KATHMANDU: CPN-UML leader Pradeep Gyawali has emphasized the need to connect community forests with national prosperity while ensuring they continue to benefit local communities.
Speaking at an interaction program on “Status of Community Forests: Challenges and Opportunities” organized by the UML Forest and Environment Department at the party’s central office in Chyasal, Lalitpur, Gyawali stressed that protecting forests must go hand-in-hand with economic empowerment.
“Community forests must be preserved in their entirety and linked to prosperity,” he said. “This requires cooperation between the government and Community Forest Users’ Committees. The ownership of natural resources should rest with the nation, and the people must benefit from that ownership.”
He noted that while communities traditionally relied on forests for firewood and fodder, there must now be a shift toward cleaner energy sources like electricity and gas. He also called for greater private sector engagement to boost economic opportunities through forest-based enterprises.
Gyawali highlighted the potential of carbon trading as a revenue source, saying, “Forests are protected not just for firewood or grass—carbon trading can generate income and bring funding from the United Nations.”
He lauded community forests for their contributions to environmental conservation, community engagement, and improved living standards.
Also speaking at the event, Dr. Naresh Subedi, Member Secretary of the National Nature Conservation Fund, said that community forest users must now be linked with economic development.
“Developed countries have progressed by connecting all issues with economic growth,” he said. “Those who once volunteered to protect forests must now be empowered economically.”
Dr. Kiran Poudel, Chairperson of the Presidential Chure-Terai Conservation Development Committee, echoed the need to derive economic benefit from community forests, particularly through production-oriented activities.
Thakur Bhandari, Chairperson of the Community Forest Users’ Federation, described community forests as a key “entry point for socialism,” urging that their development include both rich and poor. He expressed concern over a proposed government policy to merge community forests, stating his opposition to the move.
Manju Ghimire, Vice President of the Progressive Forest Technical Association, also emphasized that the value of community forests should go beyond just timber, firewood, and fodder—they should be harnessed for broader economic prosperity.
In a thematic presentation, Naya Sharma Poudel stressed the importance of making community forests more dynamic by linking them to local and national economic systems.
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