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The Socio-ecological survey that kicked off from October 2019, primarily aims at generating quantitative and qualitative data of a stratified sample of households within 30 community forest user groups (CFUGs) in Kavre and Sindhupalchok. As a part of the five year project, Enhancing Livelihoods from Improved Forest Management in Nepal (EnLiFT2), the purpose of this survey is to identify how different household type value private and community forests across a range of forest types, agro- ecological situations and Silvicultural practices in Kavre and Sindhupalchowk. The data generated will identify socio ecological typologies of forest values according to particular situations. The typologies will inform an analysis of how particular forest management approaches could best meet the particular needs of different types of Nepali communities.

The survey will explore and understand the differentiated perception on the gender/ ethnicity in the CFUG management and forest resource utilization. The socio ecological survey mainly captures the data and information on land and forest details, agricultural and food security issues, demographic and social economic status, climate change and forest governance particularly from CFUG member perception. Out of the total 600 HHs that this survey targets to cover, 441 HH surveys has already been completed till date and rest is expected to be completed by January 2020.

Survey sites

There are altogether five clusters within which, 18 CFUGs were selected for the HH surveys, namely Banepa Cluster (Bhagwanthumki CF, Hile Jaljale ‘Ka’ CF, Kalika CF ), Bhumlu Cluster ( Chaapani Gadhidaanda , Dharapani Hile , Thople Kamerey , Rachhmaa , Fagarkhola, Lankurirukh Vulvule), Chautara Sangachowkgadhi cluster (Sansari, Banjekapashe and Shreechap Deurali), Bethanchowk cluster (Patnebhanjyang, Janajagriti, Kalapani), Lisankhupakhar cluster (Deupokhari , Boldekharka, Lamachaur)

Date: 16th October, 2019

Venue: Hariharbhawan, Lalitpur

 

On the occasion of 39th World Food Day, with the slogan “HEALTHY DIETS FOR A #ZEROHUNGER WORLD”, Alliance of Agriculture for Food/ForestAction Nepal, organized Raithane Khadya Sajh in the premises of Department of Agriculture (DoA), Hariharbhawan, Lalitpur, in joint collaboration with DoA and other likeminded organizations namely ActionAid Nepal, Helvetas Nepal, LiBIRD, CSRC, NFGF, NLRF, FIAN, CAED, CEPP and Samriddha Karnali Abhiyan. Along with the aim of raising the concerns among policy makers and other relevant stakeholders, Raithane Khadya Sajh was also organized with the objective of promoting local and traditional foods from Karnali (high hills and mountains) and Terai/Madesh (Plain of South) region.

This year around 500 people were present during the event. Among those, the major guests were: Hon. Minister Chakra Pani Khanal and Hon. State Minister Ram Kumari Chaudhary (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development), Hon. Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet (Ministry of Forests and Environment), Hon. Minister Giriraj Mani Pokharel (Ministry of Education, Science and Technology), Hon. Minister Yogesh Bhattarai (Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation), Hon. Purna Kumari Subedi (vice chairperson of Constituent Assembly), Hon. Ghanashyam Bhusal (member of house of representatives), Hon. Mahesh Basnet (Chief of Youth Force Nepal), Hon. Bimala Rai Paudyal (member of National Assembly). Likewise, other senior political leaders, members of NPC, Government officials, representatives of I/NGOs, activist working in the sectors of food and agriculture, farmers, media persons and public figures like Mr. Madan Krishna Shrestha and Haribansha Acharya also attended the event.

Raithane Sajh was organized in two sessions. First one-hour session was dedicated for key notes from the speakers. Firstly, the context and objective of Raithane Sajh was delivered by Ms. Sujata Tamang. She also read out the statement prepared by the team Secondly, activist from Karnali Ms. Prema Lama gave her keynote on the local foods and agriculture system of Karnali region. Likewise, about the importance of local foods and agriculture system of Madhes/Terai was delivered by Mr. Chandrasekhar Jha followed by a small talk about organic movement and its context in Nepal by Swanaam Sathi. Hon. Minister Chakra Pani Khanal delivered his keynote on agriculture development of Nepal including local foods and livelihoods. At the end, the chair of food day organizing committee Dr. Surya Paudel wrapped up the session along with vote of thanks and he also invited all the participants for the dinner. The second session was the dinner, where the variety of items prepared from local foods of both Karnali and Terai/Madesh representing different ethnic groups like Khas, Tharu, Abdhi, and Maithili were served.

Additionally, local products mainly from Karnali were displayed during the program.

A team of researchers including Dr. Steven Lawry, a Senior Associate at CIFOR’s Equity, Gender and Tenure research program and Dr. Naya Sharma Paudel, Dr. Mani Ram Banjade, Mr. Kamal Bhandari, Mr. Anukram Adhikari and Ms. Gyanu Maya Tamang from ForestAction visited Ichhyadevi sawmill in Sindhupalchowk district, on 5th August, 2019. The primary purpose of the visit was to have a better understanding on the history, present status, challenges of operation and ways to overcome those challenges and future prospects of the sawmill. Several key informant interviews with CFUG officials was conducted during the visit.

The Ichhyadevi sawmill was established in 2002 in Shreechhap CFUG of Sindhupalchowk district. Initially, the groups (Lampate, Gaurati, Bhagwati, Chhapal Danda, Mahadev and Shreechha), with pine forest, decided on the joint ownership of sawmill. However, attributing to the regulatory provisions and lengthy requirements to market the products, the CFUGs declined to continue the joint ownership of sawmill. Currently, sawmill is solely owned by Shreechhap CFUG. Later, some scores of timber selling could not be settled and also due to the legal requirements, the CFUG stopped operating it for several years. Following the devastating earthquake in 2015, the high demand for timber for the reconstruction compelled the groups to revive the once ceased sawmill.

