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As Nepal advances toward its climate commitments under the Paris Agreement and national plans, one target stands out as both urgent and ambitious: achieving net zero carbon emissions. This goal, though complex, is not impossible—especially if Nepal harnesses one of nature’s most powerful, yet often overlooked, climate allies: the Vetiver grass system.

With rising temperatures, rapidly melting Himalayan glaciers, unpredictable monsoon patterns, and an alarming increase in landslides and flash floods, Nepal is already living the harsh realities of climate change. While industrialized countries focus on energy transition, electric vehicles, and technological carbon capture, countries like Nepal—with limited industrial emissions but high vulnerability—must champion nature-based solutions that are affordable, scalable, and regenerative.

This is where Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) offers a uniquely powerful opportunity. Traditionally known for its use in soil conservation, erosion control, and slope stabilization, vetiver is now gaining recognition as a natural carbon sink. Its dense and deep root system, which can grow over three to five meters underground, allows it to sequester large quantities of atmospheric carbon dioxide into the soil.

Recent studies have shown that Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) has the potential to sequester 15 to 20 metric tons of CO₂ per hectare per year—a rate that rivals or even surpasses many tree-based afforestation projects. What sets Vetiver apart is its rapid growth cycle and its massive, fibrous root system, which penetrates 3 to 4 meters deep into the soil within a single growing season. Unlike trees, which can take decades to reach maturity and store significant carbon, Vetiver achieves measurable carbon sequestration in just months.

The deep-rooted nature of Vetiver is critical: carbon stored below 1 meter in the soil is far less likely to be disturbed by erosion, fire, or agricultural tilling, meaning the captured CO₂ remains stable and locked in the ground for decades, if not centuries. This makes Vetiver not only effective, but a highly reliable long-term carbon sink.

Moreover, the Vetiver System allows multiple planting and harvesting cycles per year depending on climatic conditions and management practices, which further accelerates carbon absorption. Each cycle contributes fresh biomass, organic matter, and root expansion—deepening the soil’s carbon bank.

From a land-use perspective, Vetiver can be strategically integrated into a variety of landscapes to maximize both environmental and economic benefits. On degraded and barren lands, Vetiver plays a crucial role in restoring soil fertility while sequestering significant amounts of carbon. Along flood-prone riverbanks, it stabilizes the soil, reduces erosion, and captures sediment-rich carbon, contributing to cleaner waterways. When planted on road and highway slopes, Vetiver prevents erosion and helps create resilient green corridors. Additionally, when used along agricultural field boundaries, it serves as a protective buffer that not only shields crops from wind and water damage but also enhances carbon storage capacity, supporting sustainable farming practices.

A major advantage of Vetiver is its low maintenance: it requires minimal irrigation, no pesticides, and thrives in poor soils. This makes it ideal for large-scale deployment in Nepal, especially through community forestry programs, local governments, youth cooperatives, and eco-enterprises.

In a time when Nepal seeks to meet its Net Zero Carbon target within the next five years, adopting the Vetiver System at scale could be the most cost-effective, nature-based, and scientifically sound strategy available.

Nepal’s net zero ambition is bold—but it is within reach. In Vetiver, we have a low-cost, high-impact, nature-based solution already tested across different terrains of Nepal. As the world looks for scalable climate solutions, Nepal has the chance to lead by example—not by waiting, but by planting. The Vetiver System is not just about green landscapes; it’s about a green future.

With the goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions within the next five years, the vetiver system in Nepal shows promising potential. In 2022, Nepal emitted approximately 56.7m metric tons of CO₂ equivalent greenhouse gases. According to studies, vetiver grass can absorb around 15.24 metric tons of carbon per hectare per year. Based on this, Nepal would need to plant vetiver across approximately 333,335 hectares to offset its annual carbon emissions.

