Author: Sanjeev Gurung

ForestAction Nepal held its 23^rd Annual General Meeting on 22^nd September 2025. Among the participants presented were the government officials, board members of ForestAction Nepal, guests, partners and alumina of the organisation.

Having completed its 25 years of action and engagement in NRM and policy advocacy, ForestAction Nepal presented a short glimpse into its journey noting the various achievements, initiations, challenges the organisation faced and also shared gratitude towards its partners and collective members for their support and encouragement throughout the journey. Similarly, ForestAction Nepal also welcomed and congratulated its new chairperson, Prof. Dr. Ambika Prasad Gautam and the executive board members. The meeting was a success to bring together the organisation’s collective team and plan a better journey in sustainable management of natural resources and policy advocacy.

A two-day training on Forest Fire Response and Safety Protocols was organised on 3^rd-4^th September 2025 at Golmeshwor and 5^th-6^th September 2025 at Salleri Community Forest User Group, Shailung rural municipality, Dolakha. The program engaged 46 participants (26 at Golmeshwor and 20 at Salleri), including community stakeholders, representatives of local government, and staff from the Division Forest Office. The primary objective was to enhance local capacity for the prevention, detection, and control of forest fires while prioritising both personal and environmental safety.

The training was facilitated by Mr. Gagan Sharma, Forest Fire Expert, MoFE Bagmati Province; Mr. Madan Bashyal, Forest Fire and Safety Expert, ForestAction Nepal; Mr. Sharada Prasad Chalise, Mock Drill Facilitator; Mr. Manish Shrestha, Program Officer, ForestAction Nepal; and Project Lead, Mr. Rahul Karki. Core sessions addressed forest fire dynamics, underlying causes, suppression methods, safety measures, and legal frameworks. Participants also took part in practical field exercises and a mock drill, designed to reinforce theoretical knowledge with real-life application. Pre- and post-training assessments were conducted to evaluate learning outcomes.

Key Reflections

Govinda Khadka, Chairperson, Golmeshwor CFUG: “This training gave us the confidence to respond to wildfires as a team. The practical skills and emphasis on communication showed us how coordination can save both forests and lives.”

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Ujeli Karki, Participant: “The structured sessions and hands-on drills made the learning real. Practising the tools and techniques under expert guidance has changed how I understand forest fire response.”

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Sharada Prasad Chalise, Mock Drill Facilitator: “The commitment of the participants was inspiring. Their active involvement proved they are ready to apply these skills in real situations, which is the true measure of preparedness.”

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Gagan Sharma, Forest Fire Expert, MoFE Bagmati Province: “Forest fire risks are rising everywhere. Continuous training like this is not optional; it is essential. Collective action is the only way we protect our forests and communities.”

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The program concluded with reflections from participants and forest officials, followed by closing remarks from the Project Lead, Mr. Rahul Karki. Participants acknowledged that the training substantially improved their knowledge and confidence in forest fire management, reaffirming the importance of continued capacity-building efforts to safeguard community forests and strengthen local resilience.

Since March 2025, ForestAction Nepal has been undertaking Building Agroforestry-based Adaptation Plans for Resilient Floodplains (BAGAR) project in collaboration with Heifer International Nepal in Gadhimai Municipality of Rautahat District and Marin Rural Municipality of Sindhuli district. A field visit was initiated from 2nd – 12th September 2025 to conduct FGDs, KIIs and household survey to collect necessary information for Gadhimai Municipality-level Agroforestry Guideline. FGDs were held in nine EBA (Ecosystem-based Adaptation) forums where among 126 participants, 36 women and 90 men participated. Simultaneously, 10 KIIs were conducted with the major stakeholders (5 ward chairpersons, 4 agro farmers, and a mayor), along with 61 household surveys to gather the information for the guideline.

Nepal, an ecologically rich landscape comprising of significantly high biodiversity, with its dramatic elevation gradient creates a mosaic of distinct ecosystem. The upswing in recent biodiversity research has improved data acquisition however, there exist a notable gap in awareness and capacity for open-access data sharing and mobilization. Thus, to acknowledge the existing challenges and opportunities, in support of Global Biodiversity
Information Facility (GBIF), led by ForestAction Nepal (FAN) in collaboration with International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), organised a two-day National Consultation workshop from 31 st August to 1 st September 2025 on “Enhancing Biodiversity Data Mobilisation” that brought together 24 experts from government agencies responsible for biodiversity conservation and management, biodiversity experts, academia and national herbaria and museums to discuss their scope, priorities and interest in sharing and mobilising biodiversity data. The workshop further emphasized on disseminating knowledge on biodiversity data mobilization and develop insights for proposal and partnerships to address targets of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

The consultation addressed Nepal’s biodiversity data mobilisation challenges and opportunities, highlighting the importance of collaborative, multidisciplinary methods that integrate scientific capabilities, policy frameworks, and institutional support. The event emphasized GBIF’s role in providing open-access biodiversity data platforms, while addressing ethical, legal, and technical considerations. High priority revolved around capacity building, data quality assurance, policy harmonization, and leveraging technology for sustainable biodiversity management in line with global and regional targets. Moving forward, strategic use of open access platform such as GBIF and its regional node Hindu Kush Himalayan Biodiversity Information Facility (HKHBIF) is of essence, as is exploring into potential funding such as Global Biodiversity Fund and support long term initiatives for data sharing and mobilisation.

