Author: Sanjeev Gurung

ForestAction Nepal has recently organised a “Leadership Training on Forest Landscape Restoration” at Pakhribas, Dhankuta, from 20 to 25 September 2026. Acknowledging the need for local capacity for inclusive forest restoration, the training was organised to empower community leaders including youths. The training brought together total of 28 (17 female & 11 male) participants from 11 districts of Koshi province. Participants comprised of leaders of community forest user groups (CFUGs), environmental officers from local governments and representatives from FECOFUN working at local and district level.

The training conceptualised key social ecological and economic issues on Nepal’s forest landscape restoration through various methods. Dedicated sessions and discussions were organised on inclusion through biodiversity conservation, placed based restoration and inclusive governance of forest landscape restoration. The sessions were facilitated through interactive discussions, experience sharing and participatory learning approaches. The training encouraged exchange of learning and experiences among participants to identify common challenges, share locally adopted practices and explore potential solutions on degradation. The training strengthened participants’ understanding on resilient forest and meaningful participation of women, indigenous peoples and other marginalised groups in benefit sharing and forest landscape restoration plannings.

The event is third in series of leadership training organised as part of ForestAction led REDAA project “Promoting Ecologically Sound and Socially Just Forest Landscape Restoration through Co-production of Knowledge and Local Capacity Building”.

ForestAction Nepal supported the establishment and functioning of Cluster-Level Mechanisms to strengthen the capacity of Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs) for the sustainable utilisation of forest products and to contribute to improving the livelihoods of local communities in collaboration with local government in previous years in Sindhupalchowk and Karvepalanchowk. The objective of this assessment was to study the current status and functionality of the Cluster-Level Mechanisms, including their institutional continuity, activities and prospects for their sustainability. The visit also focused on consultation and coordination with the concerned municipality and other relevant stakeholders to understand existing and emerging priorities.

Furthermore, the visit assessed the status of documentation, future plans, coordination mechanisms, and opportunities for institutionalising and sustaining the Cluster-Level Mechanisms beyond the project period. The findings provided a basis for identifying appropriate follow-up actions and informing future planning and potential support for strengthening community forestry governance, sustainable forest product utilization, and local livelihood improvement.

 

Forest fire risk is not distributed equally across society. Individuals differ in their physical, psychological, and social circumstances, and these differences shape how exposed and vulnerable they are. Persons with disabilities are particularly at risk, as impairments may limit their capacity to perceive early warnings, evacuate quickly, or access emergency support. This is particularly the case in the mid-hills of Nepal, where steep and rugged terrain, narrow trails, scattered settlements, and limited access to roads can make evacuation and access to emergency services challenging. Therefore, disability-inclusive forest fire safety orientations are essential to raise awareness of fire risks, share accessible early-warning information, develop practical evacuation and response skills, and strengthen preparedness at household and community levels.

Citing the importance, a one-day orientation on safety measures for people with disabilities (PwDs) during forest fires was held on 21^st September 2026 at Shailung Rural Municipality. Shailung Rural Municipality and ForestAction Nepal jointly organized the event under the project “Fostering Community-Led Forest Fire Management in Nepal” funded by Australian Himalayan Foundation (AHF) and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australia. The event was targeted at PwDs residing in wards 4 and 5 of Shailung rural municipality. Over thirty people with various types of disabilities took part. Also present were the caretakers of selective individuals and a few community leaders for whom sensitizing on the topic is of utmost importance.

Audio-visuals, and interactive approaches on forest fire risks and safety was adopted to ensure that the issues discussed was made simple and easily comprehensible to those present. By making forest fire safety accessible to everyone, the orientation marks a step toward ensuring that no one in Shailung is left behind when fire strikes.

ForestAction Nepal in partnership with the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) is implementing Inclusive Climate Finance for Vulnerable Communities in the Asia Pacific (ICCAP) Project’s work package 4 as Multistakeholder Action Lab (MAL) host, to co-design and pilot locally appropriate adaptation solutions and connect them with relevant climate finance opportunities.

A five-day capacity-building workshop was conducted from 21^st– 25^th September 2026 to kick off the project with technical facilitation from the SEI team. The workshop provided an important platform for knowledge exchange, practical learning, and strengthening project team’s understanding of: climate finance, bankable climate adaptation solutions, Gender Transformative Approaches (GTA), and linking adaptation with finance.

The workshop strengthened the project team with collective understanding of how inclusive climate adaptation solutions can be developed, financed, and translated into meaningful action.

