We must conserve forests: PM Oli

Kathmandu, May 10

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that the indiscriminate felling of Saal trees in the name of scientific forest management will be strictly stopped.

Inaugurating the Second National Forest Promotion Workshop organised by the Ministry of Forests and Environment on Saturday, he said that Nepal's Saal forests are an exceptional example of nature and that such tall trees are important for water retention, so they should not be commercially utilised before reaching maturity.

“Though the slogan ‘Green forest is Nepal’s wealth’ is an old one, forests had not been properly utilised as a resource. However, we have now made a firm commitment to prevent the destruction of forests and to contribute to the solar system’s balance by conserving and properly utilising the forests,” said Prime Minister Oli.

According to him, Nepal has increased efforts in forest conservation. Now, instead of merely expanding forest areas, it needs to move towards productivity. “For the commercial utilisation of forests, we must adopt a policy that avoids both haste and delay,” he said.

Currently, forests make up 46 per cent of Nepal’s land area.

Noting that Nepal is a country rich in nature and vitality, PM Oli highlighted that this also contributes to global environmental efforts. He emphasised the need to strengthen forests and convert bushlands into dense forests.

He further said that agriculture and forestry officials could collaborate to promote fruit cultivation and that olive farming could be expanded in the Himalayan region. He urged against regionalism, encouraging cooperation among all regions.

Stressing that encouraging farmers towards livestock farming would support renewable forestry, PM Oli added that expanding pastureland would help integrate forest and agricultural ecosystems.

“I was criticised as being anti-environment when I said we don’t need to further increase the number of tigers. But people misunderstood. A tiger doesn’t read law books when it gets hungry and can’t find food; it attacks people. Just because a tiger in a photo looks harmless doesn’t mean it won’t cause harm,” said Prime Minister Oli.

Nepal has more than doubled its tiger population in line with international commitments. Those living near forests understand the difficulties involved. “Environmental conservation is meant for the welfare of humanity. If humanity itself is unsafe, environmental protection becomes meaningless,” he said.

He also pointed out that some countries still refuse to honour the Paris Agreement and stressed the need for global cooperation in this regard. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 11 May 2025.