Community Forest Day: Community Forests to Be Made Basis of Green Economy

Minister for Agriculture, Forests and Environment, Gita Chaudhary, has stressed on the need of promoting the community forest as important basis of green economy, employment generation and local income earning.

On the occasion of Community Forest Day today, at the national award and certificate distribution programme held at the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) auditorium in Kathmandu, she emphasized that forest resources should be developed as a major source of income.

Stating that the time has come to put into practice the concept of ‘Hariyo ban Nepal ko dhan’ or ‘Green forests are Nepal’s asset’, Minister Chaudhary mentioned that the economic benefits from forests can reach local communities through forest-based industries, herbal processing, eco-tourism, and carbon credit trading.

She expressed her belief that such programmes would help make forest conservation sustainable and self-reliant, as well as assist youth in connecting with forest-based enterprises and employment.

According to Minister Chaudhary, more than 23,000 user groups across the country are currently involved in protecting, managing, and making proper use of around 2.6 million hectares of national forest under the Community Forest Programme that started in Nepal about four decades ago. She added that around 3.3 million households have benefited from this.

Minister Chaudhary said that collaborative, leasehold, private, and religious forest systems are also making important contributions to forest conservation, biodiversity protection, livelihoods, employment, and forest-based enterprise development.

“Nepal has become a global example in community forest management. It has made a significant contribution to promoting greenery, biodiversity and watershed protection, livelihoods, and community development,” she added.

The Minister for Forests mentioned that based on the four decades of experience and learnings in managing community forests, forest management would be promoted and made stronger economically, socially, and environmentally, while promoting sustainable development, climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and good governance.

She said that the government would prioritize enterprise development based on community forests and focus on adding value, processing, and marketing of forest products.

“There will be a policy to support local communities’ income and livelihood through the development of environmental tourism and nature-based enterprises,” she said, adding that there will be encouragement for the sustainable use and promotion of domestic products like timber, wood, bamboo, and non-timber forest products.

The minister emphasized the need to further strengthen the meaningful participation and leadership of youth, women, Dalits, indigenous communities, and disadvantaged groups in community forest management.

She stated that climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, forest fire control, watershed, and biodiversity conservation will be promoted as integral parts of community forest management. According to her, necessary efforts will also be made to reduce human-wildlife conflicts.

Minister Chaudhary said that the collaboration between the federal, provincial and local governments, private sector, and communities will be further strengthened to make the sustainable management and development of community forests more effective.

She called on all stakeholders in the forestry sector to come together and move forward to make the national campaign ‘Prosperous Community, Prosperous Forest, and Prosperous Nepal’ a success.

Community forest consumer groups and individuals contributing to forest conservation were awarded on the occasion. There was also an emphasis on expanding the good practices of the outstanding community forests to other areas. (RSS)