Deforestation may ruin Nepal8217;s future

A system of community forests has also been introduced, with some success but not enough yet to reverse the decline of greenery. Demographers and agronomists warn that if rapid deforestation is not checked in Nepal, where more than two thirds of the country8217;s energy needs are met through wood burning, the remaining woodland could disappear completely in the next four to five decades.

8220;Between 1978-79 and 1994, Nepal lost 5.4 million hectares or almost a quarter of its green forest,8221; a senior official of the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation said. The rateof forest destruction, now officially 1.7 percent annually, is much higher than the world average of one percent.

Twenty years ago, 38 percent of Nepal was forest. Now only 29 percent of the 147,181 square kilometres land area is covered by forest, far below the minimum requirement of 40 percent essential for a healthy environment as suggested by ecologists. 8220;Illicit logging and encroachment are mainly responsible for the loss of forests,8221; a spokesman at the forest and soil conservation ministry, Sriniwas Khanal, said. The loss of forest cover has led to a rise in temperatures and exposure to the elements, including strong winds, forest officers say. At risk are the rare wildlife of Nepal, including the Royal Bengal tiger, the great one-horned rhinoceros and snow leopards.

8220;The assignment of the armed Royal Nepalese Army guards has helped to stop the illegal poaching of wildlife and also felling trees8230; in the national park areas,8221; said Damodar Prasad Parajuli, a joint secretary at the ministry.8220;The Royal armymen are instructed to shoot on sight.8221; In the lowland Terai plains, forests have decreased by 1.3 percent since 1979 with the land used for housing and agriculture. Much greater destruction has taken place in mid-mountainous regions where 90 percent of the rural population fell trees to provide fuel for cooking and heating.

Apart from poverty and a 2.3 percent annual population growth, political pressure is also a major factor behind the widespread forest depletion. 8220;The green forests of Nepal come under threat each time the country witnesses general elections,8221; Parajuli said, referring to the practice of making timber allotments for houses and schools during election campaigns with the hope of influencing voters.

One glimmer of hope for Nepal is the community forests, which are mainly in hill areas, local village chiefs said at a seminar this week. The concept, conceived in the early 19808217;s, has seen community forests developed in 73 of Nepal8217;s 75 districts. A total 622,178 hectares offorest region, administered by an 11-member users group in each region, has already been handed over to nearly a million individuals. In lowland districts adjoining the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the government has introduced an Operational Forest Management plan, allocating 3.25 million to meet local needs and earn revenue by improving forest management.