• ANAJ

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Ilam-

In celebration of Chure Day, the Building a Resilient Churia Region in Nepal (BRCRN) partnered with Kamal Community Forest to plant 1,000 indigenous saplings in Kamal Community Forest, Ilam. The saplings, including bamboo, guava, gooseberry, and jamun, were planted along the Kamal River’s riverbank at the Chure foothills.

The event was organized in coordination with the Subdivision Forest Offices of Chulachuli and Belbari and the Division Forest Office of Triveni Udaipur, with BRCRN providing the saplings. Nabaraj Pudasaini, National Director of BRCRN, emphasized the critical need for Chure conservation, stating, “Half of Nepal’s population lives in the Tarai, which produces food for all of Nepal. If Chure is not conserved, all these people’s lives and livelihoods will be at risk. That’s why today we express a commitment to protect Chure.”

The Chure region has experienced significant environmental degradation due to deforestation and river product mining, leading to increased floods, landslides, and drying water sources. Local residents have expressed hope that the tree plantation will improve the local ecology. “Earlier there was lots of water in the Chure area. Now you cannot find water even after boring wells as deep as 100 feet. We should try to rejuvenate this area by planting trees. Since imported species reduce soil quality, we should select local species,” said Lal Bahadur Chamling, acting president of Ward-1 Chulachuli Ilam.

Raj Kumar Gupta, provincial coordinator of the project, highlighted the fragile nature of the Chure soil, which becomes rock-hard when dry and melts away during rains, stressing the importance of soil conservation to maintain fertile lands.

BRCRN, Nepal’s first Green Climate Fund (GCF)-funded project, focuses on increasing climate resilience across 26 river systems in the Chure region. Their efforts include establishing nurseries and promoting tree planting, with seven nurseries currently housing over 400,000 plants in Koshi province. These nurseries prioritize indigenous species, which are distributed free of charge to encourage widespread planting.

Sangeeta Thalang, President of Kamal Community Forest, expressed plans to expand these efforts, stating, “We want to revive the forest by planting trees. Our plan is to grow these trees and plant more trees in the future.”

BRCRN is implemented by the Government of Nepal through the Ministry of Forests and Environment with technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The project aims to promote climate-resilient land-use practices, combat deforestation, maintain forest ecosystems in the Churia hills, and build resilience against climate-induced hazards.