KATHMANDU: The Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal has urged the Sudurpaschim Provincial Government to immediately withdraw its decision to declare the Badimalika-Ramaroshan Forest Conservation Area by linking the Badimalika area of Bajura with the Ramaroshan area of Achham.
Issuing a press statement on Thursday, the federation said the decision would undermine the rights of community forest user groups over forests and violate the human rights of local communities.
According to the federation, local communities have been protecting, managing and using forests under community forestry programmes in Nepal for decades.
However, it said the rights of local communities have increasingly been affected when protected areas and other conservation zones are declared or expanded in the name of forest conservation.
Federation Chair Thakur Bhandari said the rights of community forest user groups in areas covered by the proposed conservation zone had already been undermined and that the decision could lead to further restrictions on their rights.
Bhandari urged the provincial government to immediately revoke its decision to declare the Badimalika-Ramaroshan Forest Conservation Area.
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