Final Vol 16-1.pmd


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Banko Janakari
A journal of  forestry information for Nepal

Desertification:  A Global Concern

On the fifth June 2006, world environment day was celebrated all over the World
with the slogan “Don’t Desert Drylands!” that calls for every nation to protect
and manage biological resource and their diversity in arid and semi-arid land.
Dry lands covering 40% of  the Earth are thought to be home of  nearly 2 billion
people i.e. one third of  world’s population. The Year 2006 has especial global
importance while talking about the issue on land degradation and desertification.
This Year has been declared as the International Year of  Desert and
Desertification and the Tenth Anniversary of  the Ratification of  the United
Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The convention is
considered as the internationally recognized and legally binding instrument that
addresses the problem of  land degradation in dry land and has universal
memberships of  191 parties. The convention played a key role on global effort
to eradicate poverty, achieve sustainable development and reach Millennium
Development Goals. In this regard, every year 17 June is celebrated as ‘World
Day’ to combat desertification.

In June 1994, UNCCD was adopted and opened for signature, from October
1994 to October 1995. It entered into force on 26 December 1996, 90 days after
the fiftieth instrument of  ratification or accession was deposited. Nepal
participated in the preparatory process of  convention and signed it on 12 October
1995 and deposited its instruments of  ratification on 15 October 1996.
Consequently, the convention entered into force in Nepal on 13 January 1997.

Nepal is facing severe environmental problems relating to land degradation.  It
has been reported that approximately 0.4,1.5 and 11.7 percent of  the total
watershed in Nepal are in very poor, poor and fair conditions respectively. It is
also estimated that about 1.8 million tons of  plant nutrients are removed due to
crop harvest and soil erosion processes. Out of  this, only 0.3 million tons of
organic and mineral fertilizers replenish while the rest is permanently taken out
of  the soil thereby depleting land productivity.

In Nepal, land use changes have occurred as a result of  both natural process as
well as human activities. The forest area has deceased from 42.4% in 1988 to



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39.6% in 1999. Furthermore, Nepal losses over 240 million cubic meter of  fertile
top soil every year. Siltation problem has been seen in the plains due to loss of
soil in the mountains leading to rise of  riverbeds by 10 to 30 centimetres in the
plain. Restoring soil loss by erosion is a slow process; it takes almost 500 years
for just 2.5 cm of  soil to form. The expanding riverbeds and overlay of  sand and
silt on the productive land of  the Terai in the south are growing concern of  the
Terai people.

Nepal’s Himalayas are geologically young and fragile. Although Nepal has no
desertification problems in the form of  dry land, it is reported that about 10,000ha
of  land in the western Himalayan districts such as Dolpa and Mustang features
a process of  desertification in the form of  cold desert.

The UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment notes that it is easier to prevent
desertification than to reverse it. Population pressure and improper land
management practices are the principal cause of  land degradation leading to
desertification. Better management of  crops, more careful irrigation, and strategies
to provide non-farming job for people living in the dry lands could help to address
the problem.

Being a party of  UNCCD, Nepal has done many efforts to mitigate environmental
problems. In order to mitigate the problem of  land degradation problem in
Nepal, the Government has launched various preventive as well as remedial
measures such as establishment of  Department of  Soil Conservation and
Watershed Management in 1974 and formulation of  the Soil and Watershed
Conservation Act (1982) and its regulation (1985). On the other hand, community
forestry development programme has been a successful policy initiative in
controlling land degradation problems especially in the mid-hills of  Nepal.
Besides, the Forest Act (1993) and the Forest Regulations (1995), the
Environmental Protection Act (1997) and the Environmental Protection
Regulations (1997) have also emphasised the need of  environmental conservation
and management in Nepal. In recent years, Nepal has shown significant progress
in managing forests in the middle hills with continuation of  the Community
Forestry Programme. On the contrary, only little efforts have been done in
managing high altitude forests and dry land pasture, which provides 36% of  the
total digestible nutrient to the livestock and harbours unique biodiversity, rich
cultural heritage, and fragile ecosystem.

Let’s commit ourselves to make aware everyone of  this issue and take part in
combating desertification in the world so as to fulfil the Millennium Development
Goal.