Manahari Development Institute

MDI-Nepal, a non-governmental organization founded in 2001, has introduced agroforestry to help improve crop productivity and water irrigation systems as well as reduce soil erosion on the forested hills and mountainous areas. Apart from making up most of the country's land mass, the slopes also are home to 18 million of the 24 million total population. These agrofestry measures have significantly improved food security and living standards of the rural communities living on the steep slopes of Nepal. With the involvement of the indigenous community, MDI-Nepal has delivered economic and social benefits to more than 2,000 households by improving the productivity of marginal lands with the planting of various fruit crops.

Sasakawa prize 2011
The Asociación Forestal Integral San Andrés, Petén (AFISAP) in Guatemala and the Manahari Development Institute in Nepal (MDI-Nepal) are the co-winners of this year's award around the theme "Forests for People, Forests for Green Growth" in support of the 2010-11 International Year of the Forests.

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