Community forests form basis of green economy and provide employment: Minister Chaudhary

KATHMANDU: Minister for Agriculture, Forests and Environment Gita Chaudhary said community forests should form the basis of the green economy and provide employment and local income.

Speaking at the Community Forest Day national award and certificate distribution programme at the National Trust for Nature Conservation auditorium in Kathmandu, she said forest resources must be promoted as a major source of income.

“The time has come to put into practice the concept of ‘Hariyo Ban Nepalko Dhan’ (Green forests are Nepal’s asset),” she said, adding that economic benefits from forests could reach local communities through forest-based industries, herbal processing, eco-tourism and carbon credit trading.

Forests Minister Chaudhary said such programmes would make forest conservation sustainable and self-reliant, while helping young people connect with forest-based enterprises and employment.

She said more than 23,000 user groups across the country are involved in protecting and managing about 2.6 million hectares of national forest under the Community Forest Programme that began four decades ago, and that around 3.3 million households have benefited.

By RSS

The minister noted that collaborative, leasehold, private and religious forest systems are also contributing to conservation, biodiversity protection, livelihoods, employment and 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 said.

Minister Chaudhary said forest management would be strengthened economically, socially and environmentally, while supporting sustainable development, climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation and good governance.

She said the government would prioritise 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.

She added that domestic products such as timber, wood, bamboo and non-timber forest products would be promoted for sustainable use.

The minister urged stronger participation and leadership from young people, women, Dalits, indigenous communities and disadvantaged groups in community forest management, and said climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, forest fire control, watershed and biodiversity conservation would be promoted as integral parts of management, with efforts to reduce human-wildlife conflicts.

She said collaboration between federal, provincial and local governments, the private sector and communities would be strengthened to make community forest management more effective, and called on stakeholders to support the national campaign “Prosperous Community, Prosperous Forest, and Prosperous Nepal”.

Community forest consumer groups and individuals contributing to conservation were honoured at the event, which also highlighted plans to expand the good practices of outstanding community forests to other areas.