Back to news
8 Jun 2017 | Atmosphere Initiative

Emissions Study to Differentiate Characteristics of Paddy and Wheat Crop Residue Burning

As part of an Atmosphere Initiative research, Manisha Mehra, a research associate at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the 2016 recipient of the Atmosphere Initiative PhD Fellowship, is undertaking an emissions study in Lumbini to analyze the effects of agricultural crop residue burning.

Mehra travelled to Lumbini, in the Terai region of Nepal, to collect samples of emissions resulting from the burning of wheat residue in fields in April 2017. The first round of fieldwork for the study, where samples of emissions from the post-harvest burning of paddy were collected, was conducted in November 2016.

0 mins Read

70% Complete
Collecting samples of wheat residue burning in Lumbini. Photo: Sujan Shrestha/ICIMOD

Mehra collected wheat residue samples from the same districts, Kapilvastu and Rupendehi, where she had collected the paddy residue samples in 2016. She explains that the wheat residue, unlike paddy residue, is extensively used as cattle fodder and in paper mills. Therefore, there is less burning of wheat residue than of paddy residue.

The study is an attempt to differentiate the characteristics of paddy and wheat residue burning emissions. The experimental setup was exactly the same for both wheat and paddy residue burning campaigns.

Details about Mehra’s study and her previous fieldwork are available here.

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related content

Continue exploring this topic

10 Feb 2015 News
Climate Change in Downstream Areas of the Indus River Basin: Local Perceptions and Adaptation Measures

Likewise, indirect impacts like losses to agriculture and livelihoods due to erratic rains in high altitudes may result in increased ...

17 Sep 2015 News
Environmental media training for NEPA officials and media representatives

ICIMOD and the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) of Afghanistan organised a week-long Communication and Media Training on Environment from 24 to ...

20 Dec 2015 News
Building Capacity for Implementing Community Forestry in Afghanistan

  From 14–18 December 2015, a team of Afghani officials participated in a study visit to Nepal to learn about community-based ...

10 Apr 2015 News
Increasing migration from the hills: remittance and increased resilience

Just as in the other hilly districts of Nepal, the out-migration by the youths in Nuwakot, mainly by the male ...

25 May 2015 News
ICIMOD to lead SAARC CCI’s climate-related activities

Participants from ICIMOD attended the 62nd Executive Committee and 20th General Assembly of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Chamber ...

5 Mar 2018 REDD+
Melanesian Delegates Visit Nepal to Learn About REDD+ and Community Based Forest Management

Interactive sessions and presentations were conducted at ICIMOD and the REDD Implementation Centre (RIC). Face-to-face interactions with RIC government officials ...

28 Jul 2016 HICAP
Decision Support Tool for Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Planning for Forest Ecosystems in Nepal

Different stakeholders working in forest and biodiversity in Nepal met at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) on ...

14 Jun 2018 REDD+
ICIMOD supports ICFRE in developing State REDD+ Action Plan for Uttarakhand, India

Countries seeking funds from the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) programme need to develop a National REDD+ ...