Two decades of community forestry in Nepal: What have we learned?
Two decades of community forestry in Nepal: What have we learned?
Two decades of community forestry in Nepal: What have we learned?
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<strong>Two</strong> <strong>decades</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>community</strong> <strong>forestry</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Nepal</strong>: <strong>What</strong> <strong>have</strong> <strong>we</strong> <strong>learned</strong>?<br />
“NSCFP is a project with a long term commitment. This is critical as the project had long<br />
term plann<strong>in</strong>g with a short, medium and long term vision.”<br />
Peter Branney, Livelihood and Forestry Programme (LFP)<br />
“NSCFP has been focus<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the same geographical area for more than 10 years, whilst<br />
there are many districts with less resources but more poverty”<br />
Arun Sharma Paudel, Department <strong>of</strong> Forests (DoF)<br />
It is important to note that NSCFP activities <strong>we</strong>re set <strong>in</strong> a larger context <strong>of</strong><br />
long-term Swiss development support, geographically focused <strong>in</strong> the hills <strong>of</strong><br />
Central <strong>Nepal</strong>. One complementary component was a programme <strong>of</strong> road and bridge<br />
build<strong>in</strong>g that provided easier access to fi rst areas <strong>of</strong> S<strong>in</strong>dhupalchowk, then Dolakha,<br />
Ramechhap, Okhaldunga and now Khotang districts. A variety <strong>of</strong> other<br />
activities <strong>we</strong>re also supported, particularly <strong>in</strong> the sectors <strong>of</strong> health and agriculture; this<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ues <strong>in</strong> the latter three districts, with ever-greater coord<strong>in</strong>ation bet<strong>we</strong>en<br />
projects. The ma<strong>in</strong> thrusts <strong>of</strong> <strong>forestry</strong> development <strong>in</strong> the precursor to NSCFP are<br />
outl<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> box 1, from which it may be seen that the emphasis was on gett<strong>in</strong>g trees<br />
<strong>in</strong>to the ground, with strong technical support.<br />
Box 1: Ma<strong>in</strong> features <strong>of</strong> the <strong>forestry</strong> component <strong>of</strong> Integrated Hill Development<br />
Programme - IHDP (1970- 1989 )<br />
This programme was<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the <strong>in</strong>tegrated<br />
rural development<br />
programmes be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
funded by various<br />
donors <strong>in</strong> <strong>Nepal</strong> <strong>in</strong><br />
the 1980s. It began <strong>in</strong><br />
S<strong>in</strong>dhupalanchok district<br />
and expanded <strong>in</strong>to<br />
Dolakha district. The<br />
<strong>forestry</strong> aspects with<strong>in</strong><br />
its <strong>in</strong>tegrated rural<br />
development approach<br />
are summarised<br />
as follows:<br />
Plantation <strong>in</strong> Denuded hill <strong>of</strong> Dandapakhar, S<strong>in</strong>dhupalchowk <strong>in</strong> 1975<br />
• Plantation as a way to revive forest condition- ma<strong>in</strong>ly <strong>of</strong> exotic P<strong>in</strong>us caribaea on<br />
diffi cult, degraded sites and native Alnus nepalensis on damper sites<br />
• Technical <strong>forestry</strong> focus: nursery, plantations ma<strong>in</strong>ly <strong>of</strong> <strong>we</strong>ed<strong>in</strong>g, clean<strong>in</strong>g, etc.<br />
• Local participation <strong>in</strong> plantation<br />
• Educational campaign on the value <strong>of</strong> the forest and the need to conserve it<br />
• Technical <strong>in</strong>puts ma<strong>in</strong>ly by expatriates<br />
• Technical tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g (technology transfer)<br />
Source: Paudel (2010) – with m<strong>in</strong>or modifi cations<br />
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