Riju Kattel
CV
Riju Kattel
rijukattel08@gmail.com
Cattle grazing on a bare field below a line of trees

01The Landscape

Understanding agriculture. Investigating change. Supporting resilient communities.

Agricultural science graduate from Tribhuvan University, with hands-on experience working with farmers and in field research in Nepal. Research interests: climate adaptation, pollinators and pesticide governance, and how farmers respond to change.

Explore researchView academic CV

02The Questions

Questions rooted in the land.

Five threads run through the studies, training and fieldwork. Choose one to see the work behind it.

Climate change and community resilience

How smallholder farmers perceive climate change, and what helps or holds back adaptation.

All work on this theme

Pesticides, pollinators and environmental justice

Safer pest control, the health of pollinators, and who carries the risks of pesticide use.

All work on this theme

Soil health and fertility

Soil as the base of productive, sustainable farms.

Crop diversity and production systems

The genetic diversity and management choices that shape yield.

All work on this theme

Farmers, markets and participation

How farmers take up technology, reach markets and take part in research.

All work on this theme

03The Field

Research that begins with farmers.

Alongside the studies: training farmers on new tools, running the family farm, and organising young volunteers.

  1. Jan – Apr 2024Ratnanagar and Lamahi, Nepal

    Field facilitator intern

    GeoKrishi Initiative

    • Facilitated the adoption of the GeoKrishi platform among 100 farmers through targeted technical guidance and hands-on support.
    • Led training sessions across two municipalities, simplifying sustainable farming technologies for diverse communities.
    • Collected and analyzed field data on farmer technology use.

  2. Jan 2023 – CurrentRatnanagar, Nepal

    Farm manager – Family-owned farm

    RS-Agro Farm

    • Secured around $7,460 subsidy to build irrigation for 3.35 hectares, benefiting both family and neighboring farmlands.
    • Oversee all daily operations, including labor management, soil maintenance, and sustainable crop production.
    • Manages the full supply chain, from harvesting to direct sales and negotiation with local market vendors.

  3. Jan 2024 – Feb 2025Lamahi, Dang

    Coordinator

    Lamahi Youth Network (Amnesty International Nepal)

    • Led a group of 40 youth volunteers, assigning tasks and making sure all projects were finished on time.
    • Organized and ran educational sessions on climate change and human rights for students in 12 different schools.
    • Handled the planning, budget, and final reports for the program and worked with municipal officials for conducting different programs.
People seated outdoors for a farmers’ day gathering
A farmers’ day gathering
Students in white uniforms seated in a school hall during a session
A session in a school hall
A farmer bending to harvest pineapples among the plants
Pineapple harvest
All field experience

04The Evidence

What the studies found.

Four studies, from a B.Sc. thesis on aromatic rice to a 100-household survey of climate adaptation. Only reported findings appear here.

  1. CollaborationMarch–May 2025Gauradaha Municipality, Nepal

    Farmers Perceptions on Climate Change and Local Adaptation Strategies in Gauradaha Municipality, Nepal

    To assess farmers’ perceptions of climate change and local adaptation strategies in Gauradaha Municipality, Nepal.

    Sample 100 households

    • Surveyed 100 households and found 36% had no awareness of climate change, revealing an education-driven knowledge gap.
    • Identified widespread perceived impacts (89% reported rising pests/diseases) alongside only 54% adaptation uptake, exposing a gap between recognized risk and actual adaptive response.
    More on the research
    Fig. 1 Key findings from 100 households
    No awareness of climate change36%
    Reported rising pests/diseases89%
    Adaptation uptake54% · key finding
    Surveyed 100 households, Gauradaha municipality, Nepal, March–May 2025.

  2. Study2025Ratnanagar Municipality, Chitwan, Nepal

    Responses to Unseasonal Rainfall among Smallholder Rice Farmers in Ratnanagar Municipality, Nepal

    How do smallholder rice farmers use climatic information on unseasonal rainfall, and how able are they to turn weather forecasts into protective agricultural practices?

    Sample 6 rice farmers (8 with less than 10 kathas, about 0.34 ha, and 8 with more)

    • Identified labor scarcity as the primary cause of 40% crop losses among smallholder farmers during unseasonal rainfall.
    • Found a governance disconnect between national early warning policies and local implementation, revealing unaddressed structural barriers to farmer resilience.
    More on the research

  3. B.Sc. thesisInstitute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Tribhuvan University

    Assessment of Diversity in Aromatic Rice Genotypes for Yield and Yield Attributes

    Methods

    • Studied diversity among aromatic rice genotypes based on agro-morphological traits
    • Analyzed communality value using Principal Component Analysis
    • Analyzed the genetic distance between clusters using Cluster analysis
    More on the research

  4. Survey5 January 2025Nepal (online survey)

    Awareness and Preferences for Indian Jujube (Baer) among Young Consumers

    How do young consumers view Baer (Indian jujube), an indigenous fruit, and how aware are they of its value, as imported exotic fruits become more available?

    Sample 35 respondents (aged 21-25)

    • Found that 15 of 35 young respondents (43%) enjoy Baer less than before, despite 91% familiarity, highlighting a cultural-to-market disconnect.
    • Found that only 14% (5 of 35) were aware of Baer’s nutritional and medicinal benefits, while 54% were not aware.
    More on the research
    Fig. 2 Baer consumer survey results
    Familiar with Baer91.4%
    Eat Baer in season 77.1%
    Enjoy Baer less than before \42.9% · key finding
    Aware of nutritional benefits 14.3%
    Interested in value-added products 54.3%
    Would plant a Baer tree 57.1%
    Online survey, 35 respondents aged 21–25, 5 January 2025.

From the Journal

All Journal posts
  • ant

    Educational3 min read

    Ant Infestation in Beehives

    The honey bee colony is not immune to predation, and it can take a variety of forms, from destruction of a comb to physical dismembering of a colony…

  • fruit flies

    Lifestyle3 min read

    Tiny Fruit Flies – A Big Farming Lesson

    When we gave a sample to our regular buyer, his eyes lit up as he tasted the sweet, delicious guava fruit. He then immediately agreed to purchase our…

05The Next Question

Where the research goes next.

The next step is to build research skills in three directions that grow out of this work, through graduate study or research collaboration.

  1. 01

    Pollinators and pesticide governance

    How pesticide rules, and the way they are applied on farms, affect pollinators and the people who depend on them.

  2. 02

    Farmers’ perceptions of agricultural change

    Why recognising a risk does not always lead to adapting to it, a gap seen in the Gauradaha survey.

  3. 03

    Community resilience and participatory research

    Research shaped with farming communities, building on participatory appraisal and outreach in schools.

Discuss research opportunitiesView academic CV