July 22: Nepal imported 10 million cubic feet of timber during the last fiscal year. According to government data, the timber imported from various countries were worth Rs 4 billion.

Nepal imported timber from 20 countries including the United States of America. According to Manjil Babu Maskey, president of Nepal Forest Production Federation, the average price of imported timber is Rs 4,000 per cubic foot.

Interestingly, as the import of timber is increasing, the forest area where wood is produced is gradually increasing in Nepal. According to government data, in the year 2000 AD, 59,15,518 hectares of land in Nepal was covered by forest area. In 2019 AD, this area has increased to 61,66,766 hectares. Compared to the year 2000, the forest area has increased by 4.16 percent in 2019. At present, about 45.31 percent of the land area of ​​the country is covered by forests.

Due to the migration from rural to the urban areas and the increase in number of Nepalis going abroad for employment, the arable land in the village is gradually turning into forests.

Experts say that depletion of forests has declined as citizens have been abandoning firewood for cooking and have started using liquefied petroleum gas extensively. Similarly, with the government’s decision to scrap the procedure of scientific forest management has also contributed to a decline in consumption of wood. After the cancellation of the procedure, the use of wood from domestic forests has been stopped. Experts argue this is also one of the reasons for the increase in forest area.

President Maskey shared that there is no doubt that the forest area is an important asset of Nepal, and it should be protected, but it is not appropriate to import timber worth billions of rupees from foreign countries while timber produced in the country is rotting in the forests. He argues that this trend has made the country’s economy inport-oriented while on the other hand the local resources are being wasted.

Maskey also said that if domestic resources are properly used, the economy will move towards self-sufficiency.

Stakeholders share that the decision to abandon the scientific forest management policy contradicts with the government's policy of import substitution. They say that it is trying to make the country dependent on imported timber by wasting the local product.

Experts say it has definitely protected the forest areas but the country has failed to benefit from the forests through proper utilization.

Chairman of the Private Forest Users Federation Bishnu Gyawali says that it is more important to manage forests than to  protect them.