Forest Restoration at Landscape Level in Nepal. Prayag Raj Tamrakar Bernhard Mohans

Transcription

1 Forest Restoration at Landscape Level in Nepal Prayag Raj Tamrakar Bernhard Mohans

2 Forest Restoration at Landscape Level in Nepal Introduction Location Spread over 147,490 km 2 (14,749,000 ha) (LRMP, 1986), Nepal lies between the arid Tibetan highland and Indian. It is located between ' and ' North latitude and ' and ' East longitude. It is about 800 km long (East-West) and 160 km wide (North-South) (CBS 2013). Location Physiography Physiographically Nepal can be divided into Terai (low land), Siwalik and Mountains Topography Extends from 60m to 8,848 m (Mt Everest) Ecology: Physiographic There are 35 different Forest Types (JDA Stanton 1972) Climate: Though small, wide range of climate is found in Nepal, Tropical in Terai, Moderate sub-tropical in the hills and Alpine and Tundra in High Mountains (DFRS, 1999)

3 Forest Land use, Tenure and state of degradation Forest Land use and degraded forest In Nepal forests are those which have tree crown cover more than 10% and others are shrub (DFRS, 1999). Total land mass is mha. Total Forests 5.83 mha (39.6%) is forest area mha-29.0% is forest and shrub 1.56 mha-10.6% The forest area 42.7% 38% - 4.7% % Forest Land Ownership: Nepal has two type of forests, National and Private. National forests of which only 51.5% is accessible (above 100% slope), the state of distribution are a) Private forests ha (0.02%) - (DoF, 2012). b) Protected forests - covering about 20% as NP, CA, WR, HR and BZ Protected by Army except BZ. b1) Community forests Curve degradation-conserve and use forests- about 30% HO to FUG b2) Leasehold CF Curve degradation - pro-poor ha (0.28%) to 6934 groups b4) Collaborative FM - 54,000 ha (0.37%) to 19 groups. CF and PF including other leasehold, religious, and collaborative management. Nepal s forest (over 50%) is still unallocated, unattained in state control.

4 Forest degradation and Rehabilitation Needed Himalayas- youngest and most frazil (Eckholm 1982), about 86% are in fragile hill eco-systems (High Mountains, High Hills, Mid Hills, and Shiwaliks). Continued deforestation and degradation may convert the mountains into deserts in 2020 (hils) and Terai in 2015 (Eckholm, 1975). Degradation: in Terai, 0.2 % in Hills and 0.5% in Nepal (DFRS, 1999). Causes of Degradation: causes are natural and biotic/direct Direct causes a) Human Population, Agriculture and Encroachment b) Heavy and unmanaged extraction of firewood, fodder, timber, etc, c) Grazing, livestock and Fire Underlying causes are a) Failed Market - India, China (specially) b) Policy not properly formulated c) Weak Institution and d) Unfavorable politics (Poor Empirical data)

5 Impact of degradation Reduced role of Forests: maintaining the ecological equilibrium. Loose control over environment, increased flood and erosion hazards, reducing soil fertility. Denudation Soil Erosion Landslide Siltation Effect the livelihood of mountain communities and significantly on adjacent plains. About 80% of Nepal s popn are forest dependent hence livelihoods, income and employment. loss of plant and animal life, Loss of biodiversity. Impacts on productivity of timber, Firewood, Agricultural production Economics of degradation: Forests generated 9% of GDP (2008) of total HMGN expenditure. Timber, fuelwood and fodder, worth Rs 10,500m, Rs 12,700m and Rs 3,150m. 90% of timber, fuelwood and 99% fodder- consumed without passing through the market. Other minor forest products as well, for domestic use,- pine resin, lokta, bamboo, thatching grasses, and medicinal herbs and shrubs have yet to be quantified totally.

6 Forest Restoration and Rehabilitation initiatives Degradation of 1.56 mha of forests to shrub during the early eighty laid Nepal to change the definition of forestry development. Successful community forestry then meant - Community forestry has come to mean simply village-level afforestation (Gautam and Roche, 1987). 1 Master Plan for Forestry Sector ( ): The plan devised in the very middle of the efforts to restoration, gave many rehabilitation programmes and most successful of all was People s Participation Community Forestry Programme. Plantation of Degraded and Denuded forest land: Sizable plantations was carried at national level and is still ongoing. Terai, which was most effected was planted with fast growing, majorly of many, Dalbergia sissoo and Euclyptus camaldulensis and the hills with Pinus roxburghii and Pinus patula. Success rate was very poor. Between , plantations of 5,723 ha, 15,423.5 ha, 25,827 ha and 1,733.4 ha in Government (National), community, Private and Leasehold forests respectively was carried (CES, 1998). Total 48,706.9 ha 2 3 Pictures: Degraded/shrubland in hills (top-bottom pic 1,2,4). Denuded Siwalik hills pic 3 4

7 Forest Restoration and Rehabilitation initiatives Policy reformation took place to Facilitate and Foster People s Participation approach of management sharing mechanism with the Government. NGOs/CBOs were motivated, trained and mobilized, and shared the responsibility in institutionalizing the process of rehabilitation/conservation Donor Coordination : Sharing of the approach was there with many bi- and Multi-lateral institutions. - DFID, GIZ, USAID, SDC, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, UMN, etc.- Coordination was a major role. Plantation and Forest Management Research and Extension (DFID): To assist the restoration process of 1.56 million ha (DFRS, 1999), research enacted its studies in the denuded hills and degraded forests. The studies were of pioneering nature for the country and community forest user has started adopting. Adoption: Efforts to Implement/adopt research findings are underway.

