Lost in the woods

KTM Post, November 29, 008

EK RAJ SIGDEL
The government's conservation programme lacks direction and purpose

Kailali and Kanchanpur Districts, located in the far western development region, are endowed with rich biodiversity resources. However, the resources, especially globally significant wild animal species like the tiger, wild elephant and rhinoceros are facing greater than ever threats due to increasing pressure on their habitat from human activities. Deforestation, degradation and fragmentation due to encroachment for settlement and farming in the name of the landless, persons displaced by the Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve (SWR), flood victims and freed bonded labourers are the major causes for the destruction of the wildlife habitat. This has posed a threat to the existence of these prime biodiversity resources.

Basanta in Kailali, Laljhadi in Kanchanpur and the SWR are three major forest lands that connect the Dudhuwa National Park and Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary in India towards the south and the Chure range towards the north. These jungles support many wildlife species including the swamp deer and blue bull. In principle, the larger the forest, the greater the diversity of animals it can support. Besides, forests act as a dispersal corridor for wide-ranged mega fauna like the tiger and rhinoceros.

Considering the higher conservation value of these forests, the government has formulated the Terai Arc Landscape Strategy and Implementation Plan for 11 protected areas stretching across the trans-border area of Nepal and India. Within the framework of the Nepal Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Implementation Plan, the government has been implementing conservation and development programmes in the Western Terai for a number of years with the support of various donor agencies.

However, the tendency of capturing forest land for settlement has increased rapidly especially along the East-West Highway and on the edge of forests. Recently, 2,000 huts have been erected in the Basanta Corridor, 400 in Laljhadi South and 3,000 in the SWR. If the current pattern of occupying forests for settlement and farming continues, these vital forest lands will vanish for ever from these districts within the coming eight to 10 years. This also means the end of globally significant biodiversity resources.

There are various reasons why things are deteriorating. The government is dealing with conservation on an ad hoc basis. There is no consistency in the Forestry Sector Master Plan, Forest Regulations and ministry-level directives for managing the forests in the Tarai. The government is still discharging its programmes through an ineffective and inefficient bureaucratic system. It assumes that problem solving means transferring government officials from one district to another.

In addition, livelihoods that depend on exploiting forest resources, employment opportunities presented by forests and ineffective law enforcement have heightened the threat to biodiversity resources. Moreover, an unclear reward and punishment system and inadequate knowledge about participatory forest management that supports conservation and improves the livelihood of the local people have made effective management difficult. Lastly, district-level units of political parties talk much about discouraging encroachment, but do not do so in practice.

Therefore, in order to deal successfully with conservation issues in the Tarai, the government should immediately review its forest and wildlife conservation related acts, regulations and policies. A policy dedicated to biodiversity conservation has been brought into effect, but in the absence of relevant acts and regulations, conservation initiatives have not been as effective as expected.

In addition, the government's inefficient and ineffective institutional structure needs to be reformed and energized. Forest management strategies should consider local people who depend on forest resources as an integral part of the ecosystem. While handing over forests to the community, attention should be paid to whether the rights of the local inhabitants have been addressed or not. The new regulations should also give emphasis to maintaining corridors and connectivity to facilitate dispersal of wildlife species from one habitat to another.

As wildlife habitats are spread across a range of land-use systems, setting up an agency to coordinate the various interwoven land-use systems should be envisioned at the central and district levels. As part of the reform programme, the government should give priority to enhancing the management capacity of the staff. Adequate human resources, equipment and budget allocations should be provided on time.

In addition, the government should pay special attention to effective law enforcement. It should also identify competent, committed and well disciplined personnel and conduct special programmes to raise their motivation. A scientific forest management system should be started as a pilot project in a large forest that is preferably located outside a protected area. The project should lay emphasis on social inclusion, distance users, customary rights, access to resources and biodiversity criteria.

In a nutshell, the government should review its policies, institutions and programmes right away in order to ensure long-term conservation and sustainable utilization of the Tarai's globally significant biodiversity resources. Over and above, the government should immediately formulate a Biodiversity Conservation Act and Regulations that captures the spirit of the existing biodiversity conservation policies by focusing on the corridors and connectivity of the Western Tarai.