Future Sustainability Challenges in Hindu Kush-Himalaya - Impact of Global Changes on Mountains: Responses and Adaptation - page 259

Case study 6: Community Forestry: Local participation for climate change
adaptation and mitigation
Community forestry is a system in which communities are involved
in the conservation of forests and regulation of forest resources. Local
users organized as Community Forest User Group (CFUGs) take the
responsibility of managing forests while the government facilitate in
promoting community forestry. Community forestry is a central place in
forest management in Nepal. About one-fourth of the country's forest is
managed by more than 35% of the total population. This has provided
employment, income generation from forest protection. More importantly,
community forestry also plays important role in mitigation and adaptation
to climate change. For example: nearly 65 million t C per year stored by the
Indian Himalayan forests, equal to 15-20% CO 2 emissions from fossil fuels
combustion from India around the year 2000. A study led by Dr. Margaret
under the project “Kyoto: Think Global Act Local” in several African
countries, Nepal and India, noted that a well-managed community forest
in Uttarakhand can store a considerable amount of carbon, while meeting
their day-to-day needs from the forest. The study also suggests that at
least twice the size of agricultural area should be forest cover by providing
incentive schemes to local people (Singh 2008).
Conservation and development through local participation
ICDP is an innovative approach to the conservation of biodiversity and
ecological systems, at the same time promotion of human development
by linking conservation and development, and complimenting each other.
For example, Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) launched in
1986, to achieve sustainable balance between nature conservation and socio-
economic improvement, is the fi rst conservation of the largest protected area
in Nepal, covering 7,629 sq km that accommodates 1,226 species of fl owering
plants, 102 mammals, 474 birds, 39 reptiles and 22 amphibians, living in
harmony with local communities. Addressing the environmental challenge
of multifaceted problems, an integrated, community based conservation and
development approach—an experimental model to promote the concepts of
'Conservation Area' through an 'Integrated Conservation and Development
Programme' was fi rst tested as a pilot programme in the Ghandruk Village
Development Committee (VDC) in 1986, and covering entire ACAP area in
1992. It is the fi rst protected area that allowed local resident to live within
their boundaries, own their private property and maintain their traditional
rights and access to the use of natural resources. All the revenue collected
from tourism in the area is then used to implement conservation and
development activities and projects in the area (ACAP).