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Bettering environmental governance
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Tuesday, August 7, 2018
Observation on Conference on Federation of Community Forest User Groups of Nepal (FECOFUN) of Province Number Five
Conference
on Federation of Community Forest User Groups of Nepal (FECOFUN) of Province Number
Five was concluded in Butwal on 4th August 2018. A total of 662
participants from 41 local governments units of 12 districts of Province Number
Five were present in the conference. There are 3,427 community forests use
groups in Province Number Five, of which 2,737 User Groups are registered in FECOFUN.
The Province Number Five includes 43.7% of the total forest areas of Nepal.
Over 50% of total land in Pradesh number Five is covered by forest resources.
WWF
Policy and Governance Specialist Mr. Ek Raj Sigdel addressed inaugural session
of the Conferences. He shared principle of sustainable development and role of
community forests in Nepal. He also facilitated a plenary session and brought out
three key outcomes of community forests; i) key achievements of community
forest user groups so far, ii) identifying underlying factors of the
achievements, and iii) policy recommendations on how more applaudable
achievements can be attained in all three pillars of sustainable development goals
i.e sustainable management of environment, social inclusion and economic
empowerment of forest user groups.
The
Conference discussed at lengths on the role of community forest user groups in
the changing political contexts when the constitution has authorised local and
province governments to manage community forest and national forests
respectively. Federal and a few Province Governments have already begun drafting
forestry sector policies and Acts. Moreover, an institutional structure of forestry
sector has already been proposed i.e. Forestry Directorate at Province Level
and Division Offices in each District. There are Seven Forestry Directorates, 84
forest divisions and 14 Soil Conservation Offices proposed across the country.
FECOFUN
has already revised their constitution and made a provision of establishment of
community forest user group network at local, district, province and federal
government level. FECOFUN is demanding their role in each tiers of the
government. It was noted that there are tripartite conflicts among bureaucracy,
elected political leaders and community forests user groups. Community forest
user groups viewed that government employees are trying to curtail right of
local government as well as local community forest user groups over community
forests. The FECOFUN said that the proposed institutional structure of
government for forest management is of authoritative type. Moreover, under the
leadership of bureaucracy, the government is developing forestry sector
policies for federal and province level government without having adequate
consultations with community forest user groups, said participants. The
participants expressed expectation of more coordination from bureaucrats in
drafting forestry sector policy. They expressed desire to work in coordination with
various tiered of elected governments, as well. Some of the participants said that local
governments are eyeing on resources of community forests user group as well.
Community forest user groups were against the term scientific and collaborative
forests management system which the draft federal forestry sector policy is
trying to promote. Mayor of Tulsipur Sub-Metropolitan City viewed that
community forests user groups should be prepared for sharing revenue with
different tiers of government. Progressive tax should be administered in community
forests user groups i.e. richer CFUG should pay higher. He also opined that
local government should confer prerogative right to local people to manage
natural resources including community forests.
Industry
Tourism Forest and Environment Minister of State
Number Five Mr. Lila Giri expressed commitment to consult community forest user
groups while formulating province and federal forestry sector policy. He
applauded the role of community forest user groups in effective management of
forests resources over the years. He was of the view that forestry sector
policy formulation process should be coordinate with bureaucracy and policy
should be developed keeping people at the center.
While interacting with the participants, it
was revealed that the community forests are contributing in all three pillars
of sustainable development. In the front of environmental service maintenance,
community forests are contributing a lot in upkeeping biodiversity resources.
Once bare lands are converted into greenery forests and encroachment for
settlement expansion and agriculture crop production has been minimized.
Community forest user group are contributing to conserve historical, religious,
archaeological sites and valuable non-timber forests products. Due to community
forests, risks of landslides and floods are minimized. Moreover, wildlife, such
as leopard, wild boar, among others are increased greatly in community forests.
Community forests are becoming a sustainable source of income to local
communities. Community forests income are being invested in various
socioeconomic development activities such as school building, community
building, road maintenance and health service improvement, to name few. In addition,
forest income is being mobilised for raising income of user group members
mainly in skill enhancement training, vegetable farming, poultry farming, goat
rearing, among others. In the social development aspect, community forest has
contributed a lot to empower poor, women and dalit communities.
Community forest constitution require each community forest user to represent
at least 50% women of forest user group members and provision of representation
of women in key position i.e Chair or Secretary had helped a lot to empower
local people. Presence of almost 50% participants in the Conference can be
considered as an evidence of women empowerment through community forests.
During the interaction session, participants brought out
various issues in to be resolved to ensure sustainable management of community
forests. The upcoming management interventions should focus on raising income
and employment opportunities to community forest user group members focusing women,
poor, marginalized communities and distance users. According to Honorable
Minister Mr. Giri, the province government is implementing various income
generation activities such as ecotourism promotion, resorts construction,
zoological park establishment, botanical garden maintenance, plantation of
non-timber forest products, and promotion of forest and non-timber forest-based
enterprises in community forests. According to the participants, to address the
need of poor and marginalized communities, part of the community forests should
be leased for them to plant broom grass, bamboos and valuable non-timber forest
products. The other part of the community forest group income should be
invested in improving productivity of the forests as such. Community
empowerment activities should be implemented focusing women, poor and
marginalized community groups. Target groups should be made able to make
decisions instead of mere participation in the decision-making positions and
processes. A mechanism for equitable distribution of forest products also need
to be envisioned. Good governance with accountable forest officials to forest
users is needed. Long term management options for problem wildlife species like
wild boar, porcupine, leopard, monkey, bear, deer, etc should be explored and
implemented as these animals have been creating conflicts with local people in
many community forests.
In summary,
community forests user groups expressed desire to work with restructured
elected governments at different layers and expressed strong reservation. They believe that the community forests are
contributing in all three spheres of sustainable development. It was realized
that the upcoming intervention should be in empowering target user groups and making
more accountable service providers. Wildlife people conflicts is being evolved
noticeably that demands intervention in the days ahead.
Note: WWF has extended partial financial support for the
Conference