Voices from the field
Unlocking the Potential of Transboundary Tourism in the Kanchenjunga Landscape
02 Mar 2018
The Kanchenjunga landscape of Nepal lies on the southern side of the Kanchenjunga mountain and shares a border with India. The Panchthar-Ilam-Taplejung Corridor of Nepal forms a contiguous forest connected to the Singalila National Park in India and harbours an important corridor for Red Panda and other wildlife. An important transboundary landscape, the Kangchenjunga region also has rich floral diversity.
READ MOREPotential community-based REDD+ interventions for Phekung Village, Myanmar
21 Feb 2018
The regional REDD+ Himalaya Initiative of ICIMOD has been looking for opportunities to introduce sustainable forest management in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region. Forest-dependent communities already manage much of the forest here, so the introduction of sustainable forest management is a feasible option.
READ MOREConservation of natural resources in Myanmar: lessons for REDD+ Interventions
25 Jan 2018
Vanmauk, a small village of 244 households located in Yatsauk Township of Shan State, Myanmar, provides a unique example of sustainable livelihood along with optimal resource utilization and conservation. Vanmauk is surrounded by a natural mixed deciduous forest which plays an important role in sustaining the village livelihood. The forest is within the Naung watershed, conserving and storing water for domestic purposes for the entire village. “We used to collect firewood from the forest two years ago but now restrict cutting trees here since the forest is our sole supplier of water,” said U Naing, a village representative. The forest is now under the protection of the forest department and the villagers engage in very little firewood collection from this area. Buddhism and traditional beliefs have been intriguing factors contributing to the conservation of forests and their resources in most of the villages in Myanmar.
READ MORECross-Border Exchange: Community Forestry Management Systems in Nepal Inspire Community Leaders in Myanmar
13 Oct 2017Htay was part of a team of Myanmar delegates to visit scientifically and sustainably managed community forests in Nepal in July 2017. The visit had an impact on Htay, who is now trying to implement lessons learned from the experience in Nepal in his own village and its surrounding forests.
READ MORECross-Country Learning: Myanmar Delegates Visit Sustainably and Scientifically Managed Forests in Nepal
11 Oct 2017
For over six years, scientific approaches have guided sustainable forest management in Nepal. Kapilvastu and Nawalparasi are two of 40 districts in Nepal where sustainable forest management is currently practised. This system includes the application of silviculture systems and the principles of forestry science,
READ MORETurmeric Farming, a Viable Income Source for Forest-Dependent Farmers in Mizoram, India
06 Oct 2017
In the state of Mizoram in India, an acre of land is capable of producing turmeric worth as much as INR 150,000. Turmeric farmers currently rely on shifting cultivation to farm the precious crop, but with support, they would like to transition to permanent cultivation of turmeric on fertile terraces manured by cow dung.
READ MOREREDD+ in Chitwan: Finding balance for biodiversity protection in national parks
30 Jun 2017
The National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) has been working in Nepal since 1982. For over two decades, the autonomous non-profit organization has implemented more than 200 projects on nature conservation, ecotourism, sustainable development, and biodiversity, as well as cultural heritage protection in Nepal. Much of this work has focused within the national parks in Chitwan and Parsa.
READ MOREWomen in Community Forestry
24 May 2017
Dolakha district is home to 422 community forestry user groups (CFUGs) and a majority of its forested area is comprised of community forests. From 2009 to 2013, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Plus (REDD+) implemented its pilot project on designing and setting up a governance and payment system for Nepal’s community forest management under REDD+ here.
READ MOREWorking towards red panda habitat conservation and the reduction of carbon emission in Ilam and Panchthar
18 Apr 2017
The REDD Implementation Centre (RIC), a body of the Nepal Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MoFSC), is responsible for the development and implementation of REDD readiness activities. It is currently piloting emission reduction measures in 12 districts of the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL). As the middle hills and high mountains of eastern Nepal also have potential for the implementation of REDD+, the RIC now seeks to expand REDD preparedness activities to the districts of Ilam and Panchthar.
READ MOREREDD+ in Dolakha, Nepal: Making a Community Economically Independent
20 Feb 2017
The REDD+ initiative has been working to build the capacities of resource persons in the area, and the newly formed REDD+ working group. It works with the Federation of Community Forestry Users, Nepal (FECOFUN), ICIMOD, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB).
READ MORERhino dies after botched poaching attempt
12 Sep 2016
A 12-15 year old rhino who survived more than two weeks after poachers riddled the bull with bullets succumbed to his injuries 6 September. The bull was brought to Chitwan National Park (CNP) on 21 August from a community forest in Rautahat after poachers failed to get away with his horn. Rhinos are classified as a rare and endangered species.
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