There was a time when Nepal was an extensively forested country. Now, only 29% of forest-cover remains. The main reasons for deforestation have been land clearings, to gain new agricultural land, and the demand for timber and, especially, the demand for firewood. About 87% of domestic energy in Nepal is produced by firewood. Wood is used for cooking and, during winter, also for heating.
The need for firewood is not only a burden for nature, but also for women. In true Nepalese tradition, women are responsible for fetching firewood and carrying it home.
As the forests disappear, these women need to spend more and more time in finding enough wood, an activity that may take several hours each day.
Then there are cattle
Many rural Nepalese people depend on cattle for their livelihood but do not have sufficient land holdings for grazing. Thus, it is common place to see cows, water buffaloes and goats grazing in forests.
Forests could sustain small numbers of grazers, but today the grazing pressure in many areas is immense enough to destroy all new tree seedlings right at the beginning of their growth.
How to bring the forests back
One of the main objectives of TAL, is to ease the pressure on remaining forests - and to bring back forests to areas where they have disappeared. Biogas is introduced as an alternative fuel, and improved cooking stoves save firewood in households that cannot afford a biogas system.
Both alternatives have also tremendously eased the workload of women. To regenerate forests that already have disappeared, the project promotes planting trees that are grown in tree nurseries by local volunteers.
