The Baghmara area of Bachhauli Village Development Committee (VDC) lies on the northern border of the Royal Chitwan National Park (RCNP). This area is surrounded by the Rapti River in the south of the National Park boundary, Budi Rapti and Khageri rivers in the northwest and settlements in the east. This area had been severely degraded due to uncontrolled grazing and the local people had no other option than to risk their lives while collecting fodder and fuel from the National Park despite the threat posed by wildlife.
In 1994, King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation (KMTNC), with support from Biodiversity Conservation Network (BCN), a USAID-funded consortium of World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy and World Resources Institute, started an enterprise-based community forestry program in the buffer zone area of RCNP, covering an area of 400 ha. The project was initiated to test the BCN hypothesis that biodiversity conservation through forest management was not possible unless forestry programs were interlinked with income-generating enterprises, taking into account local needs and incorporating participation at the grassroots level.
The project aimed at attaining the following objectives:
a) Extension and protection of the natural habitat.
b) Meeting the fuelwood and fodder needs of the local community.
c) Discouraging land encroachment.
In the first year, NCRTC faced some problems, especially from land encroachers who made several attempts to grab the land. However, there was a considerable number of local people who did not want the area to be taken over by the land encroachers as they would be able to use it in the future if reforestation was carried out. They were the real stakeholders. Although some people felt that they would be deprived of their cattle grazing area, later their suspicions were dispelled when the area was opened for grass cutting. Thus, there was a gradual realization among the inhabitants regarding the benefits that could be derived from the project.
A preliminary survey was conducted in 1989 and plantation was carried out in the same year. The fencing poles were provided by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC).The entire personnel of NCRTC toiled hard to make the program a success. Poles were cut in July in the midst of the monsoon. The staff themselves carried the poles when movement of vehicles and oxcarts became virtually impossible. When the poles had to be ferried across the Rapti River, NCRTC staff braved torrential rains even at one in the night despite threats from encroachers.
In 1989, a total area of 32 ha was covered with fast-growing species such as khair (Acacia catechu) and sissoo (Dalbergia sissoo) and some fodder saplings. A total of 81,000 saplings were utilized. The survival rate was over 85%.In the second year, another 20 ha of land adjacent to the former plantation area was covered. A total of 56,000 saplings were used. In the third year, another 22 ha of land at Jankauli was covered - a total of 57,000 saplings were used for this phase of the plantation process. This plantation , however, was totally damaged by the monsoonal floods of 1992.In 1994, 348 ha of totally degraded forest adjacent to the Baghmara plantation was added to the former by protecting it in the form of natural regeneration. At present, the total area stands at 400 ha, comprising of total, mixed and naturally regenerated forests.
The plantation area covering 400 ha was officially handed over by the District Forest Officer, Mr. Yem B. Thapa, on 15th June,1995 to the Chairman of the Baghmara Community Forest at a special function. At present, even those who were opponents of the plantation project in the beginning, are participating as members of the executive body, and this reflects the success achieved by the project.
In 1992, over 90,000 kg of grass was harvested from the plantation area. In the same year, about 1,200 bhari (30 kg) of fuelwood was provided to the local people on average. In 1993, another 30,000 kg of fuelwood was collected by pruning and shrub clearance. In 1996, a total of 474,134.24 kg of woody biomass was harvested by silvicultural practices from the plantation area. Besides, the local people regularly cut and carry fodder from the plantation area.
The revenue generated from community forestry is as follows:
Total income until the end of March - NRs.769,639.00
a) silvicultural operations - NRs.415,586.00
b) entry fees (elephant, nature walk) - NRs.354,053.00
In November 1995, alternate trees were removed from each row in Baghmara, a silvicultural practice which helps the remaining trees to grow better. Before starting the operation, a meeting was called by the Users' Group to discuss the matter. It was observed that most of the people opposed cutting trees, indicating awareness among the local people about the importance of trees. The forest rangers of NCRTC were able to convince them about the benefits of thinning. Altogether, 1,34,251.84 kg of branches, 3,39,882.4 kg of logs and 47,632 kg of debris were extracted. Thinning is practiced in five years' interval.
