Forest Minister Chaudhary prioritizes reducing human-wildlife conflict

Kathmandu: Minister for Forest and Environment Geeta Chaudhary has stated that reducing human-wildlife conflict will be a key priority during her tenure.

Assuming office at Singha Durbar today, Minister Chaudhary said that addressing the growing incidents of human-wildlife conflict is an urgent need. She expressed her commitment to developing a concrete strategy in consultation with stakeholders to mitigate the issue.

“There is a particular need to empower both forest products and communities,” she said. Coming from the Shuklaphanta National Park area, she added that special attention would be given to resolving the problems faced by residents in buffer zones.

On the occasion, Secretary of the Ministry of Forest and Environment, Dr. Govinda Prasad Sharma, welcomed the minister and briefed her on the achievements, challenges, and future direction of Nepal’s forest and environment sector.

According to Secretary Sharma, Nepal has made notable progress in wildlife conservation, with a significant increase in the population of major species, including tigers. He also noted that the forest sector contributes to livelihoods, industry, and enterprise development by supplying raw materials.

He further informed that Nepal has, for the first time, earned income from the international carbon market, marking a milestone in global recognition of its forest conservation efforts. While forest areas and greenery have expanded nationwide, some challenges still persist.

Highlighting the success of community forest management through local participation, Sharma stressed the need to continue efforts in biodiversity conservation. He also noted that more than 665,000 tourists visit Nepal’s protected areas annually, reflecting the potential of forest-based tourism.

Emphasizing the need to balance forest conservation with infrastructure development, he pointed out the increasing use of forest land for road expansion and hydropower projects. He underlined the importance of maintaining equilibrium between development and conservation.

Despite an increase in timber production, Sharma noted an imbalance between demand and supply and stressed the need for policies linking domestic production with industry. He identified political, social, economic, and technical factors as key challenges in the forest sector, along with issues such as budget constraints, forest encroachment, pollution, and complex legal processes.

He also highlighted climate change as a major concern and called for a focus on sustainable forest resource use, pollution control, and legal reforms. Plans have also been put forward for job creation, economic development, tourism promotion, and expanding international markets for herbs. Sharma expressed his commitment to working collaboratively with Minister Chaudhary on policy reforms and problem-solving, and wished her a successful tenure.