KATHMANDU, APRIL 22
Amid the escalating global climate crisis-marked by pollution, biodiversity loss, and rising temperatures-the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) organized a national seminar on Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs), aligning with World Earth Day in Kathmandu.
The one-day seminar, titled "Exploring the Role of Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) in Nepal: Challenges and Prospects," was jointly organized by NAST's Biodiversity and Climate Sub-Committee and the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC). It sought to facilitate dialogue on the potential of OECMs within Nepal's conservation framework, in line with this year's Earth Day theme: "Our Power, Our Planet."
As a signatory to various international environmental accords, Nepal has begun exploring the relatively new concept of OECMs. However, given its novelty in the national context, experts at the seminar emphasized the need for comprehensive deliberation and contextual understanding prior to its implementation.
Welcoming participants, NAST Secretary Dr. Rabindra Prasad Dhakal provided an overview of Nepal's conservation landscape. He emphasized the need for enhanced coordination among stakeholders to achieve meaningful progress in nature conservation.
Professor Dr. Ram Prasad Chaudhary, Coordinator of NAST's Biodiversity and Climate Sub-Committee, noted that Nepal has already surpassed the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework's "30 by 30" target by protecting nearly 40% of its land area. He stressed inclusive engagement of all stakeholders, particularly Indigenous communities and women, for successful OECM implementation.
Chiranjibi Prasad Pokharel, Director at NTNC, shared insights into two ongoing OECM initiatives: one in Badimalika (Bajura) and another in Ramaroshan (Achham).
Similarly, Dr. Thakur Silwal, Dean of the Institute of Forestry, Tribhuvan University, advocated for integrating traditional conservation practices-such as species-focused forests, religious forests, and culturally protected areas-into modern frameworks.
He also highlighted conservation challenges including overexploitation, climate change, weak policy execution, and increasing human-wildlife conflict. Dr. Silwal underscored the importance of bridging generational knowledge gaps and linking conservation to socio-economic development and eco-tourism.
Dr. Sindhu Prasad Dhungana, an expert in forests, environment, and climate change, presented a paper titled "Internalizing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in Nepal: Excitement and Worries on OECMs." He highlighted Nepal's position entirely within a biodiversity hotspot and its potential for global recognition. While 872 OECM sites have been acknowledged in 10 countries worldwide, Nepal has identified 58 potential sites, pending formal recognition.
Dr. Dhungana emphasized the importance of "thinking globally and acting locally" and called for aligning OECM strategies with global commitments, including the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Climate Agreement.
Representing community forestry stakeholders, Thakur Bhandari, Chairperson of the Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal (FECOFUN), insisted that the country's entire protected area network should be recognized under OECMs. Failing to do so, he warned, would disregard the contributions of local forest user groups to biodiversity conservation.
EK Raj Sigdel, Head of Policy at WWF Nepal, described OECMs as a globally emerging scientific model. He stressed the need for extensive dialogue with Indigenous communities and women to promote understanding of OECMs and how they function. He emphasized that Nepal, still in the early stages of adopting OECMs, requires a multifaceted strategy for effective integration.
In a panel discussion following the presentations, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Rai (Department of Plant Resources), Dr. Naya Sharma Paudel (ForestAction Nepal), and Rajendra Dhungana (Ministry of Forests and Environment) concurred that further deliberation is necessary to ensure all stakeholders understand the OECM framework.
In her concluding remarks, Dr. Rejina Maskey, Associate Coordinator of NAST's Biodiversity and Climate Sub-Committee, along with Dr. Swoyambhu Man Amatya, thanked participants for their engagement with this emerging conservation approach. They emphasized the importance of stakeholder coordination to effectively engage broader audiences in biodiversity protection.
The event was moderated by NAST senior scientific officer Pawan Kuwar Neupane.
