National dialogue on strengthening forest fire management in Nepal
Nepal’s rich forest ecosystems are increasingly threatened by forest fires, driven by climate change and human activities. Over the past two decades, forest fires have destroyed thousands of hectares of forest, alongside the lives of people and wildlife. There has been a sense of urgency among the stakeholders to address the issue, wherein a common platform was much needed to discuss critical areas and come up with converging views. In congruence to that, a national dialogue on ‘Strengthening Forest Fire Management in Nepal’ was organised by NDRRMA in collaboration with ForestAction Nepal, and in support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) through the Australian Embassy in Nepal, on 4 December 2024 in Kathmandu. Interesting presentations, a panel discussion, and floor discussions were instrumental in deepening our understanding on forest fire management in Nepal.
Key takeaways
– Large part of the problem lies with the protective regime and lack of management resulting in heavy fuel load in forests. Suitable forest management with active harvesting and other silvicultural operations will help mitigate the problem
– Given our difficult topography and limited financial and human resources, a rather decentralised, local/community-based approach would be appropriate. Resources and capacity building interventions should therefore focus on local communities/actors.
– Involvement of private entities would be crucial in fostering forest-based enterprises, with the management decisions still remaining with the community to ensure equitable benefits.
– Revision of the existing forest fire management strategy considering the changing socio-economic dynamics of the country is pertinent.
– Need for more work on scaling forest fire mitigation and prevention through the use of technologies like early warning system, forest fire detection and monitoring system and adopt technology transfer to concerned authorities.
– Clearly defined roles, responsibilities, collaboration, and jurisdictions among stakeholders to create a cohesive approach to forest fire risk reduction and management for the avoidance of overlaps and inefficiencies is imperative.
