Training on field method on Forest Landscape Restoration
Restoring forest landscapes is a global priority and local necessity, vital for addressing climate change and biodiversity loss. Nepal excels in forest restoration through participatory community forestry, managing over a third (2.3 million hectares) as community forests. Despite these successes, forest degradation continues; forest heterogeneity has declined, incidences of forest fire have increased, overall biodiversity, including rare and threatened plants, is not adequately conserved, and invasive species of plants and animals are rising in forests.
Noting such issues and urgency, ForestAction Nepal is undertaking a research to analyse the socio-ecological outcomes of restoration interventions in Nepal. As part of this research, a training program on the assessment of Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) was organised between 27th and 30th December, 2024. The event, which took place in Ramdhuni Forest, Sunsari, Nepal, featured hands-on training on field data collection to enhance capacity building of targeted research team members while also inviting graduate students and forest officials for capacity development.
Graduate students from Post Graduate Campus, Biratnagar and Purbanchal University, College of Environment and Forestry along with forest officer from Ramdhuni sub-division office were trained alongside research team members. They received comprehensive training to enhance their skills in forest inventory and data collection techniques on FLR, gaining invaluable practical experience.
Community workshop to discuss issues on FLR
A workshop was organised to discuss various social and ecological issues around restoration interventions, monitoring and outputs. The training/workshop brought together a diverse group of participants, including community leaders from nearby community forests, forest officials, and representatives from FECOFUN, NFA, and ForestAction Nepal. The consultation featured an expert presentation on the crucial role of community involvement in forest landscape restoration (FLR). Various activities were designed to engage participants, helping them better understand FLR principles and practices. These included both open-ended and close-ended activities that provided participants with multiple options to contribute their insights and suggestions on effective forest landscape restoration methods. The collaborative approach ensured that the input from all stakeholders was valued and incorporated into the restoration plans.
Field work for data collection on Forest Landscape Restoration
From 19th December 2024 to 2nd January 2025, a team of researchers from ForestAction Nepal conducted a comprehensive field data collection in Ramdhuni Forest, Sunsari, Nepal, for Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR). The team gathered data from various forest types- community forests, national forests, and religious forest. The collected data encompassed forest structure, species richness, and species composition. Additionally, they assessed Tree related Microhabitats (TMs) and evaluated a range of environmental variables such as topographic, edaphic (soil-related), and disturbance factors. Socio-economic variables were also recorded to understand the human impact and involvement in the forest ecosystem. This thorough data collection aimed to provide a holistic understanding of the forest’s current state and inform effective restoration strategies.