In the present context, the executive committee members of Shreechhap CF are considering to select 8-10 forest user members and provide them with trainings on furniture production. This is expected to maintain a regular operation of sawmill, in addition to providing jobs for the locals and also fulfill the furniture demand of villagers.

The community friendly saw mill operation needs policy discussions for amendments that would ease the present grassroot market and legal complications that CFUG are facing.

A biodiversity survey on macro invertebrates and vertebrates in Ramaroshan Wetland Complex, Accham was carried out by a team of researchers from ForestAction Nepal in May 2019.The study team was led by Dr Lila Nath Sharma and was accompanied by herpetologist, wildlife ecologists and botanist. The team recorded more than 200 species of plants and more than 50 species of birds from the wetland complex.The study team also organized a consultation meeting cum interaction program at Ramaroshan VDC on 17 May 2019. Preliminary findings of the study were highlighted by the research team. The plans and visions for conservation along with development of Ramaroshan and the needs of comprehensive assessment of Ramaroshan Biodiversity were shared by the local authorities and participants respectively.

Dr Ian Nuberg from University of Adelaide; Mr Rahul Karki and Ms Yuvika Adhikari from ForestAction Nepal participated in the 4th World Conference on Agroforestry held from 20 to 22 May 2019 at Le Corum Conference Centre, Montpellier, France.

They also participated in an information exchange workshop, a side event organized by ACIAR to capitalize on the opportunity of having 54 scientists from 12 ACIAR projects on 19 May 2019 at Crown Plaza, Montpellier. The workshop was attended by all the 3 representatives of EnLiFT and Dr Nuberg delivered a presentation on EnLiFT 2 project.

ForestAction Nepal under the EnLiFT project organized meetings with the community forest user groups of Bhagwanthumki, Banepa, one of the research sites of the project. The meeting was carried out from 24 February to 8 March 2019. Mr Kamal Bhandari, a member of the EnLiFT research team, informed the participants about the EnLiFT project and the work that will be conducted under the three different themes in the Community Forest. He further informed the participants on the objective of the meeting which was:

• To inform the participants about the EnLiFT project;
• To find out about their interest in Community Forestry (CF) and
• To find out about the present status of the CF and their future expectations from the forest.

Dr Birendra Kumar Karna, Executive Coordinator at ForestAction Nepal, participated in the planning meeting between ForestAction Nepal and University of Colorado at the University of Colorado, Boulder, USA from February 18-22, 2019. The aim of the meeting was to discuss options for the development of field research protocols and data collection instruments to be employed in new research project on local institutions for the governance of forest commons often suffer from problems of inequality, exclusion, and stratification that mirror existing village inequalities by ethnicity, caste, or gender. The knowledge generated was aimed at contributing to current policy discourses in the fields of forestry and investment in Nepal. His participation in this planning meeting is expected to facilitate further collaboration in the field of research between ForestAction Nepal and University of Colorado.

A district level inception meeting of EnLiFT 2 was organized on 3 February, 2019 at Dhulikhel Lodge Resort, Kavrepalanchowk to develop a common understanding among stakeholders regarding the project. The participants were the representatives from local government, FECOFUN, FEnFit, CFUGs and media.  The program was chaired by Mr Badri Kumar Karki, Chief, Divisional Forest Office (DFO) and the chief guest of the program was Mr Uddhav K.C., Chair of District Coordination Committee, Kavrepalanchowk. Presentations were made by Mr Badri Kumar Karki and Dr Naya Sharma Paudel, In-country Coordinator of Nepal for EnLift 2. The program proceeded with discussion session and ended with concluding remarks from Chair of Program.

A district level inception meeting of EnLiFT 2 for Sindhupalchowk was held on 6 February, 2019 at District Coordination Committee’s Meeting Hall, Chautara. The major objective of program was to develop a common understanding among stakeholders of project .The meeting was attended by key forestry relevant stakeholders including Divisional Forest Office, District Coordination Committee, local government, FECOFUN, CFUGs and Media. Ms Bal Kumari Shakya, Vice Chairperson, District Coordination Committee was the chief guest of the meeting and the meeting was chaired by Mr. Devi Pokhrel, Divisional Forest Officer. Pokhrel welcomed participants, introduced the event and presented the overall status of forest management in the district. It was followed by brief presentation on potential of pine forest management by Mr. Shambhu Dangal. Finally, Naya Sharma Paudel, the In-country Co-ordinator of EnLiFT 2, presented the objective, strategies, activities and expected achievements of the project along with its proposed sites. The participants commented and provided good feedback to the project implementation. With this inception, the project formally started in the district and opened up further actions at the site level. The inception workshop was a good opportunity to inform stakeholders and get their comments and feedback on it.

A District level pre-inception meeting was organized on 16 January 2019 at Kavrepalanchowk and on 17 January 2019 at Sindhupalchowk.The primarily focus of both the meetings were to reflect on preliminary field visit, develop common understanding and co-operation regarding project and plan further actions.

A District level pre-inception meeting was organized on 16 January 2019 at Kavrepalanchowk and on 17 January 2019 at Sindhupalchowk.The primarily focus of both the meetings were to reflect on preliminary field visit, develop common understanding and co-operation regarding project and plan further actions.

A total of 33 community forests from Sindhupalchowk and Kavre districts were visited as potential sites for EnLiFT II. In this reconnaissance conducted from 13 to 28 December 2018, the pine forests of sites were observed as well as the group dynamics and socio-economic status of CFUGs were assessed. The primary findings were communicated to Division Forest Office of respective districts. EnLiFT II is the action-research project focusing on Active and Equitable forest Management (AEFM), Good governance and Pro-poor small-scale forest enterprises.