To achieve this goal within five years, vetiver would need to be planted on 66,667 hectares of land annually. Out of Nepal’s total 4.1m hectares of arable land, the proposed plantation area represents only 8.13 percent, making it both practical and achievable. To help visualize these facts clearly, a visual infographic has also been prepared, showing how Nepal can realistically achieve its net-zero target using the vetiver system.

To maximize impact, strong policy support and cross-sectoral alignment are essential. The government should formally recognize Vetiver systems within national carbon offset strategies and incorporate Vetiver-based interventions in future updates of Nepal’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Additionally, it is crucial to facilitate streamlined carbon credit certification mechanisms, allowing local communities, municipalities, and private firms to access benefits from global carbon markets. By taking these steps, Nepal can accelerate progress toward its net zero targets while simultaneously unlocking significant opportunities for climate finance and green investment.

While carbon sequestration is a central focus, Vetiver offers multi-dimensional value across environmental and socio-economic domains. It plays a vital role in soil and water conservation by reducing erosion, restoring fertility, and enhancing groundwater recharge. In the context of disaster risk reduction, Vetiver strengthens slopes and embankments, offering natural protection against landslides and floods. It also generates livelihood opportunities through its use in handicrafts, essential oil extraction, composting, and livestock fodder. Moreover, Vetiver supports biodiversity and ecological regeneration by reviving degraded landscapes and fostering the growth of native flora and fauna.

Nearly two-thirds of Nepal’s population is involved in agriculture. Yet, the agricultural sector is experiencing economic, social and technological factors. Most farmers depend on food imports, outmoded techniques of cultivation, and poor access to innovative technology to enhance yields. In this regard, only an agricultural revolution in and through the country can make Nepal a ‘developed’, ‘reliant’, ‘competitive’, and ‘progressive’ nation in the world.

That is why it is said that humanity needs an agricultural revolution.

Ultimately, the primary area of the economy of Nepal is in agriculture. All the same, the sector has not shown expected productivity and capacity even in its potential. They have poor structures, rely on culturally based practices, and lack technology advancement to support their agricultural sector and instead became reliant on agricultural inputs and outputs, affecting economic growth and social development in Nepal.

Nepal imported agricultural products worth Rs 250bn in 10 months in 2024. Nepal has to import even food items to the tune of billions of rupees every year. These imports can be replaced by a self-sufficient agricultural base that would keep the money within the boundary. Increasing domestic production would of course save foreign exchange hence helping to reinforce the domestic economy.


Many youths travel abroad for employment. With new techniques and technologies, agriculture can be developed to offer new employment situations, which makes farming a stable form of employment, and greatly reduces the number of young Nepali people going abroad for employment.


An agricultural revolution is, therefore, capable of uplifting the standards of living of a rural society, and even pull such a society out of the jaws of poverty. Effective agriculture can bring about economic independence thereby changing the proportion of education, health and other facilities in the villages.


The ability to expand agricultural production into a commercial business can extend the exportation. There is demand for medicinal herbs, Vetiver oil and cardamom among other products locally meaning that they could greatly attract foreign exchange if embraced.


An agricultural revolution would make Nepal self-sufficient, competitive and socially liberal. To this end, there is a need to combine best practice with current technologies and innovations.

This young generation technology now offers a solution to make Nepali agriculture efficient, transparent, and sustainable. Sophisticated technologies such as IoT (Internet of Things), data science, and the use of the blockchain in reshaping production processes can help eliminate those shortcomings and improve effectiveness.

IoT

IoT has the potential to revolutionize agricultural management:

Smart Irrigation: IoT sensors measure the level of moisture within the soils and regulate watering based on its findings hence the efficient use of water and the associated cost.

Data-driven decisions: It provides real time weather and pest information to assist farmers and make right decisions.

Livestock and storage management: Iot makes it simpler to monitor animal health while at the same time boosting storage logistics.

Data science


Data science revolutionizes agriculture into an agricultural production system that will improve the chain flow process.

Predicting yields: By understanding the market demographics and the extent of supply and demand then efficient crop production can be anticipated.

