Pair Educator Program for Community Forest Conservation RCSD believes conservation education, which plays a key role in achieving community forest conservation. The program strongly emphasizes on youth network, Community Forest Users Group and Small Farmer. Objectives through learning by doing where actors Digo Talk in Community Forest Conservation and Livelihood models, and develop a network as task force. RCSD aims to promote practice-based priorities and leverage on partnerships with likeminded organizations, local government, community forest users group, small farmer and private sector.
Why We Work in Human Rights Based Approach RCSD aims to promote positive links between Community Forest Conservation and rights of people to secure their livelihoods, enjoy healthy and productive environments and live with dignity. RCSD is committed towards respecting and promoting human rights within its scope of NRM initiatives, while also recognizing the role and contribution of Indigenous Peoples.
Why We Want to Save Community Forests
We support the restoration of forest and landscapes to increase forest cover, improve ecosystem services, and enhance resilience, by engaging conventional and non-conventional stakeholders. Sustainable use and Management. Improved Livelihood for the dependent user groups.
In Nepal, we have been supporting livelihood diversification and creation of economic opportunities for forest dependent communities through the promotion of forest based green enterprises. Despite this, natural resource extraction is still predominant as a subsistence livelihood option for a majority of households residing in buffer-zone working landscapes.
RCSD supports natural resources dependent IPLCs and marginalized people through skilled based income generating activities, and forest and farm-based enterprises. RCSD, also promotes community-based ecotourism to uplift the livelihoods of forest dependent communities, Small Farmer from Ethnic and Dalit by helping them capitalize on non-consumptive use of ecosystem services, and in the generation and mobilization of community capital to run green enterprises as alternate livelihood options, alongside trainings on cooperatives and micro-financing to support effective mobilization of community capital through cooperatives.
CHALLENGES
Despite Nepal's 44.7% forest cover there are multiple challenges in maintaining this forest cover to maintain connectivity for ecosystem services flow and wildlife diffusion. The most pressing challenges remain conversion of forests to other land use, haphazard infrastructure development, resettlements, uncontrolled forest fire overgrazing, unsustainable and illegal extraction of timber and non-timber forest products, and high dependency of local people on forest resources.
The current government priority towards infrastructure and development has also resulted in increased pressure on forests. Attention is therefore needed in maintain existing forest cover and reduce fragmentation. RCSD, engages with the government and its agencies, media, mother group, eco-club, civil society organizations, as well as other stakeholders to integrate environmental issues into development planning and policy instruments. RCSD, also supports various efforts to reduce drivers of forest degradation such as forest fires, overgrazing and over extraction of forest resources. Promotion of alternate energy and energy efficient technologies, alternative livelihood opportunities for forest dependent communities are also important areas to reduce pressure on forests.