In the mid-hills of Nepal, the community forestry programme has played an important role in improving forest conditions by adopting better forest protection and management measures. Community forestry is a participatory forest management system in Nepal that was started in the late 1970s and defined as the control, protection and management of forest resources by rural communities for whom trees and forests are an integral part of their farming systems. Forest products such as tree and grass fodder, fuel wood and timber etc. are used to meet user's subsistence needs and to generate income from the sale. At present wood supply from the community forests is not sustainable. Therefore, the Nepalese government is calling for reforestation activities. In many areas, the pressure on the remaining forest resources is extremely high. The energy for cooking and heating comes from the wood from forests.  There are many barren or degraded lands. Therefore, NCDC is working on the sustainable forest management theme by involving local communities.

Sustainable forest management (SFM) is described as the attainment of a balance between societies’ increasing demands for forest products and benefits, and the preservation of forest health and diversity. This balance is critical to the survival of forests, and to the prosperity of forest-dependent communities. SFM aims to provide integrated benefits to all, ranging from safeguarding local livelihoods, providing biodiversity and ecosystem services, reducing rural poverty, reducing effects of climate change. This theme will directly contribute to SDG 15: Life on Land which will help to reduce the loss of natural habitats and biodiversity and support global food and water security, climate change mitigation and adaptation. Some of the activities under this theme are:

1.1     Forest Nurseries establishment and management

Poor forest management practices and increasing pressure to provide resources for a growing population, the forest lands are gradually degrading. Tree seedling production has become a fundamental tool for addressing reforestation, restoration and conservation needs. Nursery practices for tree seedling production have evolved considerably over the past several decades.  Forest nursery is a managed area, designated to produce tree seedlings grown under favourable conditions until they are ready for planting. All nurseries’ primarily aim is to produce sufficient quantities of high-quality planting stocks to satisfy the needs of designated areas and its forest user groups.

Tree seeds germinate and trees grow readily under natural conditions. These delicate young seedlings and young trees are exposed to adverse dry season conditions and intense competition from other plants in natural forests or plantations. Forest nurseries can provide optimum care and attention to seedlings during their critical juvenile stage, resulting in the production of healthy seedlings. In many cases, successful reforestation requires nursery grown seedlings, since degraded areas have un-favourable conditions making natural vegetation or direct seeding not feasible. The project manages three nurseries for growing tree seedlings for plantation in the degraded land areas. Out of that two are project nurseries and one is a private nursery. 

1.2    Afforestation and Reforestation

NCDC promotes green coverage to improve soil, prevent erosion and landslides, and improve water access. It has given a highest level of priority to plant tree seedlings in the barren lands. The plantation will be carried out with full engagement of local communities. Therefore, a collective decision is made together with CFUG, local bodies and NCDC regarding the plantation activities including site selection, plantation and long-term management.  Forests can act as carbon sinks; they can accumulate atmospheric CO2 as carbon in vegetation and soils. NCDC aims to contribute to reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide through afforestation/reforestation, upgrading existing forest areas and renewable energy development.

Afforestation and reforestation can play an important role in the enhancement of forest ecosystems. Afforestation is converting long-time non-forested land into forest. In fact, afforestation is to establish forests in the land where previously there have been none, or where forests have been missing for a long time.  Reforestation refers to the replanting of trees on more recently deforested land. Afforestation and reforestation are high priority activities of NCDC which directly support in restoring and conserving biodiversity habitats, reducing soil degradation and protecting other natural resources. Besides, these activities also contribute to climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration.

1.3    Plantation Enhancement

1.    Fencing the plantation site:

A majority of the households in the rural villages of Nepal raise cattle or goats. If the plantation area is at the proximity to the village, there is a high risk of damage to the plantation area due to livestock in the plantation site. Newly established plantations are generally vulnerable to damage by livestock. The main problems are caused by animals that like to browse on the shoots of young plants i.e. sheep, goats. Damage can result in stunted, forked and dead trees causing failure of a plantation which is costly to replace. Cattle will also browse young trees but can cause serious damage by trampling. In general, plantation areas are fenced to protect the plantation site in consultation and engagement of local communities. The three or four layers of barbed wire are hooked into cement poles kept at 3 m distance in plain.  However, the pole distance may reduce in the sloppy area as per the site condition.  NCDC is introducing a double fence concept to protect the plantation sites and promote restoration. In the double fencing, live fencing will be established in the inner periphery while the barbed wire fencing will be installed in the outer periphery. Thorny bushes such as Shikakai (Acacia concinna), Szechuan pepper (Zanthoxylum armatum), Cane (Arundo sps), Zyzyphus bushes (Ziziphus sps) and Bamboo (Bambusoideae sps) will be planted for the live fencing development, which will also create habitat for arboreal and bush birds. 

2.    Weeding and Watering

Inadequate management of plantation sites with irregular clearing of weeds is one of the most important factors causing plantation failure in Nepal. Weeding is needed to reduce the competition among wild plants with the planted seedlings for water, nutrients and light. It is especially important in regions with pronounced dry soil and dry season. The maximum growth of planted seedlings is obtained when all competing vegetation is removed. However, it is impractical as manual labour is expensive. 
Therefore, weeding is practiced in a circle of 1 m diameter around the individual plant as per guidelines of Nepal. Weeding is done by hoe with light digging to expose bare soil around individual plants. Similarly, watering is needed during the dry seasons to ensure the survival of maximum planted seedlings as they do not have a fully developed root system to intake water available at the deepest part of the soil horizon. 

1.4    Institutionalization of CFUGs

Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs) represent one mechanism for decentralising forest management and increasing community-based responsibility and authority. CFUGs are based on the three principles of participation, collective action and long-term sustainability. CFUGs accept responsibility for protection, management and sustained utilization of their community forest. Community Forestry is increasingly recognized as a means for promoting sustainable forest management and restoring degraded forests for enhancing the forest condition as well livelihoods of low-income people and forest dependent communities. The Forest Act 1993 provided a clear legal basis for community forestry, enabling the government to ‘hand over’ identified areas of forest to CFUGs in Nepal. CFUGs are managing forests with different silvicultural and management activities. NCDC main entry point to any working sites is through CFUGs. Therefore, NCDC focuses on developing institutional capacity of CFUGs which significantly varies from place to place.