Leasehold Forest Area Mapping and Planning Services (Zone-I 8 Districts)

Project Description

The overall goal of the Leasehold Forestry and Livestock Programme is a sustained reduction in the poverty of poor households who are allocated leasehold forestry plots through increased production of forest products and livestock products and is specially designed to benefit the poorest communities. Providing land with degraded forest to poor households on a 40-years renewable lease provides the poor with security of tenure and the confidence to develop the land, which then enables them to generate income and other benefits to move out of poverty trap. The Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, recognize leasehold forestry for poverty reduction as a programme with the highest priority.

The Mapping and Planning Services identifies possible leasehold forests and prioritizes Village Development Committee (VDCs) for programme implementation based on availability of appropriate extensive areas of degraded forestland that could be handed over as leasehold forest to groups of poor households. Potential leasehold forests throughout the districts are identified according to the set criteria and their boundaries are field verified and GIS based maps along with a database containing forest information, household information and poverty information are prepared and the VDCs are ranked according to both potential leasehold forest area and number of poor households.

Zone- I Districts
Panchthar, Tehrathum, Bhojpur, Khotang, Okhaladhunga, Sindhuli, Ramechap and Dolakha

Assignment Description

Field survey in all the eight districts to gather various level technical and social data of leasehold and community forest by mobilization of Forest Rangers and Field Supervisors • Identified all the degraded forests in the district that could be handed over as a leasehold forest to group of poor households • Identified the number of poor households that are interested in using the degraded forests • Verified the boundary of potential leasehold forest area and the area determined through GPS system • Develop prioritization weightage criteria using forest information and social data • Prioritized Village Development Committees (VDCs) for the leasehold forestry programme on the basis of areas of forest and poverty pocket area • Prepare GIS based VDC-wise maps with identified leasehold forests, handed over leasehold forests, potential community forest and handed over community forest • Prepare GIS-linked database for forest information and social poverty level data • Compile and develop the district level potential lease land map (digital and printed) which indicates both potential leasehold areas and number of poor households.