सूचक

• One of the guiding principles of the NRS (2018-2022) and revised NRS (2025-2034) is alignment and coherence with overall national priorities and strategies.
• NRS (2018-2022) identified the following policies and programs as relevant to REDD+: Climate Change Policy (2011); Land Use Policy (2015); Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2014); Forest Policy (2015); Forestry Sector Strategy (2016-2025); and Nationally Determined Contribution (2016).
• Revised NRS (2025-2034) discusses the following legal framework as relevant to REDD+:
• The Constitution of Nepal (2015) recognizes carbon services from forests, placing it under the list of exclusive federal powers (Schedule 5).
• The National Forest Policy (2019), with main objective of sustainable and inclusive management of forests as essential resources for the provision of social, economic, and forest ecosystem services, covering the development of ER projects for international climate finance, and recognising forests as crucial to combating climate change.
• The Forests Act (2019) recognises carbon services as an environmental service generated from forest ecosystems, gives the Federal Government capacity to make arrangements for management, utilisation and distribution of benefits arising out of carbon services, and development of the Forest Development Fund (FDF). The Forest Regulations (2022), Rule 107, sets out rules for the management of carbon services, Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) process, and carbon benefit distribution through FDF, based on benefit sharing plans.
• The National Climate Change Policy (2019) recognises role of REDD+ and related strategies for forest-based climate change mitigation, envisages REDD+ as a means to access financial resources to strengthen ecosystem and social resilience, and emphasises equitable benefit-sharing.
• The 16th National Plan (2024/25-2028/29) incorporates plans for the forestry sector, with the transformative strategies of the Biodiversity, Climate Change and Green Economy theme providing for subsidies for carbon emission technology, increasing forest carbon stocks and increasing benefits from carbon trade.
• The Environment Protection Act (2019) defines 'emission reduction' programs or activities, and states that the Government of Nepal may participate in carbon trading mechanisms established by international treaties. The Environmental Protection Regulations (2020) specify that the Government can sell emission reductions and removals obtained through sustainable forest management in the national or international markets.
• The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) (2014-2020) is under revision in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and offers opportunities to synergise across actions related to carbon, biodiversity, and ecosystem services.

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• Nepal’s NRS (2018-2022) was approved in line with the country’s needs for managing forests and biodiversity as well as its international commitments.
• Purpose: to guide the development of policies and programs that address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, which ultimately improves the carbon sink capacity of Nepal’s forests.
• Objectives: to improve and harmonise policy and legal frameworks, in line with national and international requirements and standards; to harness carbon and non-carbon benefits; to increase institutional capability and coordination; and to strengthen governance, gender equality and social inclusion of the forestry sector.
• The updated NRS (2025-2034) has a mission to strengthen forest ecosystem resilience for emission reductions and increased carbon and non-carbon benefits, through improved policy measures and effective institutions, and its objectives are in line with key national programs such as the National Forest Policy (2019) and the National Climate Policy (2019).
• Reduce carbon emissions, enhance carbon stocks, conserve biodiversity, and strengthen ecosystem resilience by addressing the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation and promoting sustainable management of forests.
• Improve forest land tenure security and ensure fair and equitable sharing of carbon and non-carbon benefits of forests among rights holders, women, Indigenous Peoples, Madhesis, Dalits, and forest-dependent local communities with effective implementation of safeguard measures.
• Increase livelihood assets and diversify employment opportunities for women, Indigenous Peoples, Madhesis, Dalits, local communities, and forest-dependent poor.
• Improve and harmonise policy and legal frameworks in line with national and international requirements and standards to harness carbon and non-carbon benefits.
• Maintain good governance, strengthen institutional capability and coordination, and promote gender equality and social inclusion in the forestry sector.
• Improve the National Forest Monitoring System with robust measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification mechanisms.

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The rationale for the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) ERP sets out the following:

• It aims to achieve 34.2 MtCO2e in carbon benefits (combined emissions reductions and removals) over a 10-year period.
• Its strategic rationale is rooted in the NRS, and is consistent with other key national policies and strategies, such as the National Low Carbon Development Strategy and NBSAP.
• Its measures are in support of the NRS objectives and four key targets in the NRS Implementation Framework on land area under community-based forest management, area managed as Private Forest, area under Sustainable Forest Management, and promotion of alternative energy.
• The LEAF ER Program is based on the vision, mission, principles and objectives of the NRS (2018-2022) and revised NRS (2025-2034), which are aligned with key national forest, environment and development policies.

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