For nearly four decades, farmers in a small settlement upstream of Khageri watershed of Ichhakamana Rural Municipality-7, Chitwan, had given up hope of growing paddy. A devastating flood in Oct 1984 turned once-fertile farmland into barren wasteland, leaving families dependent on rain-fed maize and seasonal vegetables. The soil degraded, irrigation sources disappeared, and farming slowly became a struggle for survival rather than a sustainable livelihood.

Then, last year, something changed.

For the first time in 40 years, local farmer Mangal Raj Shrestha harvested paddy again. On his 6,095 square meters of land, he produced nearly 3,100 kilograms of spring rice, enough to feed his family throughout the year and generate income from sales.

The transformation did not come through expensive machinery or large-scale infrastructure. Instead, it came through something increasingly seen as critical in addressing climate and environmental crises: nature-based solutions.

At Ranikhola Community Forest in Ichhakamana, local communities embraced watershed and springshed management solutions such as bio-dykes, water conservation ponds, irrigation protection, water augmentation structures for springs revival and ecosystem restoration. The result was the revival of land that had remained unproductive for decades.

According to Ram Prasad Gurung, secretary of the Ranikhola Community Forest Users Group, restoring the land required years of difficult work.

The degradation of the Chure region had left the settlement highly vulnerable to repeated flooding and land erosion. To restore the ecosystem and protect the community, locals constructed bio-embankments, conservation ponds, water augmentation structures, protected irrigation sources, and a 1.5-kilometer irrigation canal. Today, the system supports rice cultivation across nearly 135,453 square meters of land, alongside vegetable farming.

But Ranikhola is far from the only example. Across communities in Chitwan and Nawalpur, local residents are increasingly discovering that restoring watersheds and springshed is also restoring livelihoods.

Three years ago, nearly 40 households were affected, and eight families were displaced by a landslide in Kawasoti Municipality-4, Nawalpur. The settlement lies within the Gindri Wetland area of Sankhadev Hasaura Community Forest, between the Gindri River and a landslide-prone slope.

The landslide had been gradually worsening since the 2015 earthquake, with fragile soil conditions causing sections of the forest to slowly move downhill.

Prem Prasad Tiwari, chairperson of the community forest, says the situation has improved significantly after the community introduced nature-based interventions as low-cost soil and water conservation measures which included bioengineering through bamboo crib wall, bamboo palisades, bamboo check dam, plantation of bamboo and other slope stabilizing vegetations, and gully erosion treatments with diversion canal and siltation traps. “Since we started these interventions, the landslide has stopped for almost a year,” Tiwari said. “Some displaced families now want to return because they feel safe again.”

A short distance away in Hupsekot Rural Municipality-4, communities have focused on springshed management for restoring groundwater systems.

The recharge ponds and other water augmentation structures (eyebrow pits, contour trench, flood diversion canal, etc.)  built inside the forest may appear dry during summer, but according to Karun Dewan, Program Officer (Freshwater Programs) at WWF Nepal, their function is far more important beneath the surface. “These water augmentation structures collect rainwater throughout the year especially during the monsoon and allow it to slowly infiltrate underground recharging the aquifers for springs,” he said.

Local farmer Khem Bahadur Magar says the difference has been dramatic. “Before the ponds were conserved, agricultural productivity here was low, and there was very little greenery in the area,” he said. “Now irrigation has improved significantly (through the water collected from the springs), and our crop yields have nearly doubled.”

The impact is visible even during harvest season. “Earlier the land remained dry, and we used machines to harvest paddy. Now groundwater recharge has improved so much that the fields stay muddy, forcing us to harvest manually,” he said.

A similar transformation is underway at Joltepokhari Community Forest in Hupsekot, where once-dry forestland has turned visibly greener.

Rupa Rana, chairperson of the community forest, says local understanding of conservation has changed entirely. “We now understand the importance of recharge ponds, conservation ponds, eyebrow pits/half-moon pits, and other nature-based conservation measures,” she said.

With support from local organization Sahamati under the Triple Benefit Program–Nepal, and financial and technical assistance from WWF Nepal, communities have expanded into water efficient vegetable farming, livestock rearing, beekeeping and market-based enterprises.

Among the 233 households in the Community Forest Users Group, many are now directly engaged in income-generating activities. “We had tried farming before, but it failed because water availability was poor,” Rana said. “Now water availability has improved along with enhanced skill on water efficient technologies, which has led to farming expanding rapidly.”

Vegetables are sold locally in Kawasoti, while peak production is transported as far as Kathmandu. “Sometimes we cannot even meet market demand,” she added.

The benefits extend beyond agriculture. The community has developed local entrepreneurs who collect produce from farmers and supply larger markets. Some households have even started allocating a portion of their profits to nearby government schools for student scholarships.

For 30-year-old Hemati Masraini, the impact has been life-changing. A mother of two daughters studying in primary school, she now supports her entire household independently through goat farming. “Last year, I earned nearly Rs 100,000,” she said, adding that she consistently raises at least 10 goats.

Locals say wildlife populations in the surrounding forests have also increased since conservation efforts began, as evidenced by the hoof prints of wild boars and other ungulates around the conservation ponds, along with the frequent songs of birds echoing through the forest.

In neighboring Ichhakamana Rural Municipality, nature-based solutions have also protected critical infrastructure.

A drinking water tank at the edge of Kalika Pipaltar Community Forest supplying around 400 households was once at risk of destruction due to a landslide. Bioengineering interventions for this landslide helped stabilize the slope and save the water supply system and also possible damage to the settlement and agriculture land below.

Additionally, at Kalika Pipaltar Community Forest, improved wetland management, ecosystem regeneration, bioengineering and fire-line construction have significantly reduced environmental risks.

Som Bahadur Chepang, an advisor to the community forest, says forest fires have nearly disappeared. “Previously, forest fires were frequent,” he said. “But this year, it has been almost zero.” However, irrigation remains a challenge, and the community still depends heavily on rainfall for farming.

Collectively, these stories across two watersheds- Khageri (Chitwan) and Gindri (Nawalpur) show how nature-based solutions are doing far more than conserving forests. They are reducing disaster risks, restoring degraded watersheds, improving groundwater systems with springshed management, strengthening community institutions, and creating sustainable livelihoods for vulnerable communities.

Across Chitwan and Nawalpur, communities are proving that environmental conservation and economic prosperity do not have to exist separately. In many cases, protecting nature itself is becoming the foundation for improving people’s lives.