Kathmandu: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has pledged to strictly monitor the felling of Saal trees in the name of scientific forest management. Addressing the second National Forest Promotion seminar organized by the Ministry of Forest and Environment, PM Oli highlighted the significance of Saal trees in inducing rainfall and emphasized that they should not be harvested for commercial purposes until maturity.
According to National News Agency Nepal, PM Oli reaffirmed the government’s commitment to forest conservation and leveraging forest resources for the greater benefit of the planet. He emphasized the need to focus on production rather than merely expanding forest coverage. The Prime Minister also advocated for a policy that promotes the judicious use of forest products for commercial purposes while strengthening existing forests and converting shrubs into dense forests.
Furthermore, PM Oli proposed collaboration between agriculture and forest offices to promote commercial fruit farming. He stressed the importance of mutual cooperation for forest conservation and economic benefits from cultivating fruits and herbal plants. Encouraging animal husbandry, he noted, would aid forest regeneration and increase wildlife populations, contributing to the conservation of both forest and agricultural ecosystems.
Addressing concerns over a previous statement about tiger populations, PM Oli clarified his stance, emphasizing Nepal’s success in tiger conservation and forest expansion, which currently stands at 46 percent. He highlighted Nepal’s achievements in protecting tiger populations beyond international commitments and noted the importance of environmental conservation for human safety.
PM Oli also touched on global environmental efforts, referencing some countries’ failure to ratify the Paris Agreement and underscoring the need for collective action to protect the earth and its ecology. He announced Nepal’s plan to host the ‘Sagarmatha Sambad,’ an international diplomatic forum, in Kathmandu from May 16-18 to coordinate global climate action efforts.