119
Box 2. Innovation and participation for restoration, rehabilitation and conservation
The government should pay specific attention to new and innovative programmes. Some of the innovative mechanisms for Nepal include:
Payments for ecosystem services is a new voluntary contractual agreement practised between the Electricity Authority Kulekhani and local communities. This has influenced land-use changes in watershed areas, reduced
sedimentation and increased dry season water flow to reservoirs; they are estimated to amount to US44 570 per year Karn 2008. Similarly, concessionaire hotels are paying conservation feesroyalties seven hotels inside the Chitwan
National Park to the government for conservation activities. PES is also practised in Bardia National Park, Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve hotels and Langtang National Park. In Langtang National Park, Himalayan Spring Water Co. Ltd.
mineral water pays US0.00038 per litre to the Park Authority. For the Buffer Zone Forest Management work carried out around national parks and wildlife reserves, the government pays back 30-50 percent of the park revenue to the
local buffer zone committee.
Carbon sequestration is the process of storing excess CO
2
from the atmosphere. Carbon trading is an emerging global market in which developing countries like Nepal can participate through a regulatory or voluntary market
framework. Forests sequester carbon at around 2.0 Mg Chayear Aune et al. 2005. The CDM and REDD+ initiatives are being explored. The Nepal Biogas Project is the first greenhouse gas reduction project in Nepal under the CDM
that has linked rural communities with the carbon market. The project has so far installed 150 000 biogas plants. At US7.00 per ton of carbon dioxide, Nepal receives US600 000 annually from the World Bank. Biogas plants have also
contributed to halting further forest degradation by reducing pressure on forests for energy sources.
The Landscape Approach is an important step which Nepal has taken in the direction of environmental conservation since the 1970s. This approach is more holistic, benefiting nature and people at the landscape level. It is emerging as
a promising methodology for wildlife conservation, as it realizes the fact that long-term conservation is not possible without addressing the needs of local people and protected areas which are small and isolated. The concept of the
landscape-level approach was recognized as a priority programme in the Tenth Development Plan 2002-2007. This approach was legitimized after endorsement of the National Biodiversity Strategy in 2002. Consequently, the MoFSC
endorsed the ten-year Terai Arc Landscape Strategic Plan in 2004 and Sacred Himalayan Landscape Strategic Plan in 2006. The Terai Arc Landscape Plan was translated into the ten-year implementation plan in 2004.
The Terai Arc Landscape TAL initiative is a long-term vision 50 years and encompasses 49 500 km
2
from the Bagmati River in Nepal to the Yamuna River in India. It is a biologically diverse habitat with 86 species of mammals,
550 species of birds, 47 species of herpetofauna, 126 species of fish and over 2 100 species of flowering plants. The TAL is not only a critical habitat for biodiversity, but it is also home to 6.5 million people who are dependent on forest
resources for their livelihoods.
Sacred Himalayan Landscape SHL is a transboundary conservation area covering 39 021 km
2
of Nepal, India Sikkim and Darjeeling and Bhutan; it builds links with three major transboundary conservation areas in China,
India and Bhutan. The SHL supports a plethora of flora and fauna, which include several endemic species. Forestry, agriculture and tourism are dominant livelihood strategies for more than 80 percent of approximately 5 million poor
people who are mainly agropastoralists MoFSC 2006.
Monitoring of forest fires: Forest fires are common in Nepal during the dry spring season, particularly in March- May when strong winds stoke wild fires that destroy hundreds of hectares of forest and croplands. The Mountain
Environment and Natural Resources’ Information System division at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development is using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer satellite and Fire Detection Algorithm to
detect and report active fires.
6.2 National strategy for forest and landscape restoration: the way forward
Nepal has undergone a major shift in forest management with the introduction of the participatory forest management concept in 1976. The bottom-up planning approach adopted by participatory natural forest management programmes
has yielded several positive outcomes. Local communities have initiated community stewardship for natural resource management.
Biotic pressures have already resulted in deforestation and land degradation. If the immediate and underlying causes are not identified soon and remedial actions taken, Nepal could witness severe desertification of its lands. The ecological and
economic implications of land degradation are serious and the consequences will undoubtedly affect the livelihoods of the rural populace.
The government has done a commendable job in establishing a good network of protected forest areas for conservation – almost one-fifth of the total surface area. Protected areas have been effective in preserving endangered wildlife species.
Nepalese army patrols in national parks and reserves effectively protect biodiversity and environmental functions.
120 The most important issues that Nepal should address further in the context of forest and landscape restoration include:
Awareness-raising and education: The MoFSC, its departments and field offices are trying to reach the general public via extension materials. Forestry extension is being implemented by governmental departments and partner organizations.
Until and unless people understand the value of nurturing forests and biodiversity for their well-being, conservation efforts will prove difficult.
Reforming government and non-government institutions: There are five departments, five regional directorates and five training and extension centres within the MoFSC to execute forestry activities. The MoFSC is responsible for
overall policy coordination, monitoring, planning and enabling activities. The departments are responsible for programme implementation. The MoFSC has over 9 000 staff for forestry sector operationalization. The government has entrusted
public corporate bodies to conduct forest management activities. However, considerable restructuring of government agencies is required before these institutions can effectively support forest management, particularly reforestation efforts.
It is necessary to work more on the ground to identify not just the problems of land degradation in Nepal but also the underlying causes as well. There is a strong need to share and practise the lessons and experiences learned from different
forestry development programmes.
Consolidation of all the learning and experiences gained in the past 30 years in natural forest management and equal sharing should be fed in to reform the Forest Act 1993. Initiatives towards collaboration and partnership with local, national
and international organizations should be intensified. Measures are necessary to address widespread poverty and reduce the dependency of local communities on dwindling forest resources. The Shiwalik Hills and other ecologically-sensitive areas
should be declared as protected forest areas to restrict environmentally-destructive activities. Forest management initiatives, inclusive of rehabilitation and reforestation with appropriate and suitable species, should be executed. Enhancing existing
and developing new models of participatory forestry restorationrehabilitation is highly recommended. Rehabilitation of sites with appropriate species is warranted. Such practices on public land would also limit encroachment.
The best models and practices should be replicated in other parts of the country. Effective law enforcement would result in land and forest protection to a greater degree. It is essential to raise awareness and educate the public at all levels on
environmental issues and the consequences of degradation. Documentation of information together with research and monitoring should be underscored. Above all, proper land-use planning should be accorded utmost priority.
121
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