Supply chain optimization: In turn, data science fosters timely, efficient and visibly effective farm to market value addition channels.

Blockchain technology


The application of blockchain system in the agricultural supply chain provides the solution of enhancing transparency and security.

Traceability: B2C consumers can obtain a degree of information about the origin and quality and prices of the agricultural products.

Digital contracts: This way blockchain helps farmers to reach an agreement with intermediaries or buyers without the risk of being fraud and with less chance of arising delays.

Applying these modern technologies in the agricultural sector can be helpful to raise yield, decrease cost, bring better living standards for farmers and enhance the national economy.

Domestic manufacture and international market

The local products of Nepal have a huge market prospect in the international market. With appropriate branding, certification as well as making these goods more e-commerce friendly they could easily become export worthy.

Vetiver system


One of the most effective plants that can be utilised for environmental management is Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) because it is used in management of erosion and water conservation.

Vetiver oil production: Today, with a global price of about $275 per litre, Vetiver oil is an economically attractive crop for farmers. Its cultivation also creates employment and export.

Herbal and medicinal products: Many herbs found locally include Ashwagandha, Tulsi, and cardamom have a ready market in the international markets for Ayurvedic products and are a huge export prospect.

Leveraging digital platforms

E-commerce: Currently, there are opportunities and many platforms like Daraz, hatiya and many more, for a better market opportunity.

Branding and certification: This cuts the credibility and reliability of products in the market by reducing the number of certified products or services.

As this paper has established, Nepal can reach international markets and accrue huge economic efficiency gains provided that it adopts the right strategies.

Sustainable Energy and Innovation recruitment enables the selection of the best talents for such positions through competitive events that test their creativity, innovation and problem solving skills in tackling sustainable energy issues.

Energy and technology are essential assets for improving agriculture and developing it as an environmentally friendly sector.

Renewable energy sources

Solar pumps: Water supply for un-electrified regions through the provision of affordable gadgets of irrigation.

Biogas: Use of livestock waste in the production of energy as well as organic fertilizers..

Wind energy: Powering the rural farming societies.

Innovative farming techniques

Drones: Applied in crop spraying, pest control, and even crop reviewing, thus leads to extended cycles of time and money legalized.

Hydroponics and aeroponics: Techniques that enable farming without soil while focusing on high productivity in limited space, this is particularly good for the expanding metropolitan centers.

Whenever integrating renewable energy systems to various means, the cost is cut, productivity enhanced, and the effects on environment ameliorated.

Policy support and opportunity

Policy support and opportunity are important for the development of a school health program.

Thus, there is a clear need for going through the process of forecasting for policy makers as well as developing effective policy frameworks and arrangements for public and private partnerships that will take agriculture to greater heights.

Government subsidies:
Availability of cheap credit facilities, subsidies for fertilizers and affordable farm implements can help to shift the cost structure of farmers in the right direction as productivity is affected by expenditure incurred.


Education and training:
Organizations from universities, government, and private sectors must be in a position to teach farmers better ways of farming in current world.


Partnerships between public and private entities (PPE):
Successful application of large scale agriculture transformation involves government incentives and private capital investment. For instance, the use of PPP when promoting Vetiver products in the international market will positively impact both the farming fraternity and the economy.

For the Nepalis as well as the entire nation, an agricultural revolution in Nepal is no longer an option but is imminent and inevitable. Integrating the best of both the old and the new world technology, adopting locally available resources, spurring innovation can and indeed make agriculture sustainable, profitable, and competitive anywhere in the world. To provide the foundation for a global sustainable agriculture system, Nepal can help Vetiver and medicinal herbs with IoT and blockchain services.

This vision can only be attained through collective efforts of the policy makers, industrialization of agriculture and the farming community of the country so as to empower suicidal Agricultural sector leading the economic social and technological progress of Nepal.

The potential of Nepal is in fields—enabling them will enable the country.