 

On 18^th September 2026, ForestAction Nepal held its Annual General Meeting and social audit. 90 participants were presented in the meeting including government representatives, stakeholders and partners of the organisation.
The program commenced with ForestAction Nepal’s governing board sharing organisation’s general and financial progress of year 2025-2026 and plans for the current year. The Annual Report 25-26 was presented highlighting the year’s major activities and interventions in natural resource management and policy advocacy. Similarly, noting the flood disaster of August 2026, a presentation was shared reflecting the socio-ecological resilience in Nepal’s evolving disaster landscape. The program concluded with discussion on the organisation’s continued commitment to evidence based knowledge generation, support in policy and practice, and strengthening interventions for sustainable and inclusive natural resource governance in Nepal.

View annual report 25-26

Governance in forest management has consistently been a subject of public concern, despite Nepal’s nearly five decades of experience with community-based forest management. As part of assessment of the economic potential and political economy of the forestry sector, ForestAction Nepal has identified significant variation in forest management approaches across different forest regimes and provincial context. However, management practices across countries are not similar, which may be due to ecosystem diversity and socio-economic situation and management approach. Observations are also indicated, after federalisation, sub-national governments have also adopted their own strategies in forest management and ecosystem conservation.

In this context, as a part of SNGP-II project, from July 6 to 11, 2026, the team assessed the different ecological region’s Community Based Forest Management (CBFM) to reflect the forest management and governance practices in three provinces. The field work was carried out in Umakochowk CFUG, Myagde-2, Tanahun, Milijuli Paleko Ban CFUG, Tansen-13, Palpa, Shreengeghat CFUG, Bangganga-1,3,4,5, Kapilvastu, Deepad CFUG, Manahari-6, Makwanpur and Madhyabindu Collaborative FUG, Kawasoti-14, Nawalpur. These selected cases illustrated successful forest management approaches across diverse ecological, institutional, and governance contexts. Key observation was implementation of operation plans, distribution of forest products, engagement with different stakeholders, adoption of silviculture practices, satisfaction level of users, documentation practices, and inclusiveness on activities implementation.

In accordance with the Government of Nepal’s decision to celebrate Shrawan 16 as National Millets Day, the Second National Millets Day was celebrated across the country this year under the slogan: “Conservation and Promotion of Millets for Enhanced Food and Nutrition Security.”

On this occasion, ForestAction Nepal, serving as the Secretariat of the Alliance of Agriculture for Food (AAF), in collaboration with Chaurideurali Rural Municipality, Agriculture Development Office, Kavre, Dhurmuse Seed Producer Farmers’ Group, and Association of Nepali Agricultural Journalists (ANAJ), organized a joint National Millets Day celebration on August 1, 2026 (Shrawan 16) in Chaurideurali Rural Municipality, Kavre.

The event was marked by a collective finger millet transplanting activity, highlighting the importance of millets as nutritious crops and their contribution to food and nutrition security. The celebration brought together stakeholders to recognize the importance of agriculture, food, and cultural diversity.

   

The event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including Renuka Chaulagai, Chairperson of Chaurideurali Rural Municipality, Uddhav Adhikari, Coordinator of the Alliance of Agriculture for Food, Kul Prasad Dawadi, Chief of the Agriculture Development Office, Kavre, current and former members of the federal and provincial committees of the Nepal Farmers Group Federation, representatives of AAF, media personnels, representatives of ANAJ, and local farmers and youths.

Speaking at the event, the participants emphasized the need to expand the area under  millet cultivation, incorporate millet into daily diets, and promote its production and consumption. Discussions focused on the conservation and promotion of millets, particularly local varieties, as well as increasing production and productivity. The discussions also emphasized processing and value addition of millet products to strengthen the value chain and local economy through increased production, consumption, and marketing.

In celebration of the 23rd National Paddy Day and Rice Planting Festival, observed annually on Asar 15 (June 29), ForestAction Nepal, serving as the Secretariat of the Alliance of Agriculture for Food (AAF), organized a special event in collaboration with the College of Natural Resource Management, Bardibas. The celebration took place at Chhaharee Farm in Kauche, Sindhuli, a youth-led agroecological farm, under the national theme: “Climate-Smart Technologies for Self-Reliance and Prosperity in Rice Production.”

The event celebrated Nepal’s rich agricultural heritage, honored the invaluable contributions of farmers, and encouraged greater youth engagement in agriculture. It also promoted climate-smart and sustainable rice cultivation practices while inspiring future generations to contribute to resilient and productive agricultural systems.

