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Deforestation and forest degradation mostly caused by human interventions affect the capacity of the forest ecosystem to provide ecosystem services and livelihood benefits. Forest and landscape restoration (FLR) is an emerging concept that focuses on the improvement of the ecosystem as well as the livelihood of the people at the landscape level. Nepal has successfully recovered degraded forest land mainly from the hilly region through forest restoration initiatives, especially community-based forestry. However, the Tarai region is still experiencing deforestation and forest degradation. This study navigated the gaps related to forest restoration in the existing policies and practices and revealed that the persistence of deforestation and forest degradation in Tarai is a result of a complex socioeconomic structure, the limitations of the government in implementing appropriate management modality, unplanned infrastructure, and urban development. We suggest that forest restoration should focus on ecological and social wellbeing pathways at the landscape level to reverse the trend of deforestation and forest degradation in the Tarai regions of Nepal. The study provides critical insight to the policymakers and practitioners of Nepal and other countries (with similar context) who are engaged in forest/ecosystem restoration enterprise.
Sushma Bhattarai; Basant Pant; Hari Laudari; Rajesh Rai; Sharif Mukul. Strategic Pathways to Scale up Forest and Landscape Restoration: Insights from Nepal’s Tarai. Sustainability 2021, 13, 5237 .
AMA StyleSushma Bhattarai, Basant Pant, Hari Laudari, Rajesh Rai, Sharif Mukul. Strategic Pathways to Scale up Forest and Landscape Restoration: Insights from Nepal’s Tarai. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (9):5237.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSushma Bhattarai; Basant Pant; Hari Laudari; Rajesh Rai; Sharif Mukul. 2021. "Strategic Pathways to Scale up Forest and Landscape Restoration: Insights from Nepal’s Tarai." Sustainability 13, no. 9: 5237.
Environmental policy is crucial for defining the scope of conservation and development at the local, national, and international level. Because of its broader framework for balancing conservation and development, environmental policy is considered as the concern of all actors representing multiple disciplines, ranging from environmentalists to development professionals. However, the current practice of environmental policy-making is blamed to be government monolithic and expert-based, which ignored the importance of local communities. In this context, we aimed to analyze the architecture of policy stakeholders and actors’ constellation in the environmental policy-making process in the global south, by taking a case of Nepal. We reviewed national environmental policy milestones (n = 5) and scientific literature (n = 48) and undertook key informant interviews (n = 25) with seven policy stakeholder groups. The developmental history of environmental policy was reviewed from the perspective of policy actors and institutions. We found an increasing involvement of non-governmental (as well as donor) actors in setting the context and framing of the environmental policies. However, the selection of tools of actions of environmental policy was dominated by the discursive sphere of government officials, experts, and international organizations. In addition, implementation mechanisms and institutional arrangements for the transformation of policy objectives into implementation were largely subjugated by government officials, which in turn obstructed in the achievement of the policy outcomes and led to policy failure. We recommend adopting transdisciplinary policy-making approach to solve the complex environmental issues and development imperatives of the country.
Kishor Aryal; Hari Krishna Laudari; Prem Raj Neupane; Tek Maraseni. Who shapes the environmental policy in the global south? Unpacking the reality of Nepal. Environmental Science & Policy 2021, 121, 78 -88.
AMA StyleKishor Aryal, Hari Krishna Laudari, Prem Raj Neupane, Tek Maraseni. Who shapes the environmental policy in the global south? Unpacking the reality of Nepal. Environmental Science & Policy. 2021; 121 ():78-88.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKishor Aryal; Hari Krishna Laudari; Prem Raj Neupane; Tek Maraseni. 2021. "Who shapes the environmental policy in the global south? Unpacking the reality of Nepal." Environmental Science & Policy 121, no. : 78-88.
