सूचक

• The Forest Act (2019) and Forest Regulation (2022) establish the legal framework for classification, management and monitoring of forests under different forest management regimes, including national forests, community forests, collaborative forests, leasehold forests, protected forests and private forests.

• The Forest Act (2019) states that “forest’’ means an area fully or partly covered by trees or plants (Buttyan), and provides deinfitions for “National Forest” (managed by the Government) and "Forest area", which comprises different types of land surrounded by, or situated within, the forest. Although Nepal does not have a separate definition of natural forests, the Forest Act (2019) defines the environmental services of forests as: carbon service; protection of biodiversity; watershed and water-cycle system; eco-tourism; and such other products, services, and benefits. Table E1.1 provides the forest definitions applied in Nepal's National Land Cover Monitoring System (NLCMS) (2020-2022).

• The National Standards for Sustainable Forest Management (2024) and the Integrated Strategic Plan for the National Forest (2025) also clearly separate the forest management systems for natural forests and plantation forests. 

• The Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE) is the lead institution responsible for forest and biodiversity policy. Key implementing institutions include the Forest Research and Training Centre (FRTC), Department of Forests and Soil Conservation (DoFSC), Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC), Division Forest Offices (DFOs) and protected area authorities.

• The Forest Research and Training Centre (FRTC) is responsible for national forest resource assessment, forest inventory, mapping and maintenance of forest resource databases. 

• Nepal’s National Land Cover Monitoring System (NLCMS) monitors changes in the forest resources to produce forest resources maps at the national, provincial, district and local levels.  Following the NRS (2018) and updated NRS (2025), a MRV geoportal has been developed, whuch supports Nepal’s intentions to enhance transparency of its national forest inventory and forest cover/change datasets.

• District level forest monitoring and reporting systems complement the NLCMS. Division Forest Offices (DFOs) and Protected Areas authorities monitor, measure, update and report land use change and forestry information to their central authorities, and the resource inventory of CBFM regimes is conducted every five to 10 years. 

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• The Forest Act (2019) recognises forests as ecosystems that provide multiple environmental services, including biodiversity conservation, watershed protection and ecosystem functioning, in addition to carbon services. The Act provides the legal basis for identifying biologically important forest ecosystems.

• The National Wetland Policy (2012) establishes a national framework for the identification, classification and conservation of wetlands as ecologically significant ecosystems. The Policy recognises natural and modified wetlands, including rivers, lakes, marshes, floodplains and seasonally inundated areas. Similarly, the Ramsar Strategy and Action Plan (2018-2024) provides strategic actions for the conservation of other natural ecosystems, including wetlands. 

• The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP, 2014) defiines ecosystem diversity and five different types of ecosystems in the context of threats to biodiversity: Forest Biodiversity, Rangeland Biodiversity, Wetland Biodiversity, Agrobiodiversity and Mountain Biodiversity. (The revised NBSAP is expected to be finalised in mid-2026). 

• The National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act (1973) provides the framework for identification and management of protected areas and other sites of biodiversity significance, including national parks, wildlife reserves, conservation areas and buffer zones.

• The Environment Protection Act (2019) and Environment Protection Regulation (2020) support identification and assessment of environmentally sensitive areas and biodiversity values through environmental assessment processes.

• Key institutions responsible for identifying, assessing and mapping natural ecosystems and biodiversity include the Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE), the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC), the Department of Forests and Soil Conservation (DoFSC), the Forest Research and Training Centre (FRTC), protected area authorities and Division Forest Offices (DFOs).

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