Long-term Environmental Stability and Integrated Program for the Reduction of
Churia Hills Deforestation
Rajesh Sharma
Plants for Life (PFL), P.O. Box 21, Hetauda-5, Makwanpur, Nepal
Background and facts
Nepal is one of the least developed countries in the world with gross domestic product (GDP) of US$ 170 per capita and population of 20 million with 2.08% growth rate. Over 70% of the population is illiterate and 40% lives in absolute poverty being greatly dependent on forest resources as a means of livelihood. As a consequence, a series of forestry and environmental disasters in the mountain and hill area are causeing unprecedented, uncontrolled and unmanaged population migration to the forest areas, river-basin areas and Terai (Churia hill area). This uncontrolable migration and unmanageable resettlement in the Churia hills area are causing heavy deforestation and, consequently, erosion, flood and ecological unbalance [1,2].
The 40% population in absolute poverty have no other choice but to be dependent on free forest resources for fuelwood, timber, food, income and employment. During the last 3 decades terai Churia hills area, the most fragile land, has been exploited by this group of population. To reduce the pressure in the Churia forests an integrated approach is needed today, not only to provide support for the absolute poverty population but also the long-term environmental sustainability of the Churia hills forest.
Integrated programs
The following integrated programs have been found more effective in the Eastern and Central part of Nepal [2,3]:
Community forestry management and forest regeneration practice
In Nepal almost all forest area belongs to the government, with this situation the management becoming more difficult. Though, the government has the national top priority to hand over the forest to the community people. "Planning and practise sometimes do not meet." In this contest, the basic community people awareness part is lacking, more complicated and controversial. This gap-filling role could be played by the NGOs.
It has been found that the rural community people became empowered and able to manage community forestry as well as forest regeneration practise with the NGO's joint cosupport. The community forestry is well managed compared to the government forestry presently in Nepal.
Renewable energy
Energy for cooking food is mostly dependent upon forest resources. 96% of population is dependent on biomass energy for their domestic purposes, of which 76% is provided by fuelwood alone. To minimize the use of firewood PFL has been supporting the following sustainable renewable energy technologies:
a) Biogas plant: The demand of biogas plant installation is catching up with the time. The crises of fuelwood and the realization of the adverse ecological situation are the factors governing to adopt this renewabble energy technology. Biagas technology is becoming popular among the rural people for saving of the time, for the production of natural compost, free light and hazards in the kitchen. Promotion of biogas in Nepal is still in infant stage. Though, in Central and Eastern parts of Nepal, PFL became able to promote more than 300 plants within the last three years.
b) Solar cooking technology: Solar cooking practise is a new technology among the rural people of Nepal. In 1993 PFL started to introduce this renewable energy technology in the rural life. PFL has been already conducted several training and has been developing three new models based on locally available materials: clay-dung box cooker, cement box cooker and clay-bamboo parabolic cooker (PT-LIFE cooker).
Figure 1. Parabolic 2 kW cooker made of indigenous materials except aluminium foil.
The cost and effectivity are the plus points of this new developments. More than 45 cookers have been fabricated by the rural women.
Fuelwood saving device (Improved cooking stove technology, ICS)
Fuelwood use is the traditional way of cooking in the rural areas of Nepal. Most of the family has become habituated. At once it is not possible to change their habits but some means could be followed to reduce fuel wood consumption. In this regard PFL has been promoting more than 200 ICSs and found them becoming popular in the project sites [3].
Credit and savings programme for rural women
Rural people have less option of income and they are far from commercial bank services. To produce income and sustained livelihood they are compelled to use forest resources, the only free choice for their survivality. The most suffered groups are women, landless, marginal farmers and socially disadvantaged. Therefore, PFL is giving high priority to these groups to promote their living standards, rewarding loans and providing trainings to change their means of livings independently and vigorously in the society. Over 600 families within three years of time have received these services and 90% of them have been found to change their firewood selling trade into small, alternative businesses [3].
Farm land reclaimation -- Bioengineering river training technologies
High deforestation and poor watershed management practices in Chiria hills forests is inducing erosion, siltation and flood. The farm land areas and production yields are decreasing day by day. To overcome this hazardous situation, sustainable technology is needed to control the problems. The bioengineering river trainin practise is becoming more popular, more environmenrtally sustainable in the Eastern part of PFL's program areas. During the past three years over 450 hectares of land has been reclaimed with the active participation of the flood victim rural farmers.
Conclusion
Churia hills forest ecology improvement is possible through integrated, long-term environmental, sustainable program. The combined use of community forest management, renewable energy technologies, credit and savings programs and farm land reclaimation/bioengineering has been found effective in the Eastern and Central parts of PFL's project area in Nepal.
References
[1] Forestry for local community development, FAO Forestry Paper 7, FAO, Rome,
1978,1992
[2] Nepal Statistical Pocket Book 1994, HMG Central Bureau of Statistics, Kathmandu, 1994
[3] Plants for Life, Annual Report 1994-1995