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The land left behind: a systematic review of transnational migration-induced change and its implication for rural sustainability in Nepal

Author

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  • Saroj Koirala

    (University of Jyväskylä)

  • Soniya Bashyal

    (Agriculture and Forestry University)

Abstract

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the multifaceted impacts of transnational migration in Nepal, drawing on findings from 42 systematically selected research articles. Employing a thematic analysis approach, the study constructs a schematic representation delineating four key themes: the use effect of remittance income on individuals, the offset effect on land, the substitution effect on people due to a reduced workforce, and the neglect effect on land stemming from decreased working members in households and communities. This comprehensive examination sheds light on the migration dynamics and addresses its implications for rural sustainability. The central theme underscores the connections between transnational migration and its implication for food security, livelihood enhancement, income diversification, and ecological restoration. The paper emphasizes the importance of understanding these interlinkages for informed policy decisions aligned with long-term macroeconomic goals. The synthesized framework contributes to theoretical foundations and encourages further research on the impacts of transnational migration in agrarian economies and the pathways for socio-economic transitions.

Suggested Citation

  • Saroj Koirala & Soniya Bashyal, 2025. "The land left behind: a systematic review of transnational migration-induced change and its implication for rural sustainability in Nepal," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:12:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-024-04180-1
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-024-04180-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Saroj Koirala, 2023. "Empowering Absence? Assessing the Impact of Transnational Male Out-Migration on Left behind Wives," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-19, February.
    2. Ramesh Sunam, 2015. "The Significance of Foreign Labour Migration and Land for Poverty Reduction in Nepal," Economic Studies in Inequality, Social Exclusion, and Well-Being, in: Almas Heshmati & Esfandiar Maasoumi & Guanghua Wan (ed.), Poverty Reduction Policies and Practices in Developing Asia, edition 127, chapter 0, pages 219-233, Springer.
    3. Hom Gartaula & Kirit Patel & Derek Johnson & Rachana Devkota & Kamal Khadka & Pashupati Chaudhary, 2017. "From food security to food wellbeing: examining food security through the lens of food wellbeing in Nepal’s rapidly changing agrarian landscape," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 34(3), pages 573-589, September.
    4. Ishwor Adhikari, 2022. "The conundrum of labour shortage in a labour surplus economy: an investigation of Nepal," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 24(2), pages 404-435, December.
    5. Stéphanie Jaquet & Thomas Kohler & Gudrun Schwilch, 2019. "Labour Migration in the Middle Hills of Nepal: Consequences on Land Management Strategies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-19, March.
    6. Greenhalgh, Trisha & Robert, Glenn & Macfarlane, Fraser & Bate, Paul & Kyriakidou, Olympia & Peacock, Richard, 2005. "Storylines of research in diffusion of innovation: a meta-narrative approach to systematic review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(2), pages 417-430, July.
    7. Kaitlyn Spangler & Maria Elisa Christie, 2020. "Renegotiating gender roles and cultivation practices in the Nepali mid-hills: unpacking the feminization of agriculture," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(2), pages 415-432, June.
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