Abstract:This paper examines and uncovers the politics and debate emanating from and embedded in the contestations and negotiations around the establishment of protected areas (PAs) in Nepal. We take an example of one of the newly declared PAs – Gaurishankar Conservation Area (GCA)—and traverse through the politics and debate over its establishment. This paper is based on the ethnographic encounters and accounts of everyday dynamics, popular discourse and deliberations since the government’s declaration of GCA in centr… Show more
“…Unfortunately, the government decisions in recent years, particularly since Nepal embraced the REDD + initiatives, are mostly oriented towards recentralization of forest management and restriction of local rights. The expansion of protected areas, declaring new protected forests, withdrawal of previously given rights, putting additional restrictions on CF user groups and sudden bans on timber harvesting have undermined the rights of local communities (Paudel et al, 2012;Sunam et al, 2013). Centralization of forest management decisions and restrictions on access and use has not only created an environment of mistrust, insecurity and alienation among the local communities, but has also induced conflicts in and around forestlands (Satyal-Parvat and Humphreys, 2013).…”
“…Unfortunately, the government decisions in recent years, particularly since Nepal embraced the REDD + initiatives, are mostly oriented towards recentralization of forest management and restriction of local rights. The expansion of protected areas, declaring new protected forests, withdrawal of previously given rights, putting additional restrictions on CF user groups and sudden bans on timber harvesting have undermined the rights of local communities (Paudel et al, 2012;Sunam et al, 2013). Centralization of forest management decisions and restrictions on access and use has not only created an environment of mistrust, insecurity and alienation among the local communities, but has also induced conflicts in and around forestlands (Satyal-Parvat and Humphreys, 2013).…”
“…Government, on the other hand, is in the process of policy making, negotiating with donors, and also increasing government forest through declaring new conservation areas by invading existing CFUGs (e.g. Gaurishankar Conservation Area in Dolakha district) (Paudel et al 2012). And donors are interested to distribute carbon benefits through aid mechanism.…”
Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) attracts poor nations to keep their forest standing only to sequester carbon through monetary incentives. However, in countries like Nepal where forest is an integral part of social practices, communities need to keep using forests for making a living. Based on household survey, field interview, personal observation, and broad review of forestry legislations, this paper scrutinizes villagers' experiences of changes in forest management after implementation of a REDD+ pilot project in nine Community Forestry Users Groups (CFUGs) of Nepal. Since REDD+ was not initiated by local communities but tacitly implemented by international NGOs, most villagers lacked knowledge about it and the associated benefits from the pilot project, thus fewer villagers were found to be motivated to participate in the pilot project. Consequently, it delinked villagers from their forest by implicitly tightening uses rules, which resulted in constraints to fetch forest products. In addition, REDD+ benefits were distributed to some poor households but not to all, which resulted to an antagonistic sentiment in the villages. Thus, a rigorous assessment of conditions and framework of REDD+ and an involvement of local community from the start without compromising in the uses of forest products is of the utmost importance before considering the REDD+ framework as an alternative or as similar to CFUG in Nepal. Alternatively, REDD+ can be a part or a development project under the CFUG's framework, which could be socially as well as legally acceptable on the present situation.
“…Deforestation has occurred even in the community forests to a lesser extent. Media reports suggest that illegal logging and unsustainable harvesting have occurred in Terai despite the government's attempts to curb illegal logging (Bhushal 2010 (Sunam et al 2010, Paudel, Jana andKhatiwada 2012). The continued confusion, conflict and tenure insecurity may undermine REDD+ implementation.…”
Section: Further Tenure Reform May Help Redd+ Implementationmentioning
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