Poor harvests force Dalit communities from western Nepal
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In Nepal’s Sudurpaschim Province, Dalit families are leaving their villages due to increasingly poor harvests and landslides.
Decades ago, these communities sustained themselves through farming and a reciprocal labor system called khalo, receiving grain in exchange for work. However, changing rainfall patterns, specifically a decline in both winter and monsoon rains, have dramatically reduced crop yields.
Meteorologists note that the region historically received ample winter rainfall due to westerly winds, averaging 140 millimeters compared to the national average of 60 millimeters. Since 1991, this rainfall has steadily decreased, reaching a low of 13.1 millimeters in 2023 and 12.9 millimeters in 2024. This decline, coupled with the weakening of monsoon rains as they reach the far-western hills, has created prolonged droughts and food insecurity.
The resulting hardship has driven many Dalit families to seek manual labor in India, abandoning their ancestral homes and traditional ways of life. Across Bajhang district, roughly 57 percent of Dalit households have already left their villages, leaving behind crumbling homes and disrupted social networks. The exodus impacts cultural practices too, with villages struggling to maintain traditional ceremonies and skilled crafts as residents depart.
Experts warn that this mass displacement will have long-term consequences for the region’s social and economic fabric.
