Nepal is a land-locked, mountainous country, located along the southern slope of the Himalayas between India and China, situated at the junction of the Indo-Malayan and Palaearctic Biogeographic Realms. Within a distance of less than 150 km, the land rises dramatically from less than 100 m asl. in the tropical Terai in the south to the highest point in the world (8848 m), on the edge of the Tibetan plateau. Nepal has an area of 147 181 km2, of which the forest area covers 55 180 km2, approximately 37% of the total area. According to the 1991 census, the total population of the country was 18.5 million, with an annual growth rate of 2.17%. The economy is still largely rural and agrarian.
Based on aerial photographs taken during 1992-1996, forest cover of Nepal was estimated to be 29%. In addition, 10.6% of the area was found to be degraded shrubland; thus 39.6 % of the country’s land is under forests (DFRS 1999).
Nepal is a small country but rich in biological diversity. It has 5400 vascular plants, including over 254 species of endemic plants and 700 species of medicinal plants. In addition, over 175 species of mammals, 850 species of birds, 600 species of butterflies, 50 species of moths, 180 species of dragonflies, 170 species of fish, and other animals inhabit this country. With only 0.15% of the world’s forest, Nepal has 2.2% of all known plants and 9.4% of all known bird species. Many valuable genetic resources are conserved in the protected areas for their potential use in the future.
Nepal has 16% of its area protected to conserve wildlife, FGR and ecosystems. However, research and management activities mostly concentrate to conserve wildlife alone. Many valuable tree species are growing inside conservation areas, but scientific studies on their identification, validation, conservation and management are yet to be initiated.
Forest trees are an integral part of rural livelihoods in Nepal (Figure 1). They dominate not only the landscape but also the way people live. Forests provide 75% of the total energy consumed in the country (fuelwood) and more than 40% of fodder for livestock is extracted from forests (MPFS 1988). Besides, they play a dynamic role in protecting the fragile mountain ecosystems and maintaining diverse and complex ecosystems of the country (Thomson 1995).
Figure 1. Nepal’s tree-animal-crop farming system
Hill forests are the key resource in the Nepalese economy, providing fodder, timber and fuelwood. Their degradation has long been a concern. IDA's Forestry Sector Review of 1978 identified two major problems, which are still relevant today: the rural energy crisis and the environment deterioration caused by over-utilisation of forests.
Due to increasing population, there is a heavy pressure on the forest of Nepal for material needed for subsistence, such as fuelwood and fodder, as well as landuse changes. It was estimated that 10.6% of Nepal’s forests degraded to shrubland in 12 years, whereas the population has been increasing at a rate of 2.1 % annually (Table 1) (DFRS 1999). Declarations on conservation of biodiversity during the Rio conference in 1992 could remain on paper alone if immediate action is not taken to stop the growth of human population.
Table 1. Forest area decline and population growth in Nepal during the last two decade (HMGN 1968, 1974, 1998a and 1998b)
Year | |||
1979 |
1986 |
1998 | |
Forest area |
43% |
37.4% |
29% |
Population |
13.7 million |
15 million |
21.8 million |
Increase in the population, together with illegal felling and forest encroachment is the main reasons for forest degradation. If this trend continues, the condition of the forests in the country and species diversity of valuable tree species will be adversely affected.
Nepal is rich in species diversity of forest trees; physiographic and climatic variations have created habitats for various forest tree species. There are still many forest species that are not yet identified. However, many forest tree species are providing food and services to the rural communities. Due to over-exploitation, important and valuable species, such as Dalbergia latifolia, D. sissoo, Pterocarpus marsupium, Azadirachta indica and Taxus baccata are becoming rare and even under threat of extinction. All the merchantable size forest trees have been logged illegally.
From the management perspective, Nepal’s forests are divided into: Government managed forest (GMF, national forest), community forest (CF), leasehold forest (LF), religious forest (RF) and national parks and reserves (NPR, protection forest). Large parts of the forests of the Terai are categorised as GMF. Forests of 22 Terai districts are considered as productive forests. Operational Forest Management Plan (OFMP) has been developed for 18 Terai districts, but yet to be implemented.
Hill forests are managed through the Community Forestry Programme (CFP). The CFP is the highest priority programme in the forestry sector and was initiated in 1978 (MPFS 1988). The main objective of the CFP is to manage all the accessible forests through active participation of the local people. By July 2003, 12 584 forest-user groups (FUGs) have been formed to manage more than 999 951 ha of forests. There are 1 406 947 households involved in this programme. The programme is successful in protecting and rehabilitating the forests. In this programme, users have the right to protect, harvest and manage the forest after it is handed over to them. However, all the District Forest Offices (DFOs) responsible to hand over the community forests have individual approaches and understanding of community forests though there are common guidelines and regulations. Despite these guidelines and regulations, managerial decisions might be needed to suit the local environment due to the localised nature of the FUGs. Presently, the FUGs are seeking technical assistance to manage and conserve forests.
It can be concluded that any single conservation programme is not sufficient to preserve all representative species and genetic diversity. An integrated conservation programme including in situ and ex situ conservation, community forestry and domestication is urgently needed to conserve the plant genetic resources of Nepal for their sustainable use in future.
