NEPAL

Until the 1970s, forest based income was the largest source of government revenue in Nepal, with the large-scale export of logs and timber to India. This industry, together with the conversion of forestland for agriculture, resulted in serious forest degradation. As a result, the export of logs and timber was banned in 1979.

However, in the last 30 years, more than half of Nepals forests have continued to be cleared or seriously degraded for agricultural purposes and to meet the needs for fuelwood, fodder and timber. A realisation that the governments forest management strategy was failing has resulted in a shift towards greater community participation in forestry. More than 10,000 community Forest User Groups have been recognised and more than 600,000 ha of forests have been placed under their management. It is estimated that this could reach 3.5 million ha.

The majority of Nepals forests remain, to date, the responsibility of the government, and most of these are inadequately managed and widespread encroachment by those with no user rights regularly compromises the management efforts that are made. Illegal logging and smuggling of timber to India has been a problem ' although it does not appear to be widespread and no cases have been reported recently. The government has taken action against communities that have illegally cleared forest land for cultivation.

On the positive side, afforestation and reforestation efforts are reversing some of the previous damage, and the focus for forestry is on development rather than revenue - trade in wood products is still banned.

DOCUMENTS

DATE	TITLE	AUTHOR
01/11/2011	Forest Tenure in Asia: Status and Trends While Asia’s rapid growth has lifted millions out of poverty, persistent pockets still remain in ...	The Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC)
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23/02/2011	Mediated Policy Dialogues to Address Conflict over Natural Resource Governance The studies outlined in this policy brief demonstrate that mistrust and conflict between government departments ...	NCCR (North South)
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01/01/2011	Forests for Food Security and Livelihood Sustainability: Policy Problems and Opportunities for Small Farmers in Nepal In Nepal, many rural households need access to public forest resources to complement private resources ...	Faculty of Commerce, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand (Bhubaneswor Dhakal, Hugh Bigsby, & Ross Cullen)
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10/08/2009	The Eastern Himalayas: Where Worlds Collide This report describes more than 350 new species discovered in the Eastern Himalayas in the last decade ...	WWF
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NEWS

