Asia

"Deforestation and Participatory Forest Management Policy in Nepal"
by Amrit L. Joshi, Kumud Shrestha, Harihar Sigdel

The case study provides information about the country profile, forest types, and biodiversity of Nepal and also data of a change in area of natural forest and crown cover. The paper also mentions the environmental function of forests in Nepal such as to retard the natural erosion occurring in the region, to function as recharge area and to support biodiversity of the nation as well as lives of the people depending partially or totally on the forests. Deforestation brings socio-economic impacts namely decrease in wood production, natural disaster, decrease in agriculture production, decrease in biodiversity, and damage to cultural heritage of indigenous people.

Deforestation, meaning changing forests into other land use and forest degradation, meaning deteriorating in quality of forests, are one of the biggest socio-economic and environmental problem in Nepal. Various report suggest that deforestation and forest degradation, which has occurred in the middle hills, was common for last hundreds of years and rate of deforestation is neither rapid nor of recent origin. However, forest degradation is continuing in the Hills. In the Terai and Siwalik deforestation is wide spread legally due to government resettlement programs and illegally clearing of forest for agriculture. In general, main causes of deforestation are agricultural production, need of firewood, forage for livestock as well as local unemployment and lack of management from the government. There are also other reasons which include political instability, politician’s attitude, fire, shifting cultivation, natural process, forest rewards, attitude of individuals, donors role and government policy.

To cope with deforestation and forest degradation Master Plan for the Forestry Sector and Ninth Five-Year plan has put forward many strategies. Out of these programs community forestry program is very successful. By 1998 July 15, 6658 Forest User Groups are managing about 0.45 million hectares of forest where more than 733 thousand households are involved. World Bank study has indicated that from community forestry program additional benefit of rupees 660 per hectare per year is received by the communities. The program is progressing very fast especially in the hills. However, the progress is slow in the Terai region due to many causes including government policy. The case study also presents data of the evolution of community forestry legislation in Nepal.

Beside the enactment of an advanced community oriented Forest Policy, Forestry Sector Coordination Committee established in the government level and a network of federation of community forest user groups are playing vital role to support the community forestry policy implementation on the right direction establishing good understanding between central bureaucrats with the communities and the field staff. The decision are still highly influenced by political and non-forestry Bureaucratic pressure. However, there may be some influences, but the negative impact of the processes is minimized because the resources are managed by the users and the system is fully protected by community oriented Forest Legislation and guidelines. The management is going on the right direction. The communities get all benefits. The funds are used for the forest development programs. However, the surplus funds can be used for any other rural and community development programs, such as education, health, roads, drinking water, irrigation, and so on. The government alone can not do those development activities in those remote areas.

To guide the government in policy making, to implement the government program and also to work as pressure group against the wrong decisions made by the government, there is a network "Federation of Community Forest Users of Nepal" (FECOFUN). Presently this organization has build nation-wide network almost in all 75 districts. Representatives of FECOFUN have also participated in many National and International seminars and workshops to convey first hand experience to others.

The authors annex a case study of Patle Ban, a community forest in Lalitpur District with an area of 400 hectares and used / managed by 152 households. Before handing over as community forests, this forest was also protected as government forest by forests guards of Department of Forests. This forest was harvested once immediately after the earthquake of 1934 (B.S 1990). After that this forest was never harvested. Occasionally, Department of Forests has sold dried firewood from this forests as Chatta. Plantation was done in small patches around the villages departmentally with barbed wire fence in 1980s. However, the local communities need the forest products every day and the forests belongs to the government, it was more misused and ultimately converted into a barren hill slopes.

The cause of deforestation are mainly for subsistence and commercial need of the closer market area, such as fuel wood, charcoal and small timber.

After deforestation other problems occurred, such as land slides, flood, forest fire and shortage of firewood, timber, fodder, grass, livestock bedding and compost for the farming in the locality. Finally, after many tension and exciting meetings between District Forest Office and local people, people agreed to accept the area as community forest in late 1990. At last, 1050 ha of forest, biggest community forest at that time, was handed over to a bigger user group. Later on the Forest User Group has been splitted into three groups and one of them is this one with 400 ha forests. Its constitution was prepared and endorsed in the District Forest Office. The Forest User Group is managing the forest very well, natural trees are growing, soil and lands are protected. They get regular forest products as they need. The forest is going to be very productive in the future giving a lot of returns to the communities.

Main objective of Patle Ban community forests is to make forest products available to all users by protecting forests, silvicultural operations, establishing forest committee, soil conservation and watershed management. To execute daily work of the group, one executive committee is formed, this could consist up to 15 members. Forest user group meets at least once a year and can meet more time if necessary to prepare annual program of the forests, evaluates past activities and gives any other guidance.

back to UC Process