Category: News

Raising awareness on the importance of sustainable farming through theatre play in the communities

ForestAction Nepal, in collaboration with the Shilpi Group, showcased the drama Sattapatta across ten locations in Chitwan from November 12–20, 2024, with the primary goal of raising awareness about sustainable farming. The performances targeted a diverse audience, including students, teachers, local government representatives, and community members, particularly farmers. By engaging both younger and older generations, the initiative aimed to influence those directly and indirectly involved in agricultural practices.

Each performance attracted an audience of approximately 150-200 people, successfully engaging them throughout the show. Through its powerful narrative, the play effectively highlighted the growing reliance on chemical inputs in agriculture, emphasising their harmful impacts on soil health, human well-being, and the overall ecosystem.

Additionally, meaningful discussions about the need for alternative, sustainable farming practices were thoroughly conducted after every show. The play not only conveyed a positive message but also helped participants understand the importance of sustainable farming systems.

ForestAction Nepal successfully held its 22nd Annual General Meeting on 22nd September 2024. On this occasion, the organization took an opportunity to honor the former chairperson of ForestAction Board, Prof. Dr. Ram Bahadur Chhetri, who chaired for over 8 years and acted as the principal investigator for various research projects. Additionally, the organization recognized Mrs. Laxmi Thapa, a dedicated staff member who has been with ForestAction since its establishment.

Forest fire has been an issue of concern across Nepal, and relevant actors have been struggling to identify ways to effectively address the problem. While several strategies are put in place, they seem to have been inadequate. Most importantly, lack of capacities of relevant stakeholders emerges as a major weakness when it comes to addressing the issue. In this line, ForestAction Nepal hosted a Forest Fire Training Module Sharing Workshop delivered by highly experienced experts from Australia. Mr. Alan Hill and Mr. Vince Cafari, from Australia, shared a forest fire training module that is targeted to the Nepalese audiences. The purpose of the workshop was to refine the forest fire training module before rolling it down to the field. This is part of our collective effort to combat the increasing risk of forest fires in Nepal.

ForestAction Nepal organised one-day interactive event in Sindhupalchowk and Nawalpur on “Policy-related Opportunities and Practical Challenges of Forest-based Enterprises”. The program took place on 3 rd September 2024 in Nawalpur and 13 th September 2024 in Sindhupalchowk. The event aimed to provide forest-based enterprises with the knowledge, resources and strategies necessary for sustainable operation and financial sustainability.The event integrated various learning approaches such as presentation and interactive discussions amon participants. The interactive session focused on sharing of experiences,challenges and suggestions for the forest-based entrepreneurs where key points on expanding the business scale, effective group collaboration, nature and long-term support along with market challenges were discussed among the participants. The event provided a common platform for various stakeholders, including local entrepreneurs, government officials, financial institutions, and non-governmental organisations to discuss and address financial and operational challenges to ensure the sustainability and profitability of forest-based enterprises.

ForestAction Nepal’s Jalthal Biodiversity project is working with key stakeholders to conserve biodiversity of Jalthal forest. While conserving overall biodiversity of the forest, special attention was paid to conserve rare and threated plants (put here a link for the rare trees pdf). The project also conducted experiment to analyse regeneration of rare and threatened species.

To support conservation of such species and to provide in situ education to visitors, the project has supported in establishing Biodiversity Demonstration Block in Durgabhitta and Abhimukteswar community forests. In the block, visitors can witness several rare and unique trees (like Latahar) in accessible location, even seeing 40 species of trees from two locations. On 2 nd August 2024, a plantation program was organised in the block. Leaders from FECOFUN and CFS were present in the program. Altogether 240 seedlings of seven rare species, grown in project established conservation nursery, were planted in the block.The rare species planted were: Cowa Mangosteen (Ban Suntala), Elephant apple (Autyanga), Burmese grape (Kusum), Sour mangosteen (Chunyel), locally rare cinnamomum species (Malagiri), Cycas (Thakal) and Eastern Uvaria (Bandar Jhulla).

In the last two decades, 300 people have died in Nepal due to elephant attacks. Among all, Jalthal area is the worst affected by human elephant conflict. In the municipalities surrounding the Jalthal forest, there has been death of 21 people in elephant attack. Similarly, six elephants were reported dead during the last seven years in the region.

ForestAction Nepal has been working with stakeholders to restore the degraded yet rich biodiversity-Jalthal forest. Given the seriousness of the issue, ForestAction Nepal has been undertaking wetland restoration, small water hole improvement, invasive species control and plantation of elephant fodder. Banana, bamboo, Niwaro and Latahar are among the planted fodder species. Similarly, the works in Jalthal forest has prioritized conservation of natural regeneration in collaboration with DFO Jhapa and local community forests user groups (CFUGs).

In 21 st August, on the occasion of World Elephant Day, an interaction program was organised at various places in Kachankawal. Kachankawal rural municipality is one of the worst affected area in the landscape. In Moti Secondary School, a program on human-elephant coexistence was conducted where, the chairman of the School Management Committee, Sheshlal Rajvanshi, the vice president of Kachankawal Rural Municipality Navraj Bhattarai, the Principal of the school, Chabilal Basnet, and the program coordinator of Forest Action Nepal-Lila Nath Sharma, Forest Officers of Division Forest Office Rishi Ram Parajuli, Raju Khadka, Wildlife Conservationist Deven Kharel-a photo journalist and conservation enthusiast and other representatives of Kachankawal, teachers, students and stakeholders interacted and held discussion on the matter. In the program, various topics related to elephants, human-elephant conflict and human- elephant coexistence challenges and solutions were discussed. Students of the school also attended a quiz program focused on ecology and behaviors of Elephant.

On the same day, at Municipality level, FECOFUN in collaboration with ForestAction Nepal organised an interaction program in Abhimukteswar community forest. Human-elephant conflict and ways of enhancing human elephant conflicts were discussed in the program. The program was attended by users of Abhimuktewar CF and leaders from six different CFUGs in Kachankawal. Local people also shared their experience with slow process of compensation. In both the programs, among others, participants also identified and highlighted that awareness raising programs and forest restoration should go hand by hand.

ForestAction Nepal Jalthal team along with two conservation enthusiast (Mr Shankar Luintel and Deven Kharel) also visited Salakpur area of Ilam to interact with local people on recent movement of Elephant in the region. The locals informed that historically the region had elephant movement, however, it has decreased in the last few decades. It was also known that recently Elephant have started residing longer in the Indo-Nepal bordering area near Salakpur.