Deforestation and forest degradation mostly caused by human interventions affects the capacity of forest ecosystem to provide ecosystem services and livelihood benefits. Forest Land Restoration (FLR) is an emerging concept which focuses on the improvement of ecosystem as well as livelihood of the people at the landscape level. Nepal has successfully recovered degraded forest land mainly from the hilly region through forest restoration initiatives especially community based forestry. However, the Terai region is still experiencing deforestation and forest degradation. This study navigated the gaps related to forest restoration in the existing policies and practices and revealed that the persistence of deforestation and forest degradation in Terai is a result of a complex socio-economic structure, limitation of government to implement appropriate management modality, unplanned infrastructure, and urban development. We suggest that forest restoration should focus on ecological and social wellbeing pathways at the landscape level, to reverse the trend of deforestation and forest degradation in the Terai regions of Nepal. The study provides a critical insight to the policy makers and practitioners of Nepal and other countries (with similar context) who are engaged in forest/ecosystem restoration enterprise.
Sushma Bhattarai; Basant Pant; Hari Krishna Laudari; Rajesh Kumar Rai; Sharif A. Mukul. Strategic Pathways to Scale Up Forest and Landscape Restoration: Insights From Nepal’s Terai. 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleSushma Bhattarai, Basant Pant, Hari Krishna Laudari, Rajesh Kumar Rai, Sharif A. Mukul. Strategic Pathways to Scale Up Forest and Landscape Restoration: Insights From Nepal’s Terai. . 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSushma Bhattarai; Basant Pant; Hari Krishna Laudari; Rajesh Kumar Rai; Sharif A. Mukul. 2021. "Strategic Pathways to Scale Up Forest and Landscape Restoration: Insights From Nepal’s Terai." , no. : 1.
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are the foundation of the Paris Agreement. So far, 190 Parties have submitted their NDCs. But how the NDC can be made comprehensive, unanimous and implementable so that the Paris climate goals can be achieved has been a matter of growing concern among policymakers, academics, and practitioners. Aiming to bridge the knowledge gap about institutional deliberation of NDCs, we assessed the formulation process and implementation outcome of Nepal’s first NDC by employing qualitative research methods. We undertook semi-structured interviews (n = 10) with all experts and bureaucrats engaged in the NDC formulation process. Moreover, we conducted group discussions (n = 18) with nine stakeholder groups and key informant surveys (n = 12) with four stakeholder groups representing cross-sectoral ministries, private-sector, (retired) bureaucrats, and media people. We also reviewed contemporary literature and progress report of sectoral governments and other related institutions. The collected data were then analyzed by applying the discursive institutional framework. As NDC is a national political plan of climate action and demands support and commitment from a wide spectrum of society, our results, however, revealed that Nepal’s first NDC was formulated without engaging politicians and the other major state and non-state actors. Moreover, the country’s NDC was framed and articulated only for fulfilling international obligation (or commitment) and getting international fund, but not as a determined national climate plan of action for expediting climate action at (sub) national level. Our analysis further found that very few institutions including policies, programmes, and budgets were arranged for translating targets of the NDC into action. Because of these shortcomings, Nepal's first NDC could not achieve most of its stipulated targets. Based on the analysis and results of our study, we have discussed and recommended some pathways that are critical for the formulation and implementation of enhanced/updated NDCs in Nepal and the other countries.
Hari Krishna Laudari; Kishor Aryal; Shreejana Bhusal; Tek Maraseni. What lessons do the first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) formulation process and implementation outcome provide to the enhanced/updated NDC? A reality check from Nepal. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 759, 143509 .
AMA StyleHari Krishna Laudari, Kishor Aryal, Shreejana Bhusal, Tek Maraseni. What lessons do the first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) formulation process and implementation outcome provide to the enhanced/updated NDC? A reality check from Nepal. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 759 ():143509.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHari Krishna Laudari; Kishor Aryal; Shreejana Bhusal; Tek Maraseni. 2020. "What lessons do the first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) formulation process and implementation outcome provide to the enhanced/updated NDC? A reality check from Nepal." Science of The Total Environment 759, no. : 143509.
Hari Krishna Laudari; Kishor Aryal; Tek Maraseni. A postmortem of forest policy dynamics of Nepal. Land Use Policy 2019, 91, 1 .
AMA StyleHari Krishna Laudari, Kishor Aryal, Tek Maraseni. A postmortem of forest policy dynamics of Nepal. Land Use Policy. 2019; 91 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHari Krishna Laudari; Kishor Aryal; Tek Maraseni. 2019. "A postmortem of forest policy dynamics of Nepal." Land Use Policy 91, no. : 1.