DATE	TITLE	AUTHOR
05/04/2013	Nepal: Eager to join global efforts to fight deforestation, but not getting to the root Though it has shown enthusiastic support for global efforts to slow forest loss and degradation (REDD+), ...	CIFOR
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10/10/2012	Deforestation rampant in Ilam The District Forest Office, Ilam, has formed a dispute resolution committee to settle a conflict surfaced ...	My Republica, Nepal
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30/09/2012	CIAA deforestation name list creates panic in Dadeldhura Dadeldhura - The revelation that a name list of the accused of rampant deforestation and timber smuggling ...	The Himalayan Times, Nepal
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27/09/2012	New international forestry award: Activist from Nepal receives Wangari Maathai Award Rome - The first-ever Wangari Maathai Award has been given today to a forestry activist from Nepal to ...	FAO Media Centre
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16/09/2012	Drive against deforestation: CIAA moves Special Court Kathmandu - In its drive against deforestation, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority ...	The Himalayan Times, Nepal
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04/08/2012	Deforestation cause of calamity: Shakya Bhaktapur - Minister for Environment, Science and Technology Keshav Man Shakya has said the growing deforestation ...	The Himalayan Times, Nepal
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15/07/2012	Govt to punish bureaucrats for deforestation Kathmandu - The Administrative Court today directed the government to punish bureaucrats who were involved ...	The Himalayan Times, Nepal
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23/06/2012	Forest officials seize illegal timber Dipayal - A team from the Doti District Forest Office led by ranger Manoj Air found 18.42 feet illegal ...	The Himalayan Times, Nepal
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01/04/2012	Deforestation rife in Kanchhanpur Mahendranagar - If the seizure of illegal wood in the last two months is any indication, then deforestation ...	The Himalayan Times, Nepal
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11/03/2012	Act amendment soon to curb deforestation Kathmandu - The Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation is giving final touches to a draft designed ...	The Himalayan Times, Nepal
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09/02/2012	Environment under threat from deforestation Kathmandu - Minister for Environment Hemraj Tated has said that environmental problems have been rising ...	The Himalayan Times, Nepal
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06/02/2012	Deforestation rampant in Kailali Kailali - Deforestation has been intensified in Kailali-based Basanta Corridor zone, which was once recognized ...	My Republica, Nepal
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24/01/2012	Warrant issued against 27 for deforestation in Dadeldhura Dadeldhura - A warrant has been issued against 27 people for their involvement in illegal deforestation ...	Republica, Nepal
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07/01/2012	CIAA team monitors Dadeldhura forest Dadeldhura - A Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority team arrived in Dadeldhura to investigate ...	The Himalayan Times, Nepal
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05/01/2012	'Irregularities rife‚ deforestation rampant' Kathmandu - The Commission for the Investigation of the Abuse of Authority (CIAA) today directed the ...	The Himalayan Times, Nepal
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01/05/2011	Minister directs foresters to curb timber smuggling Biratnagar - State Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Bhagawati Chaudhary directed the forest ...	The Himalayan Times, Nepal
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27/04/2011	Deforestation going on unabated in Siraha Siraha - The Natural Resources Committee of the Parliament has prohibited cutting of trees in Siraha. ...	The Himalayan Times, Nepal
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09/04/2011	Badly hurt‚ timber traders urge govt to lift ban Kathmandu - Timber traders are demanding that the government lift a ban on the trade. ...	The Himalayan Times, Nepal
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17/03/2011	Forest secretary convicted of deforestation Biratnagar - The District Forest Office, Morang, has sentenced Secretary of Amana Sisauli Community Forest ...	The Himalayan Times, Nepal
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09/03/2011	Deforestation rife in Banke nat'l park Banke - Deforestation is said to be rampant in eastern forest areas of Banke National Park bordering ...	My Republica, Nepal
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01/03/2011	Ilam vulture population falls sharply Ilam - The government recently launched a 10-year strategy to save endangered vulture species, but habitat ...	The Himalayan Times, Nepal
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24/02/2011	Deforestation probe puts 100 up a tree Kathmandu - “There can be neither civilisation nor happiness if forests crash down under the axe,” ...	The Himalayan Times, Nepal
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23/02/2011	Conservation projects in Guatemala and Nepal win UN environment prize A forest conservation initiative in Guatemala and a sustainable development project in Nepal are the ...	UN News Centre
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07/01/2011	Neither forests nor trees The current political disarray is resulting in calamitous deforestation across the country, and threatens ...	Nepali Times
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15/12/2010	Ministry misled PMO on deforestation Kathmandu - The Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MoFSC) is found to have misled the Prime Minister's ...	My Republica, Nepal
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29/09/2010	Nepal's forests 'being stripped by Indian timber demand' As India takes steps to protect its forests in the fight against climate change, timber smuggling from ...	BBC News
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27/09/2010	Worst deforestation in three decades! Kathmandu - Money does grow on trees...That’s what a House committee report has surmised after ...	The Himalayan Times, Nepal
