Communities Guard Nepal's National Flower, the Rhododendron
10/13/99
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Title: Communities Guard Nepal's National Flower, the Rhododendron
Source: Environment News Service, http://www.ens.lycos.com/
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: October 13, 1999
Byline: Deepak Gajurel
KATHMANDU, Nepal, October 13, 1999 (ENS) - In response to local
initiatives, the central government of Nepal will declare Milke-
Jaljale a rhododendron conservation area, the first floral
conservation area in the country.
Local communities in the eastern hill districts of Terhathum,
Sankhuwasabha and Taplejung are all set to preserve the richly
biodiverse area by themselves without the help of the state
authorities. This is the first time in Nepal that a local community
has initiated the conservation of a larger area which is rich in
plants and animals.
Conservationists, community leaders, local politicians, district
level forest officials and journalists, in an interaction program two
months ago decided to establish a rhododendron conservation area in
this hill region. After holding a series of brainstorming
discussions, they urged the central government to declare the Milke-
Jaljale tract a rhododendron protection area.
A small area of about 16,296 hectares, Milke-Jaljale is home to 28
species of rhododendron, the national flower of the Kingdom of Nepal.
According to studies 32 species of this beautiful flower is found in
Nepal. Some 800 types of rhododendron is thought to be spread all
over the world.
As an elevation of 2,000 feet to 3,000 feet from the sea level is
favorable for this flower, this area is most suitable for the growth
of rhododendron. It grows up to 60 feet in height, says botanist
Shailendra Pokharel at The World Conservation Union (IUCN) Nepal
country office.
The central government has taken the community demands seriously.
Work for declaring Milke-Jaljale a rhododendron conservation area is
under way, officials at Ministry of Forestry confirm.
Ministry of Environment spokesman Anant Raj Pandey assured ENS that
once the detailed management plan is prepared the Milke Jaljale
conservation area will be set up as the first floral conservation
area in Nepal.
The IUCN has also supported the proposed community initiative. There
will be no military security in the proposed Milke Jaljale
conservation area rather it will be protected by the community
itself," says Pokharel.
"Once the government hands over the area to us, some 77 thousand
people living in 16 villages covering this area will take care of the
natural flora and fauna here," Terhathum district forest officer
Murari Prasad Pokharel says.
The eastern hilly area is also rich in animals and birds. "Salak
(Manis pantadactyla), bear, boar, the danfe - Nepal's national bird,
munal, monkey and other species roam in plenty in this area," forest
officer Bishwo Mani Acharya says.
Community control in the protection of natural resources has been
proved successful in this Himalayan country. Thousand of hectares of
forest land currently is community controlled forest. Laws related to
community forests provide a basic foundation so that once any patch
of forest land is handed over a locally formed Forest Users Group
(FUG), ownership of all resources goes to the community control.
However, the government retains ownership of the forest land.
Many hope that once the Rhododendron conservation is made official,
it will also help promote tourism industry of the country by making
up a new tourist destination.