गण्डकी प्रदेशको विकास योजना अवधारणा

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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 4^th 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

Showcasing Biodiversity Conservation Impact Takes Time

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Environment not in Priority!!

Nepal has promulgated adequate policies towards achieving the goal of “prosperous and happy people”. Local Governance Operation Act, 2017 is a milestone document that makes mandatory provision of formulating activities at local level that contributes to social inclusion, economic efficiency and sustainable environment. While seeing annual development plans local governments, it is found that a very few of them have considered environment, climate change and disaster issues into their annual development plans. One of the main reasons why environment is in low priority is due lack of adequate human resources capacity at local level.  

Many legal documents like the Constitution of Nepal, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act (DRR&MA), 2017, Climate Change Policy (CCP), 2011 and model planning guidelines for local government gives priority on localizing cross cutting subjects such as climate change, disaster and environmental issues at State and local level. Moreover, Nepal has obligation to contribute to achieve Sustainable Development Goals that includes climate change and environmental issues among others. Local Governance and Operationalization Acts (LGOA), 2017, stress on considering three major pillars of sustainable development goals such as economic efficient, social equity and sustainable environment while formulating annual and periodical development plans by local government. Further the Act mentions that development plan should pay attention to cross cutting issues specifically good governance, environment, children, climate change adaptation, disaster management, and social inclusion.

As an entry point of the mainstreaming environment into local development plan, immediately after completion of the Local Elections, WWF Nepal has informed selected elected local representatives on need of integrating cross cutting issues such as climate change, biodiversity, environment into their respective annual development planning and budgeting process. In this connection, a total of 15 orientation meetings for elected representatives has already been conducted in different locations of Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) Program areas. Based on the above experiences, four cluster level stakeholder workshops were also conducted at different four places in TAL areas.

As an impact of the orientation training and meetings, a few local government units have started integrating cross cutting issues into their annual development plans of FY 2017/18. Godawari Municipality, Kailali have included environment and climate change awareness program, Turmakhand Rural Municipality in Achham has included programs of pond conservation and water source protection, Bedkot Municipality, Kanchanpur has envisioned slogan of “clean and green Bedkot”. Bhimdatta Municipality has announced a vacancy for Environment Expert to be appointed with their own resources. Shuklaphanta Municipality, Kanchanpur formed Environment and Disaster Management Committee and even identified a focal person to look after environmental activities. Tikapur Municipality Council meetings for Policy, Program and Budget decision number 45 mentions that Local Adaptation Plan of Action for Climate Change (LAPA) based activities shall be implemented in coordination with stakeholders. Further, the Tikapur Municipality have decided to establish and mobilize disaster management fund, adoption of national building code and implementation of existing disaster management plan.

However, the local government units who have included climate change, environment and disaster issues into their annual development plans are not allocating adequate budget for implementation. In other words, the assigned activities are not followed by fund. Major pie of the annual budgets of most of the local government units are in infrastructure development mainly in rural road construction, community building, school building, culvert, gravelling, among others. In contrast a very few activities and budgets are allocated into environment friendly development activities. For instance, Krishnapur Municipality in Kanchanpur has approved a total budget of Rs 57,62,85,000 for FY 2017/18. Out of the total, they have allocated budget of Rs.59,62,000. e. less than 1% for environment friendly development activities like biogas, plantation, pond conservation etc.

The above mention facts indicate that despite having policy provisions for balanced development of three pillars, only social and economic pillars are being considered while planning at local level. The third but equally important environmental pillar necessary for sustainable development are in low priority. While scrutinizing underlying factors for paying inadequate attention towards giving priority for environment pillar, it was noted that there is inadequate human resource capacity to deal with environmental issues at local level. Therefore, it is high time to appoint Environment Inspector with clearly defined roles and responsibilities at local level. Once the well qualified environment person is placed at local level only then we can hope for integrated sustainable development.

Though the policy provision is in place for balanced development, due to lack of adequate human resources there is a mere chance of translating the policies into actions at local level. To ensure balanced development, it is desirable to appoint at least one Environmental Inspector in all Municipalities of Nepal.

Towards Sustainable Climate Resilient Tourism

http://naturekhabar.com/en/archives/9623

Province 7 of Nepal Capacity Development Support for Sustainable Development

I have had chance to review the recently announced budget speech of Province no 7 for FY 2074/75. While going through the budget speech, it was revealed that the Province wants to be prosperous through tourism, medicinal herb, infrastructure development, hydropower and forest management. They have made the budget speech of NRs. 1,02,00,00,000.

The Province has allocated budget, among others for undertaking feasibility study of tourism and preparing province level forest management plan. Under tourism front, the Province has set aside some budget for establishing Tourism Information Center at strategic places like Shuklaphanta, Khaptad, Ramaroshan, Chisapaani and Tikapur park and Preparing Tourism Master Plan. The Province has also allocated budget for clean and green city development, forest fire control, urban forestry development, climate resilient (mitigation and adaptation) infrastructure development, among others. Moreover, the Province has planned to formulate necessary polices for conserving endangered species, watershed management, water source conservation and feasibility study for infrastructure development activities. Besides, budget has allocated for preparing necessary acts, regulations, working procedures and guidelines.

As mentioned in the budget speech due to climate change, the water sources are being drying out in the Mountain Areas of the Province no 7 that has posed difficulties in accessing drinking water for local people. It has ultimately caused migration of people from Mountain Areas to lowland mainly in emerging urban areas. As said in the budget speech, inadequate human and institutional capacities and lack of sufficient infrastructures are the key challenges for successful implementation of the above-mentioned activities.

It seems it is high time for conservation organizations to work closely with the Province Government mainly to develop human and institutional capacities to make them able to integrate conservation, climate change and poverty linked issues into upcoming acts, regulations, policies and programs. Moreover, they need support for designing and developing environment friendly and climate resilient infrastructures.

Discourage Unplanned Equipment Based Road Construction

http://naturekhabar.com/en/archives/9037