Nature Conservation and Agroforestry Production in Rural Communities, Nepal
Funded by the BMU and BMZ via the International Climate Initiative
From 2021 to 2024, the Manfred-Hermsen-Stiftung implemented a nature conservation and climate protection project in Nepal in cooperation with ANSAB (Asian Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources). The project has been supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU) through the Medium Grants of the International Climate Initiative (IMG).
The project area is located between the Himalayas and the Terai lowlands in southern Nepal in the middle of a biodiversity hotspot near the Chitwan National Park. It is home to the Bengal tiger, elephant, rhinoceros, Ganges gavial and many more rare and threatened species. However, detrimental practices such as seasonal undergrowth burning, illegal forest grazing, excessive timber harvesting and intensification of agriculture are threatening nature with its extraordinary biodiversity, the water catchment areas and thus the livelihoods of the rural population in this sensitive region.
The project
Building on the previous engagement of MHS and ANSAB in the project region, around 19,546 ha of forest and 735 ha of agricultural land were brought under improved management in cooperation with forest user communities, small farmers and local enterprises in the field of ecotourism and sustainable production. In the four municipalities included in the project, livelihoods of 55,984 habitants were improved and the growth in biomass, measured over three years across the entire 48,298 ha of forest land of the municipalities, resulted in a forest-carbon enhancement of around 2.15 million tons of CO2 equivalent.
Project activities included, among others:
- Supporting local Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs) through capacity building and the acquisition of forest use and management rights for previously unregistered groups
- Revision of forest management plans of CFUGs in line with the 2020 updated National Forest Stewardship Standard (NFSS) and additional criteria for the protection of biodiversity
- Prevention and control of forest fires and promotion of alternatives to the use of firewood
- Building capacities for forest-inventories, sustainable harvesting, and processing of non-timber forest products (herbs, forest-fruits, and others)
- Networking and institutionalization of smallholder farmers, as well as local capacity building in organic farming, humus building, wildlife conflict prevention and the development of a Participatory Guarantee System as an alternative to third party organic certification.
- Preparation for the certification of forest and agricultural areas according to organic and wildlife-friendly criteria.
- Support for local enterprises in the processing and marketing of sustainable products and ecotourism.
- Formation of an administrative structure between entrepreneurs, authorities and local communities to promote sustainable regional development.
- Environmental education and establishment of eco-clubs in local schools, construction of two environmental nature trails and awareness raising via local media.
Establishment of a processing plant for Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs)
With the establishment of the Namuna Jadibuti Processing Enterprise, the project made an important contribution to promoting sustainable forest management. The processing plant for NTFPs, financed through the project, enables local forest user groups to produce high-quality products at uniform quality standards. The resulting added value created an additional incentive to protect the natural growth of herbs and plants in the forests and thus stop harmful land use practices.
The enterprise, which is based on the direct participation of forest user groups, offers an improvement in the livelihoods to around 780 households in the surrounding villages. It thus serves as an example of positive change and the promotion of healthy economic growth.
www.namunajadibuti.com.np
Development of toolkits
In the course of this project, three toolkits were developed in support of sustainable land use practices. The toolkits were made available in Nepali and English as reference material for forest workers and farmers, as well as specialists and multipliers for training purposes:
Toolkit on Sustainable Harvesting of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs)
Toolkit on Organic Farming Practices
Manual on Cultivation Practices of Six Commercially Important Cultivated Medicinal and Aromatic Plant (MAP) Species
Assessment of forest carbon
At the beginning and the end of the project, a survey of the above forest floor biomass was carried out to assess the carbon stored in the forest and thus the impact of this project in terms of climate protection.
In contrast to the baseline scenario with reference to Nepal's Emission Reduction Program for the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) Region, determined at the start of the project, according to which an annual reduction in forest carbon of 0.76 tons of CO2 equivalent per hectare was to be expected, the project´s end-line assessment determined an average increase of 14.06 tCO2e per hectare and year. The assessment took the total forest area of the four municipalities of this project into account, in order to include any positive or negative impacts in the forests that not have been subject to direct project interventions. A relative increase in biomass equivalent to 2.15 million tons of CO2 was measured on the total forest area of 48,298 ha over the three-year period, marking a significant contribution to Nepal's National Determined Contributions (NDCs) by this project.
This video shows the results of our pilot project, being the basis for the IKI project N.E.P.A.L., which started in 2021: Nature Conservation and Community Development in Nawalpur district of Nepal - ANSAB
Independent complaint mechanism of the International Climate Initiative