Nepal, endowed with approximately 6.4 million hectares of forest resources, has seen a significant increase in its forest cover from 26 percent to 45 percent between 1992 and 2016. This progress is largely attributed to the country's sustainable community-based forest management practices.
The forests of Nepal are integral to the lives of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities who depend on these resources for food, medicine, livelihoods, cultural products, and spiritual well-being. However, climate change poses a threat to this relationship, potentially undermining the country’s conservation efforts and impacting its climate goals and sustainable development.
In the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) of southern Nepal, various indigenous groups including the Chepangs have long depended on the forests. Nara Jung Praja, a Chepang leader from Chitwan, emphasized their reliance on the Chiuri tree for food, medicine, and income: “Without bats, the Chiuri tree would not bloom and without Chiuri, the Chepangs would lose a key source of food, medicine, and income.”
Indigenous practices have evolved over time; for instance, Chiuri is now used not only for subsistence but also as an income source through products like Chiuri ghee and honey. Similarly reliant on forests are the Tharus who use shrubs for basket weaving.
Rebika Kumari Chaudhary from Dang noted that her community's frugal use of resources has aided in forest restoration: “Earlier we had to go far to collect wood and grass; now we can get them from the nearby community forest that we have worked to protect.”
Despite these successes in community-based forest management by groups like Tharus and Chepangs, challenges remain regarding equitable access to resources. Marginalized communities such as Dalits face multiple barriers including low literacy levels and limited access to basic services.
The 2018 National Social Inclusion Survey indicates that Dalits fall below national averages on nearly all development indicators. Marginalized groups are also more vulnerable to climate risks due to their dependence on natural resources.
To enhance inclusivity in forest management, it is crucial to support marginalized groups' participation in decision-making processes. This includes expanding access to information about forest laws and policies while building capacity related to sustainable management practices.
The World Bank has been active in supporting these initiatives through programs like the Dedicated Grant Mechanism (DGM) and Enabling Access to Benefit while Lowering Emissions (EnABLE). These programs aim at enhancing local knowledge about climate change and sustainable forestry among Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.
Efforts include educational materials such as comic books explaining climate change concepts and video series highlighting community-driven conservation success stories. Such initiatives empower marginalized communities thereby strengthening their role in forest conservation which ultimately contributes towards Nepal’s climate goals.