KATHMANDU, April 4: As forest fires grow more frequent and destructive across Nepal, experts and officials are warning that traditional approaches alone are no longer enough. With climate change accelerating the crisis, they are calling for an urgent scale-up of locally led nature-based solutions (NbS) to contain the rising threat.
This concern was strongly echoed during provincial consultations held in Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpaschim, where officials said wildfires—once largely confined to the dry season—are now spreading faster, burning longer, and becoming increasingly difficult to control, according to a statement issued by Lutheran World Relief (LWR) Nepal.
The consultations, organized by LWR Nepal, brought together more than 150 representatives from Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs), Division Forest Offices, local governments, and provincial ministries. Participants focused on strengthening local capacity, improving preparedness, and integrating nature-based solutions into wildfire management strategies.
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The urgency is backed by data. Nepal recorded more than 5,000 wildfire incidents across 74 districts in just the first half of 2024. Meanwhile, Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpaschim provinces together reported over 40,000 incidents between 2001 and 2023, highlighting the scale of destruction and the need for preventive, community-driven responses supported by scientific tools. These priorities align with the PunarUtthan Programme, which targets high-risk fire corridors, degraded forest areas, and communities vulnerable to recurring seasonal fires.
“Climate change has turned forest fires into catastrophic events,” said Ajit Kumar Karn, secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment in Karnali Province. “Combining traditional practices with modern tools is the only sustainable path forward.”
Officials also stressed that human activity remains the leading cause of wildfires. Lumbini Province Forest Secretary Pramod Bhattarai said nearly 99 percent of forest fires are human-induced, pointing to gaps in awareness and behavior. He emphasized the need for training and community-based fire management initiatives to address these challenges.
Sudurpaschim Province Secretary Dirgha Narayan Koirala echoed similar concerns, warning that the growing scale of wildfires now demands disaster-level coordination. He said efforts are underway to support local governments in developing integrated wildfire mitigation plans.
Research also points to practical solutions. A study by the Global Interdisciplinary Institute for Sustainability (GIIS), based on 486 households, identified 43 community-led practices that effectively reduce wildfire risks. These include clearing leaf litter, protecting water sources, removing invasive species, and maintaining fire lines—measures that also contribute to restoring degraded land, enhancing biodiversity, and supporting local livelihoods.
Meanwhile, representatives from the Reversing Environmental Degradation in Africa and Asia (REDAA) programme visited project sites to observe progress and engage with communities applying NbS approaches to reduce fire vulnerability.
Programme Director Dr Narayan Gyawali said evidence shows that locally rooted ecological practices are often more effective than high-cost external interventions. “Resilience improves when scientific tools and community knowledge work together,” he said.
According to Senior Programme Manager Dr Hira Dhar Chudali, the Punarutthan Programme (2025–2029) aims to train 20,000 people, strengthen livelihoods for 3,000 households, restore 40 hectares of degraded land, and assist 12 local governments in developing wildfire mitigation plans.
