Forest encroachment and increased demand of forest areas for other purposes would present major risks during the transitional management of forestry sector when the country adopts a federal structure of governance.

The transitional management action plan for the forestry sector prepared by the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MoFSC) has identified key risks including lack of political commitment, inadequate human resource, demarcating forest areas and balanced sharing of benefits and resources among the people, among others, during the transitional phase before the federalism is implemented.

The transitional management action plan on administrative and management restructuring of the forestry sector has been circulated among the line agencies and departments for feedbacks and suggestion before finalising the document in next two weeks, said MoSTE joint-secretary Kiran Raj Sharma.

“Adopting federal model without adequate planning would result in challenges in forest management and resource sharing for socio-economic development of the nation,” said Sharma, who was involved in preparing the plan for forest ministry.  

As the country is in the midst of drafting a new constitution and transforming itself towards a federal structure of governance, the government has asked all the ministries to prepare action plan for their respective sectors to ready themselves during the transition phase before the country fully implements federal structure of governance with demarcation of provinces.

The transition period from the time when the country decides to adopt federalism to its full implementation brings together risks and challenges as well as opportunities for forestry sector, Sharma said.

The government has already included in its policy to maintain 40 percent of the total land area of the country as forest cover, however with the division of country into provinces, it is very unlikely that all provinces would maintain 40 percent of forest cover, forest officials said.

The plan has further identified sectoral-planning including policy improvement and enhancing institutional structure to facilitate the transformation. Similarly, the action plan recommends setting up institutions at central, regional/provincial and local level to accommodate administration and management of forests in line with the federal state model.