Baghmara was opened for tourism in October 1995. The machan construction work, which was started in November 1995, was completed in December 1996. The machan was handed over to the Users' Group in April 1996. The machan contains two rooms, each with two beds. The Users' Group charges USD 10 per person for a night's stay. The addition of the machan has increased the attraction of Baghmara for tourists and has also helped in increasing income. The machan started operating from 22nd April, 1996 and in one month it generated NRs. 12,140 (USD 225.64). In this period, 31 visitors - 26 foreigners and 5 Nepalese stayed at the machan. The Users' Group expects to earn USD 8000 per year from the machan.
By the end of May 1996, NRs. 8,56,511 had been earned from Baghmara Community Plantation. The Users' Group Committee (UGC) has spent some money on habitat management within the area and on supporting three local schools for infrastructure development. The UGC is also bearing the salary expenses of four forest guards and one UGC office staff.
A mud-filled dam has been constructed in Baghmara to create an aquatic habitat. Water from the Budhi Rapti River was channeled to fill the pond. A pair of marsh muggers were released in this aquatic habitat. Two patches of grassland were also cleared to create a grassland habitat. The addition of these two new habitats will provide homes for more animals and also help the existing animal population.
Preparations for plantation in approximately 55 ha in Baghmara have already been started. Plantation will be carried out in the periphery, leaving grassland in the middle. This year, fencing materials have been transported to the plantation sites before the onset of monsoon to avoid the delay caused last year in plantation due to flooding in the river. Saplings have also been prepared.
The benefits accruing to the local people from the project has brought about the realization that they have a stake in maintaining its sustainability. Conservation and people are two sides of the same coin - a balance has to be maintained between human needs and nature as it is the linchpin of survival for both. This is reflected in the words of the UGC Chairman, Mr. Bishnu P. Aryal, " We will be able to hand over the Baghmara Community Forest to the next generation only if we can conserve it. If we do not protect the forest and the flora and fauna it contains, we will not be able to restore the area's biodiversity once it is lost."
Latitude: 27 34 . 78' - 27 35 . 53' N Longitude: 84 28 . 43' - 84 29 . 40' E
AREA USED: Bachhauli VDC, Ward No.1
TOTAL AREA: 400 ha
USERS: Bachhauli VDC, Ward Nos.1, 2, 3 & 4
Households: 584
Population: 3615 (Males - 49.68%, Females - 50.32% )
Residents: 93.50%
Non-residents: 6.50%
Livestock: 3944 (Cows - 8.11%, Buffaloes - 14.40%, Ox/Male Buffaloes - 14.45%, Sheep & Goats - 35.98%, Pigs - 0.71%, Ducks & Chicken - 39.02%, Others - Nominal )
Grazers: 78.71%
Stall-feeders: 21.29%
ETHNIC GROUPS:
Brahmin & Chhetri - 16.67%
Tharu - 57.84%
Mongolian - 21.00%
Others - 4.49%
FODDER GRASS DEMAND: 11,842.8kg/day (20.28kg/day/HH)
NATURAL RESOURCES:
Plants - 104 species
Animals - > 20 species of mammals
Birds - 125 species
FIREWOOD DEMAND: 4640.25kg/day (7.95kg/day/HH)
FOREST AREA:
Plantation: 41.75%
Mixed Plantation: 17.50%
Natural Regeneration: 20.00%
Grassland: 2.50%
Remaining: 18.25%
TOTAL BIOMASS COLLECTED (by thinning & pruning, 1995):
Trunk + Branches (339,882.4 + 134,251.84) = 474,134.24kg
MAJOR RIVERS: Rapti and Budhi Rapti
CLIMATIC ZONE: Subtropical
ECONOMY: Agriculture and Tourism