The program brought together nearly 70 participants, including Mr. Binod Pradhan, Ward Chairperson of Kamalamai Municipality Ward No. 9, Mr. Madhu Dhungel, Ward Member, Mr. Uddhav Adhikari, Coordinator of AAF, Associate Professor Umesh Timilsina from the College of Natural Resource Management, Bardibas, AAF members, the Chhaharee Farm team, students from the College of Natural Resource Management, Bardibas, farmers and community people.

A key highlight of the celebration was the collective rice transplanting activity, which offered participants hands-on experience in traditional paddy cultivation. The event also featured demonstrations on the use of Azolla as a sustainable biofertilizer and livestock feed, along with a traditional Hille race, adding a festive spirit to the occasion. These activities not only promoted knowledge sharing on climate-resilient agricultural practices but also strengthened collaboration among farmers, youth, educational institutions, local government representatives, and community members, reinforcing the importance of sustainable and climate-smart agriculture.

ForestAction Nepal showcases theatre, dialogue, and technical presentations at the National Conference on Sustainable Agri-Food Systems

As a contributing organization to the National Conference on Sustainable Agri-Food Systems (SAFS 2026), organized by the Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU) from 25–27 June 2026 in Rampur, Chitwan, ForestAction Nepal showcased innovative approaches to promoting sustainable agri-food systems through theatre, dialogue, and technical presentations.

Opening Day: Theatre as a Catalyst for Reflection

The session concluded with a musical performance titled “Who Would Be a Fool to arm Here?” a fusion of rap and melody that humorously portrayed contemporary perceptions of agriculture. By highlighting the declining appeal of farming among young people, the performance underscored the urgent need to restore dignity, recognition, and value to agriculture as a viable, rewarding, and respected profession.

Second Day: Science and Policy Take the Stage

On the second day of the conference, Dr. Lila Nath Sharma, Executive Coordinator of ForestAction Nepal, delivered a keynote presentation titled “Transitioning Nepal’s Forest Restoration from ‘Forest Cover to Biodiversity and Health’ for Resilient Landscapes.” He emphasized the need to shift Nepal’s forest restoration efforts beyond increasing forest cover toward enhancing biodiversity, improving forest health, and strengthening community stewardship to build resilient landscapes.

Dr. Krishna Prasad Paudel, Agricultural Policy Analyst at ForestAction Nepal, also delivered a keynote presentation titled “Healing the Metabolic Rift: Agroecology, Policy Contestation, and Himalayan Rejuvenation in Nepal.” His presentation examined the ecological and socio-economic consequences of industrial agriculture and highlighted the importance of agroecological approaches in restoring soil health, strengthening food sovereignty, and advancing the sustainable transformation of Nepal’s agri-food systems.

Reinforcing a Commitment to Sustainable Food Systems

ForestAction Nepal’s participation in SAFS 2026 reflects its enduring commitment to advancing sustainable and resilient agri-food systems in Nepal. Through interdisciplinary research, policy engagement, innovation, and strategic collaboration, the organization continues to promote evidence-based solutions that strengthen agroecology, conserve biodiversity, restore resilient landscapes, and support inclusive rural development. The organization remains committed to working with diverse partners to foster transformative change toward sustainable food systems and a more resilient future for both people and nature.

From 12–15 June 2026, ForestAction Nepal along with the consortium partners embarked on a insightful field visit to Sudurpaschim Province, and here’s a glimpse of what unfolded.

Together with the consortium partners, led by the University of Göttingen (Germany), United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), and Nepal Forest Fire Management Chapter (NFMC), an inception workshop was held in Dhangadhi, bringing together key federal and provincial stakeholders for the transboundary approaches to sustainable forest management for enhancing climate resilient and reducing disaster risk in the Himalayas (TRANSMIT) project.

Prior to the workshop, ForestAction Nepal and ICIMOD collaboratively completed groundwork on Community Forest selection across three districts, Kanchanpur, Dadeldhura, and Darchula, laying the foundation for three years of research focused on disaster risk mitigation, climate resilience, and livelihood support for local communities. The consortium was met with encouraging and positive response from the Province Secretary, Province Forest Director, and other key stakeholders.

Over three days, the team visited community forests across all three districts, walking through diverse forest types, meeting local communities, and gaining invaluable on-ground perspective on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

A strong start to building transboundary forest resilience in the Western Himalayas.