February 14, 2025 9:51 am
February 14, 2025 9:51 am

Community forests’ contribution significant in social development

Kathmandu, Aug 9: Minister for Forest and Environment Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri acknowledged the role of community forests in nature conservation, environmental balance and social development. Minister Thakuri assured that his Ministry would work in a way to make country self-sufficient in production of wood within two year and export timber within five years in the wake of expansion of forest coverage in the country. At a programme organized by the CPN UML’s Department of Forest and Environment on the occasion of Community Forest Day-2081 here Friday, the Minister expressed his confidence that problems surfaced while formulating action plans for community forest would be sorted out soon. Similarly, Minister for Defence Manbir Rai emphasized the sustainable conservation of forest area, arguing that forest not only help in conserving environment but also protecting water sources. Water sources were drying up due to widespread plantation of imported salla plants, Minister Rai viewed that emphasis should be laid on plantation of local species of salla plants, pine. Expressing his concern over depleting forest diversity, he cited the instances of wild animals including monkey prowling human settlements in search of food and creating menace. CPN UML General-Secretary Shankar Pokharel lauded that Nepal had been achieving its target on forest conservation. He opined that while protecting the natural resources, locals’ capacity to reap benefits from them should also be ensured together. General-Secretary Pokharel commended that the community forest user groups have done exemplary works on nature conservation. He viewed that the government should devise a policy based on the concept that ecotourism could also prop up forest conservation. It may be noted that that forests, in all categories of local levels, cover about 6.2 million hectares of land in the country which is 44.74 per cent as per the 2018 report of the Department of Forest Research and Survey’s. The forest cover has increased further to 45.31 per cent in Nepal as of 2024, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. On the occasion, Nepali Congress leader Shankar Bhandari pressed for increasing production of wood in the country so that its import could be reduced. According to him, production of forest based materials was facing various problems since scientific forest management was scrapped without studying in detail. He called for policies for forest conservation and wildlife management based on the need of the nation. Department Chief and Bagmati Province Assembly member Bharati Pathak echoed the significant role of community forestry user groups in forest conservation in Nepal. There are 22,415 community forest user groups in Nepal which protect more than 2.3 million hectares of forests, according to the Federation of Community Forestry Users Group. —-

Picture of Madan Thami

Madan Thami

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