In the Media
Nepalese Govt mulls over reducing rights of community forestry users
April 01, 2012
Kantipur Publications
Nepal’s community forestry, which has gained much praise for its successful participatory development model, faces an uncertain future as the government is secretly mulling to curtail the rights of community forestry users’ groups (CFUGs) through amendments to the Forestry Act-1993.
A report by a high-level probe commission under Gopal Prasad Parajuli on encroachment, deforestation and community forestry has recommended the government to take back the rights of some 17,000 community-managed forests from Community Forest User Groups’ control.
As per the committee’s recommendations, the process of handing over of the forests to the communities should be approved by the government entities both at local and national levels. The community forests, which have been already handed over to the communities for years once again would seek government’s approval to operate. The report suggests the government to approve the management of forests stretching over 1,000 hectares of land. Likewise, the Department of Forests, Regional Forest Director and District Forest Office will be responsible for approving the handover of the forests covering area between 500-1,000 hectares, 200-500 hectares and 200 hectares respectively to the communities.
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Keywords: Asia, CFUG, community, community forestry, Forest, Nepal, NGO, village forest