What an Invasive Species in Nepal Teaches Us About Climate Adaptation

An innovative approach to dealing with an aggressively invasive plant in the Himalayan foothills—refuge for some of the last Bengal tigers and single-horned Asiatic rhinos—turns the weed into biochar for use as a fuel and fertilizer. This project, led by ASU in collaboration with Nepalese organizations and farmers, is a powerful example of pragmatic adaptation, according to Netra Chhetri and Jason Lloyd of ASU’s School for the Future of Innovation in Society in a new article on Slate.

Chitwan National Park in Nepal

Building off the recent report from ASU’s Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes and The Breakthrough Institute, Chhetri and Lloyd argue that adaptation efforts focused on resilience to a range of hazards, not just climate change, will help communities endure and thrive no matter what the future climate looks like.

Read the article on Slate here.