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25/09/2010	Stakeholders voice concern on deforestation Mahendranagar - Stakeholders have voiced concerns over the massive deforestation in Kanchanpur and its ...	The Himalayan Times, Nepal
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16/09/2010	Stir against ban on wood trading Kathmandu - Wood traders across the country today announced their protest plans against the ban of wood ...	The Himalayan Times, Nepal
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15/08/2010	Forest user groups misusing rights: Govt Kathmandu - The government has blamed community forest user groups (CFUGs) for massive deforestation ...	My Republica, Nepal
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26/07/2010	'Massive deforestation taking place under the tutelage of Forest Ministry officials' Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee for Natural Resources and Means, Shanta Chaudhary, directly ...	NepalNews.com
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23/06/2010	Massive forest loss spurs Nepal to ban logging for two months Nepal has announced a two month ban on logging throughout the mountainous country, reports the AFP. The ...	Mongabay.com
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21/06/2010	Vigilance centre draws govt attention to massive deforestation in Chure, Terai regions The National Vigilance Centre (NVC) has drawn the attention of the government to massive forest degradation ...	Nepal News
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17/06/2010	Govt cracks down on deforestation Kathmandu - Amidst severe criticism over widespread deforestation and rise in the poaching of endangered ...	My Republica, Nepal
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16/06/2010	Forest officials, CFUGs found involved in illegal logging in many districts Trees are being taken down illegally in large numbers in many districts across the country with the unscrupulous ...	Nepal News
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02/02/2010	NEPAL: Communities take up cudgels for forest conservation Kathmandu - Tired of walking, Shankar Prasad Ghimire, 87, a retired government worker, puts his walking ...	IPS News
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07/01/2010	Rural communities lead Nepal’s green fightback Kavre, Nepal - Thirty years ago, Nepalese farmer Badri Prasad Jangam realized that the once thickly wooded ...	Business World, Philippines
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08/12/2009	Locals seize illegal timber from PLA Chitwan - Locals and forest patrol team in Chitwan have jointly seized timber worth Rs 100,000, which ...	Republica, Nepal
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29/11/2009	Timber smuggling rampant in Siraha Lahan - Timber smuggling is said to be going on in connivance of forest officials with timber smugglers ...	Republica, Nepal
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17/11/2009	Police uncover timber scam Sandalwood continues to be smuggled out of Lau Province even after controls were introduced to address ...	Fiji Times Online
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02/11/2009	Five nations sign up to UN initiative to tackle deforestation Five countries today joined the United Nations initiative aimed at combating climate change by creating ...	UN News Centre
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12/10/2009	Deforestation aids floods and landslides in Nepal The monsoon season has wrecked havoc in Nepal once again. Every year, sadly, it is the same story of ...	UPIAsia.com
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11/08/2009	10 countries with the highest deforestation rates in the world Hopefully it comes as no great surprise to you that deforestation is a major problem in many areas of ...	Tree Hugger
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10/08/2009	New species discovered in Eastern Himalayas face uncertainty The fragile ecosystems of the Eastern Himalayas have been proven to harbor incredible biological diversity ...	EcoWorldly
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11/07/2009	Crisis looms as water sources start drying up in Ilam Ilam - Rampant deforestation has taken its toll in Ilam district with drinking water sources starting ...	Republica, Nepal
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02/07/2009	REDD readiness plans for Panama, Guyana approved but rejected for Indonesia The World Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) has approved REDD readiness plans (R-Plans) ...	Mongabay.com
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24/07/2008	14 countries win REDD funding to protect tropical forests Fourteen countries have been selected by the World Bank to receive funds for conserving their tropical ...	Mongabay.com
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04/05/2007	Police, forest officials bust 86 illegal loggers in Rautahat Rautahat, Nepal - A team of police and forest officials arrested 86 persons from Rauthat for their involvement ...	eKantipur.com (Nepal)
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27/08/2006	Nepal Maoists reportedly involved in smuggling of contraband timber Harakpur, Morang, Nepal - Contraband Simal trees [silk cotton, Bombax malabarica] are being felled and ...	Kantipur (Nepal)
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17/11/2005	Nigeria has worst deforestation rate, FAO revises figures Nigeria has the world's highest deforestation rate of primary forests according to revised deforestation ...	Mongabay.com
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PRESENTATIONS

DATE	TITLE	AUTHOR
10/02/2012	Nepal's initiatives to reduce illegal logging	Kiran Dongol, Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, Nepal
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10/02/2012	Illegal logging and the issue of transparency in Nepal: civil society perspective	Dil Raj Khanal, FECOFUN
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22/10/2009	Equitable and effective forestbased climate change mitigation; learning from Nepal	Bhola Battarai, FECOFUN, Nepal
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22/10/2009	Forestry governance and climate change in the context of community forestry in Nepal	Yuba Raj Bhusal, Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation Government of Nepal
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