Year

Legal documents

Salient features

Relevancy to REDD+

1957

Private Forest Nationalization Act [17]

○ Government controlled the forests

○ Created extensive forest clearing and degradation

○ Private forests converted to farmland in the Terairegion

Not much of interest for the current situation, but it can give the scenario in the case of property rights change from one actor to the other. Can learn from the past.

1961

Forest Act [18]

○ Forest land classification

○ Skill development of forestry official

○ Less emphasis to local community, “guns and fences” approach

Can learn lessons from the policy outcome, which might guide for REDD+ strategy. Not current information for REDD+.

1974

National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Regulations [19]

○ Dawn of planned nature conservation initiatives (helped protect forest areas)

○ Provision of hunting licenses

○ Management plans for protected areas

REDD+ can learn the impacts of this policy on carbon enhancement in the protected areas, hence can be of some relevancy.

1976

National Forestry Plan [20]

○ First time recognition of people’s participation in forest management

○ Introduction of village forest

○ Setting the stage for community forest management (a success story for Nepal)

A good start of participatory approach, and REDD+ can benefit from this, but need to be adapted with the new REDD+ context.

1988

National Conservation Strategy [21]

○ Conservation strategy for natural habitat of the country

○ Broader perspective for higher diversity

Can learn some lessons of strategic issues from this strategy for REDD+ strategy as well.

1989

Master Plan for the Forestry Sector [12]

○ Beginning of program-approach in the forestry sector

○ Provision of user’s committees for forest management

○ Detail planning and vision developed for each aspects of forestry development

First major document for the planned approach for forest management for Nepal.

REDD+ can get much information and guidelines from this and hence it is more relevant to REDD+.

1993

Forest Act (improved upon 1961 Forest act) [22]

○ Moderated the extent of quasi-judicial authority of forestry officials

○ Forest user groups (FUGs) empowered

○ Act oriented towards community-based management.

Can help in designing institutional mechanism for REDD+ strategy and implementation. REDD+ can learn from this act and extend this for REDD+ context.

1993

Nepal Env. and Policy Action Plan [23]

○ Firs policy for environmental assessment for development projects

○ Developed Polices related to env. sectors

First environmental assessment policy tools for Nepal, and this can give some guide for REDD+.

1995

Forest Regulations [24]

○ Legalization of the community forestry process (more rights to the community)

○ Forestry staff’s role changed from custodial to facilitation

Very relevant, REDD+ needs to be integrated with these regulations while implementing it in the field in the future.