Second National Policy Dialogue on Strengthening Forest Tenure for Sustaining Livelihoods and Generating Income
KATHMANDU - Second National Policy Dialogue on Strengthening Forest Tenure for Sustaining Livelihoods and Generating Income was jointly organized by the Department of Forests of the Government of Nepal and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Kathmandu on 25 April 2016.
FAO launched a regional initiatives in September 2014 on “Strengthening Forest Tenure for Sustaining Livelihoods and Generating Income” with specific objective of strengthening regulatory and policy framework and institutional capacity on forests land tenure across the selected pilot countries (Cambodia, Vietnam and Nepal) in Asia.
The Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) of Food and Agriculture Organization also appreciates and adopts the principles of Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGT) in the design and implementation of the project.
Objectives of the TCP are to review and assess the status and gaps of forest tenure policies and regulation, and institutional capacity in the pilot countries. The TCP also aims at evaluating current forest tenure policies and regulation in Nepal and subsequently identify policy strengths and gaps; and provide key recommendations for implementing a set of priority actions for short and medium term to be taken in order to address policy and capacity gaps and strengthen forest tenure policies to in order to improve livelihoods of forest dependent people..
Presentations made by Ganga Dahal, Toon De Bruyen, Kapil Neupane and Dil Raj Khanal on results and findings of the assessments on forest tenure policy and institutional capacity were followed by an extensive interaction by the participants.
Sindhu Dhungana, Indra Sapkota and Naya Sharma commented on the findings of assessments on forest tenure policies and institutional capacity
Udaya Chandra Thakur, Secretary of the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MOFSC) was the chief guest of the Second National Dialogue, and chaired by Resham Bahadur Dangi, Director-General of the Department of Forests.
60 representatives from the government and non-government agencies participated in the Second National Policy Dialogue.
Back to back of the Second National Policy Dialogue a 3-day Second Training of Trainers (ToT-2) on Strengthening Forest Tenure for Sustaining Livelihood and Generating Income was organized in Kathmandu from 26-28 April 2016. The objective of the ToT was to enable facilitators to develop knowledge and understanding on conflict sensitive processes in strengthening forest tenure that contribute towards improved livelihoods and income of forest dependent people.
As part of the FAO Technical Cooperation Program (TCP/RAS/3506), the ToT was aimed at building capacity of the governement forest officers in order to identify priorities in institutional capacity building. During the training, the participants were sensitized on causes of conflict and the ways to mitigate or resolve those conflicts. Addressing the opening session of the training, Resham Bahadur Dangi, the Director-General of the Department of the Forests extended his good wishes to the participants for their enthusiasm to learn on forest tenure conflict in order to build up resilience of the forest dependent community.
Yurdi Yasmi, the Forest Policy Officer from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for Asia and the Pacific said that the contribution of the participants in the implementation of their knowledge on the forest tenure and associated conflicts resolution into practice in their daily works would certainly bring about a positive change in enhancing the forest resources. He added that the forest tenure determines who can use what resources, for how long and under what conditions..
Ganga Ram Dahal, Toon De Bruyn, Kapil Neupane and Sindhu Dhungana facilitated the ToT. Altogether 20 forest officers working in different districts under the Department of Forests attended the ToT.