Chure forestry conservation and management plan: A case study of Arghakhanchi district, Nepal

Abstract

Chure Region has a distinct geographical and bio-physical specificities lying on the foothill of Himalaya. It is the youngest mountain of the world, and suffers from mass erosion, landslides and other environmental externalities which make the region vulnerable. Resource depletion, for example deforestation, due to natural as well as human induced factors in the Chure Region has accelerated; and livelihood opportunities have been retreating. Degradation of watershed, lowering the underground water and disturbing the ecological niche in and around the region makes the region more sensitive and fragile. Ecological balance and conservation of natural resources of the Chure Region, therefore, is very urgent. For the betterment of the people and resources of the Chure, Bhabar and Terai regions, there is need to design the work plan for conservation and development. The Government of Nepal, at present, has also given greater emphasis to the protection of Chure through initiation of 'Rastrapati Chure Conservation Program since 2009 in the field of conservation and management of the resources in the Chure Region. The present paper is an attempt to identify the problems and issues of Chure forest conservation and to prepare conservation and management plan using qualitative as well as quantitative methods of analysis. The paper has pointed out that the ecological, geographical and biophysical conditions of the Chure Region have rapidly degraded since the last 32 years. Increasing landslides and flooding; and human intervention makes Chure more fragile and weakest zone where lack of/inadequate livelihood assets and food insecurity are noted. However, Chure Region has many opportunities of employment and income generation through establishment of environmental friendly green enterprises. Thus, the paper concludes an urgent need to formulate short-term to long-term strategies with policy priorities actions and result-oriented efforts. The policies and strategies should be related to establish Chure as a rich biodiversity zone, with hazardless and improved livelihoods.

Spatial and Temporal Variability of Rainfall in the Gandaki River Basin of Nepal Himalaya

“…In the Hill region, the annual precipitation rate is increasing but the number of rainy days does not show any trend, indicating more heavy precipitation events. Fragile and sensitive geology, deforestation and the heavy precipitation make the Hill region very susceptible for soil erosion and landslides [45][46][47]. The decreasing post-monsoon precipitation may adversely affect paddy rice production as this time coincides with the sensitive stage of the paddy (season for spikelet formation, fruiting and ripening) that demands more water [48].…”

Leopard (Panthera pardus) occupancy in the Chure range of Nepal

“…The study was carried out in the Chure range (18,982 km 2 ) of Nepal. Chure is the young mountain range consisting of fragile sedimentary rocks such as mudstones, shale, sandstones, siltstones, and conglomerates (Pokhrel, 2013 ). It extends from east to west in southern Nepal spread in all the seven provinces (Figure 1 ).…”

Interpolated Altitudinal Species Richness in Arghakhachi District of Nepal

“…This study analyzed plant and climatic data collected from secondary sources described herein. Altitudinal distribution range of plants in the Arghakhanchi district was derived from different literature (Acharya et al 2015;Fraser-Jenkins et al, 2015;Fraser-Jenkin & Kandel, 2019;Panthi, 2005;Panthi & Chaudhary, 2002;Pokhrel, 2013;Poudel et al, 2010). The altitudinal range (200-2300 masl) of Arghakhanchi district where plants were reported from was divided equally into 21 bands each with 100 masl intervals each.…”