the left‐behind households' engagement in nonfarm self‐employment and on the revenues of the nonfarm enterprises they operate. The empirical analysis is based on a Nepal household survey that includes an enterprise module for 2011 and on an instrumental variable‐tobit econometric specification. In accordance with Gronau's theoretical framework, remittances were found to discourage women's engagement in nonfarm self‐employment (disincentive effect), whereas there was no significant effect on men. Consequently, we find that the disincentive effect was sufficiently strong to exert a negative impact on the revenues of nonfarm enterprises operated by the left‐behind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil fertility decline is a serious global problem, leading to a decline in crop yields and jeopardizing household food security, particularly in developing countries. This paper examines the impact of socioeconomic and institutional factors and the adoption of sustainable land management practices on soil fertility changes on farms between 2002 and 2018 in the Mahottari District of Nepal. A household survey among 184 smallholder farmers was conducted in 2018 to complement soil survey data collected in 2002. A seemingly unrelated regression model was used to estimate factors influencing soil fertility changes between the two periods. The results showed that soil organic matter (SOM), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and soil pH increased, on average, by about 0.2%, 97 kg/ha, 4 kg/ha, and 0.5 scales, respectively, on the studied farms. The regression results indicated that extension visits and government support (free seedlings) had positive effects, while cooperative membership negatively affected soil fertility changes. Moreover, practicing fallow land use improved soil fertility changes on farms, while practicing conventional tillage using animals deteriorated soil fertility changes. The adoption of agroforestry practices positively affected changes in P and K and negatively affected SOM. Overall, this study highlighted the importance of institutional characteristics and sustainable land management practices to improve soil fertility. The policy implications of these findings for enhancing soil fertility on smallholder farms are: (1) increase the frequency of extension visits to share relevant information with farmers; and (2) incentivize farmers to adopt agroforestry and fallowing practices on their farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The response to the earthquakes in Nepal on 25 April and 12 May 2015 was as overwhelming as the magnitude of the events themselves. Tensions between the humanitarian imperative and the post‐conflict state‐building agenda soon became evident. Many actors offered support by creatively complying with the state's approach, whereas others bypassed official channels completely. In post‐conflict settings such as Nepal, the situation is especially complicated because of the contradiction between policies underscoring the importance of the state in the response and the reality of the fragility of the state, which often leads to the significant involvement of aid organisations. The post‐conflict political landscape of Nepal shaped the contours of the response, as well as how actors decided to operate within them. This paper, based on empirical findings from four months of research, contributes to a better understanding of the intricacies of the post‐conflict and post‐disaster nexus in the context of a state‐led response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the cross‐cultural validity of the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale. Two samples of university students were recruited: 504 from a Nepali university and 260 from a UK university. In relation to culture, structural equation modelling analyses provided support for the scale's configural invariance and the configural, metric, and scalar invariance of two if its subscales. Evidence for measurement invariance was also found in relation to gender in both samples. Tentative analyses suggested that the correlation between self and other emotion appraisal was stronger among UK participants and that UK participants scored higher on the Other Emotion Appraisal subscale. No gender differences on emotional intelligence were found in the Nepali sample, while among UK students, males scored higher on Regulation of Emotion and lower on Other Emotion Appraisal than females. In the Nepali sample, science students scored lower on various aspects of emotional intelligence than humanities students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the expansion of the formal financial sector in recent decades, informal credit continues to play an important role in the financial lives of households in low‐income countries. Using panel data from nationally representative household surveys conducted in Nepal in 2003/04 and 2010/11, this paper investigates how borrowing from different channels (formal and informal) and for different purposes (production and consumption) is associated with household investment and consumption expenditure. Findings from a fixed effects regression analysis indicate that formal and informal loans are used to finance different spending needs, and intended credit purposes tend to reflect actual spending of borrowed funds. The level of household investment or consumption spending depends on the interaction between borrowing channels and purposes. This study can inform the efforts to improve household access to affordable and reliable financial services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving the sustainable development goals of the United Nations requires innovations in agriculture and development of climate‐smart and economically feasible approaches for smallholder farmers in developing countries. Historical climate data of Nepal, which include 116 yr since 1901, has shown an increasing trend for average temperature by 0.016 °C yr–1 whereas precipitation has shown a decreasing trend by 0.137 mm yr–1. Such weather trends could enhance glacier melt associated flooding, and delayed monsoon rainfalls negatively impacting the agricultural production. The Nepalese government is promoting conservation agriculture (CA) through development of low‐cost technologies that can be used effectively in difficult terrains. Such techniques include crop diversification, crop rotation, cover crops, and minimum tillage; all of which can reduce soil degradation. In addition, increasing crop residue retention can result in greater C sequestration and crop yield and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. However, there is still lack of consensus on the merits of CA in the context of smallholder farming systems in Nepal. This paper reviews existing literature and provides an overview of farming practices in Nepal, highlights near‐term challenges associated with climate change and food security, and discusses the role of CA as a climate‐smart strategy to minimize soil degradation and improve food security. Core Ideas: According to historical data, temperature has increased and rainfall has decreased in Nepal.Proper management is needed to maintain fragile soils sustainability.Conservation agricultural techniques will maintain environmental and food security.Government policies should prioritize and promote conservation agriculture technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat contributes one‐fifth of the global food supply with an estimated 29% of global production in low and lower‐middle income countries. As production expands across southern Asia, yields are often negatively impacted by outbreaks of fungal rust diseases. A wheat rust early warning and advisory system comprising surveillance, near real‐time disease risk forecasts and advisory dissemination has been established in two target countries in South Asia, including Nepal and Bangladesh. However, as wheat rust spores can be aerially transmitted over long distances, near real‐time estimates of disease incidence are required from sources of infection in neighbouring regions. To address this challenge, we developed and tested a novel algorithm to generate proxy observations of infection sources using online media reports in two neighbouring countries, India and Pakistan. Media sampling could provide an effective alternative where data from ground surveys are not readily available in near real‐time. Our results show that west Nepal was exposed to a substantial inoculum pressure from aerially dispersed stripe rust spores originating from India and Pakistan. There were no outbreaks of stripe rust disease in Bangladesh with only very low levels of cross‐border dispersion and generally unfavourable environmental conditions for infection. We further describe how proxy observations informed farmer decision‐making in near real‐time in Nepal and filled a knowledge gap in identifying early sources of infection for a major outbreak of stripe rust during 2020 in Nepal. Our results highlight the importance of international cooperation in mitigating transboundary plant pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]