Contribution of Forestry to Poverty Alleviation - APFNet

Introduction
Forest Situation
VII
Assessment of the Contribution
of Forestry to Poverty Alleviation in Nepal
Bishnu Hari Pandit*
Allocation of tenure over forest resources in Nepal is complicated, and there is a need to assess different
forestry modalities and agriculture land tenure arrangement and other factors. Nepal is diverse in terms
of geography, forests and other social conditions.
Based on estimates, the total forest cover of Nepal in 2010 stands at 3.6 million ha or 25% of the
country’s total land area (14.3 million ha), while other wooded lands coverage is almost 1.9 million ha
or 13% (Table VII.1) (FAO 2010). Heavy deforestation in the country occurred from 1990 to 2000, at
an annual rate of 2.09% (Ibid.), which
decreased to 1.39% from 2000 to
2005. During the last five years (2005-
2010), forest cover remained constant
(Ibid.). The primary reason for the
constant forest cover in recent years
is the community forestry program
implemented mostly in the hills.
The Forest Policy 2000 classifies
the forests in the country into eight
categories, namely (i) government
managed forests, (ii) community forests,
(iii) leasehold forests, (iv) religious
forests, (v) private forests, (vi) protected
areas, (vii) conservation areas and (viii)
protected watershed.
More than two-thirds of the country’s
total forest area (85%) is still managed
by the Department of Forests (DOF)
as national forests. Of this forest area,
government manages around 51%
and the rest is under community and
leasehold forest management regimes
* Kathmandu Forestry College (KAFCOL),
Nepal
Table VII.1. Total land area, population, GDP
and forest cover
Description Unit Figure
1. Total land Ha 14,318,000
2. Population
3. GDP (2008*)
4. Poverty level
change (%)
5. Total Forest Area
209
Density per sq km 2.1
Growth rate (%) 1.8
Rural (%) 83
Per capita (ppp) 1,104
Growth rate (%) 5.3
1996 42
1996-2004 31
2005-2010 25.4
Ha 3,636,000
% of land area 25
6. Other wooded Ha 1,897,000
land % of land area 13
7. Forest cover
change (%)
Source: FAO, 2008*, 2010 & World Bank, 2010.
1990-2000 -2.09
2000-2005 -1.39
2005 – 2010 00