8 Project - Natural Forest Management Research Shrub land is degraded forests. Management, know how, would help the Community, Leasehold and Buffer Zone Forest User Groups. Of the 1.46 million ha, for hill region Nagarkot forest in the Kathmandu valley was chosen, altitude meters, for learning by forest managers and to aware and educate the Forest Managers (Forest User Groups). NAGARKOT FOREST MANAGEMENT RESEARCH (1984): To test a range of forest management techniques, each treatment was designed to produce specific forest products. Largely, working as live exhibition where the forest managers can see the results of different management treatments. It is important for the forest managers to see an area of forest managed for different mixes of fodder, fuelwood, poles and timber. Figure: A is a closer look of B, which have virtually no tree species except eupatorium, lantana, bracken, shrub and grasses. B is just after establishment and C after 4 years, showing a 3 month old coppice sprout A B C

9 Project - Natural Forest Management Research Control: Of the six treatments, in control (figure F) due to intense competition. Dense crown, less light and abundance of stem but with their small diameter. Simple Coppice (SC): This treatment produces large amount of fodder and fuelwood but not poles or timber. If the forest managers (FUG in this case) decide to produce pole and/or timber, the dense coppice sprout in SC, on 4 th year, is thinned to leave 40% canopy of desired sprouts (now called standards) at an specified distance (Coppice with Standard Regular fig H). If the spacing is done on the species basis, which leave the standards not in equal distance, it is Coppice with Standard Irregular. Both the treatments produce large number of poles and few small sawn timber and small amount of fodder from the undergrowth. Once the poles removed, the under growth can take over. Managers with desire to grow timber and few poles can chose to stay on longer with and retain the desired standard, with thinning and other application as required (High Forest). Managers wanting to have more small poles and fodder could clear fell the SC after a year, singling the stumps 1 shoot per stump on the 4 th year, is Phased Coppice. F D E G Figure: D shows 4 year coppice growth. Just for comparison E is showing a 7 month old coppice growth in Terai (Shorea robusta forest). G is Control Treatment of 5 years. F is showing the uniform growth, height and density of sprout in a Simple Coppice Treatment. H shows the Coppice with Standard (R).

10 Project - Natural Forest Management Research Results An early indication (5 year) showed that the land have capabilities of producing up to 16.7 tons per ha per year, of which 52% (8.7 t/ha) is fuelwood. If the moisture content is 50%, the treatment will produce 109 (4.35 t) backloads of firewood a year from a hectare of shrub land. Proportion of fuelwood will increase in other treatments except SC. Actual fuelwood required estimated is 19440,000 tons per annum and projected requirement for 2010 was (76% of the projected 22,647,000 mt) tons per annum (FAO, 1995). In its full potential, shrubland can yield tons per annum fuelwood from Simple Coppice Phased, considerably easing the Forests from being hacked for fuelwood, otherwise. Treatments Produced Standing Total Per year Coppice with Std. Regular Coppice with Std. Irregular High Forest Control - No operation Simple Coppice Simple Coppice Phased

11 Replicability of the study Review of Forest Management Studies in facilitation of local community and Government/national forests To facilitate management of community forests, forest management as demonstration plot and others have been laid in community forests and other forests. The study has been tried to visually demonstrate the effect/response of forest management options locally. The study is found established in shrub to mature forests, Schima castanopsis (28 plots), Shorea robusta (21 sal and 13 hill sal), Pinus roxburghii (11 plots), Quercus semecarpifolia (3 plots) and Others (6 plots). Theses are distributed in 40 (54%) out of 75 districts, regionally which are 18 in Eastern, 33 in Central, 25 in western, 5 in Mid-West and 1 in Far-Western Development Regions. Lack of initiative, shown by the Government of Nepal. Rehabilitation process needs reviewed, emphasized and should contribute to curve the degradation

12 Looking Forward Strengthen ongoing Forestry Programmes in the country, in Governance Management Institutions Technical Aspects of Forest Rehabilitation and Conservation Revise/Develop 2 nd Master Plan for Forestry Sector, National level mandate to rehabilitate the degraded and/or Conserve the government/national forests, and M & E the management schemes under which the forests are handed over Reconciling with the Global policies provide ample opportunity to test new approaches within people s participation frame, and Specify the market and marketing procedure Improvise the Policy document to meet the changing need in the ongoing participatory forest rehabilitation/management process

13 Thank You & Happy New Year 1134 (NS)