CHITWAN: Forest experts at a regional seminar said that there would be no sustainable forest management unless the forest was given to local communities for conservation.

The seminar was organised by the Community Forest Users' Federation Nepal to formulate forest strategy under the auspices of the Ministry of Forests. Speaking at the function, Dr Udayaraj Sharma said that in the past 10 years, the forest cover of the country had dropped to 4,248,000 hectares from 5,828,000 hectares. He said forests were being destroyed at the rate of 1.6 per cent per year. Forests are being destroyed because of political conflict and lack of awareness among locals, said Resham Dangi, convener, Red Forestry and Climate Change Unit.