Project Update #2

Unfortunately, not much has happened since our last update. But that’s no reason not to keep reading!

In fact, quite the opposite…

Blockade 

The recent ratification of the new Nepali constitution sparked a political chain reaction which has led to more civil unrest, but, more importantly, also an unofficial blockade at the Nepal-India border.

Landlocked Nepal relies heavily on India for importing essentials, specifically petroleum. Although the blockade by Indian border stations is not officially sanctioned by the Indian government, the Nepali political class, and most people, are angry at a perceived slight from the Indian people.

The Indian government has recently rendered their disappointment with the circumstances in which the new Nepali constitution was ratified, and is worth noting that whilst the trade blockade is not officially sanctioned, the Indian government seem indifferent at best.

Problems

Since Nepal is a poor landlocked country with only two borders, this severely limits our ability to bring in items from India. The Northern border crossings with China, already damaged heavily by the earthquakes this year, are too far from us to allow for easy shipment of goods.

Several key components of the system, including net pots and a 5000L fish tank, are currently ‘not available’ and ‘on the way’ respectively, due to the political situation. The fish tank has at various stages been ‘on the way’, ‘halfway’, ‘two days away’, and ‘almost here’ since we paid for it over two weeks ago.

As we were already struggling with the unavailability of items, the holiday season approaching, and (to a lesser extent) the pace of the Nepali way of life, these are definite obstacles to deal with.

The volunteers have been very helpful and understanding, and we have been assured that patience will be rewarded, and that this is actually a normal situation.

Progress

Fortunately for us, there has been movement in other areas. The arrival of Luke, a BlinkNow Sustainability Fellow and resident construction expert has coincided with steady progress in the greenhouse construction.

There have been many discussions and visions and revisions in the past week, but we have settled on a system and a size which suits all parties and construction is well under way. Work should be finished (and pictures forthcoming) within a week or so.

We have also started work on a system of compost barrels. These, along with dense potato barrels, will be housed in the aquaponics greenhouse and will compliment the system perfectly. Details on how these are made, and how they will be incorporated into the system will be posted soon.

Future

In the meantime we are working on the educational side of the project, and working to establish good relationships with the home and school staff.

We have been met with nothing but genuine interest and enthusiasm, and everyday it becomes clearer that this is a perfect community with which to build and develop sustainable plans for the future.

On another note, Robert and Jenessa have now left Surkhet to pursue separate interests. Jenessa is currently hiking base camp (one of her dreams), and Robert is starting a new job in Korea. We wish them both the best of luck and we will miss them very much.

The next update should be within the next week. Thank you for reading!

Namaste.

Project Update #1

We are now 21 days into our stay in Nepal and felt like this would be the perfect time for a project update. We have been in Birendranagar and working at the new land and school for two weeks now, and things are moving (if slowly).

Jenessa and Robert will be getting ready to leave by the time this update is posted, and we want to wish them the best of luck and safe travels getting home. Robert will be heading back to South Korea to start his new teaching job, and Jenessa will be going home to Canada after three years of teaching and traveling.

More updates will follow this one, and Carla is working on a detailed overview of the project, and a comprehensive guide on how we are building it, including prices, measurements, and difficulties.

Greenhouse

Most of the productive work we have been able to do is centred on the external greenhouse structure which will house the main aquaponics system. We spent a week clearing the land of weeds, digging the holes for the fish tank, sump tank, and structural foundations, and preparing for the welder.

We had initially decided that bamboo would be a sustainable and environmentally friendly building material, but after conversations with Jamie (one of the BlinkNow Sustainability Fellows, and the person we are working most closely with) and the Uncles (a group of wonderful Nepali man who live and work in the Kopila Valley Childrens’ Home), we settled on metal poles. This would mean greater structural stability, easier repairs, and would mean that we could comfortably increase the size of the greenhouse if needed.

As you read this the structure should have been completed. We are currently suffering because of our timing, with post-earthquake relief, the civilian unrest, and the holiday season in Nepal all contributing to slow us down. The entire month of October is a religious holiday in Nepal, and the difficulty in getting things done during this time means that we are desperate to finish the majority of things as soon as possible.

We have also purchased UV tarp for the roof of the structure (sloped to prevent water collection) and blue tarp for the floor, which will be drained and covered in gravel. The side panels will be covered by a mixture of UV tarp, to maximise sunlight in the winter months; and green mesh, to allow air flow for cooling during the intense summer months.

Environment

The unique regional environment of Surkhet has factored heavily in our planning and has presented us with some unique difficulties. Our original fears that the winter would be too cold had been dispelled, as a trip to the local government office revealed that a drop to 3 degrees Celsius (37 Fahrenheit) is rare, and in fact it is the oppressive summer heat which will pose the biggest problems. Temperatures during April, May, and June can exceed 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit), which is above the maximum survival temperature for the local fish.

Our visit to a local fish farm had revealed that indeed the biggest problem facing fish farmers in the region is high summer temperatures, which can often lead to huge losses. Our response to this was to submerge the sump tank completely below ground, and pump the water from the sump tank directly to the fish tank. This will both cool the water leading to the fish tank in summer, and heat it in winter. The fish tank will also be partially buried in an Earth mound for similar reasons.

Our design now features vertical towers for leafy greens, grow-beds for fruiting plants (mostly tomatoes), and now separate barrel systems which will be used to grow potatoes and produce compost.

Careful planning has allowed us to create a schedule which involves growing leafy greens, potatoes, and fruit all year round. Due to sustainability concerns surrounding importing fish, we have decided that grass carp, common carp, and possibly catfish (all of which can be purchased locally and even caught in the Bheri River nearby) are the most suitable fish for the system.

Problems

We are still having difficulties in sourcing several essential items. Our biggest problems so far are (surprisingly) finding water pumps, sourcing net pots, and finding suitable media. The size of our system, and the fact that aquaponics is still widely unknown in Nepal, has meant that we have so far been unable to find appropriate pumps in Surkhet. We are currently pursuing several available options both in Nepal and internationally, however the Earthquake damage on the border with China, the violence on the border with India, and Nepal’s poor trade links mean that having material delivered is often very difficult.

We are being helped by some very generous individuals, and are confident that we will find a way to overcome these roadblocks by the time of our next update.

Namaste.