The National Forest Information System (NFIS) and the Safeguards Information System (SIS) of Nepal are web-based platforms developed by the Ministry of Forests and Environment, primarily through the REDD Implementation Centre (REDD-IC). These systems are designed to manage, monitor, and disseminate comprehensive forest-related data and information. Initiated by REDD-IC, both platforms aim to enhance effective forest management and support informed decision-making.

The NFIS serves as a centralized repository for forest data in Nepal. It integrates various datasets, such as forest type maps, statistical analyses, and research reports to provide stakeholders with easy access to vital forest information. The development and successful implementation of the NFIS marks a significant step forward in Nepal’s forestry sector.

In collaboration with REDD-IC and Upaveda Technology Pvt. Ltd., and with financial support from the World Bank, ForestAction Nepal has collected critical forest data from 13 districts within the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) project area during the first phase in March and April 2025. Additionally, with ongoing financial support from the UK-TA LEAF program, which is jointly implemented by Ricardo, Winrock, and CLP, data collection efforts have expanded to 28 districts across Bagmati, Gandaki, and Lumbini provinces.

Our policies and procedures have been providing a roadmap for day-to-day operations for the organization and the team. We are committed to ensure that all our team members are better informed and adhere to the organizational policies and reflect it in their actions and priorities. In this line, sharing and reflection on ForestAction policies was organized as part of the Friday talk series, where the staff members came together to share and discuss areas of the organizational policies.

Presentations, followed by discussion around 11 separate policies of ForestAction Nepal were held. Different safeguarding policies including GEDSI, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH), Child Protection, among others were shared and discussed. Not only were the sessions helpful in developing a better understanding of the policies, it provided a platform for all the staff members to identify the gaps and space for improvement on our existing policies and practices.

ForestAction Nepal, in partnership with Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies (SIAS) and Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), is exploring financing pathways for women-led or women- benefitting grassroots organisations engaged in climate-positive agriculture and forestry enterprises. Despite some policy efforts, women in Nepal still face structural barriers such as lack of forest tenure rights, limited access to land and finance, and inequalities. This project aims to develop better understanding of the challenges, improve financial literacy, and develop models for accessible and inclusive financing, offering a potential model for similar initiatives across Asia. Since the project’s inception, several activities have been undertaken, including preliminary visits to selected enterprises by the project team in April and a landscape study visit in May 2025 to Nawalparasi and Dolakha. Additional key actions include review of relevant literature, preparing a list of enterprises, and providing feedback and suggestions to the landscape study team. Currently, development of a review article and a policy brief is underway.

As part of the BAGAR Project (Building Agroforestry-Based Adaptation Plans for Resilient Floodplains), a reconnaissance field visit was conducted from June 4 to 12, 2025, in Gadimai Municipality of Rautahat and Marin Rural Municipality of Sindhuli district. The main objective was to assess existing agroforestry practices in flood-prone communities and understand their role in mitigating flood risks and supporting fodder production. Through site observations, stakeholder consultations, and community-level discussions with both adopters and non-adopters of agroforestry, the team gathered critical insights into current models, local challenges, and adaptive strategies.

As the field sites represented two distinct geographic regions- Gadimai in the Terai and Marin in the Chure belt- slight differences in agroforestry practices were observed in their flood plain areas respectively. In Gadimai, agroforestry was largely practiced by individual farmers on private lands with their own indigenous knowledge, mainly in the form of aquaculture and boundary plantations. Agricultural cultivation was the primary activity, with minimal integration of tree species in floodplain areas commonly referred to as “Bagar Kheti”.

In contrast, Marin showcased community-based agroforestry practices, primarily within community forests managed by CFUGs. These included plantation of species such as banana, mango, jackfruit, lychee, lemon, and fodder grasses like ukhu ghas, amriso, ipil-ipil, kimbu contributing to both ecological restoration and livelihood support. Agroforestry practices were also observed on private lands, adopted by individual landowners adopting their own knowledge. The nature of floodplain-related challenges differed as well: Gadimai experiences large-scale seasonal flooding from the Bagmati River, while Marin, located in the fragile Chure landscape, faces both flooding and severe soil erosion, including riverbed cutting.

The visit reaffirmed that agroforestry practices such as boundary planting, riverbed agroforestry, and integrated aquaculture play a significant role in slope stabilisation, erosion control, and fodder availability. In riverbed agroforestry, farmers cultivate short-term crops like seasonal vegetables during the dry season while planting perennial species such as bamboo, banana, and Dalbergia sissoo along bunds and field edges.

Stakeholders, including municipal officials, CFUGs, farmers, and vulnerable groups, expressed enthusiastic interest in scaling up agroforestry interventions. However, integrated management plan, awareness, financial support, limited technical support, and market access remain key constraints to expansion. The findings from this field visit will inform the development of localized, evidence-based adaptation plans to enhance climate resilience in Nepal’s flood-affected regions.