Community Conservation Nepal

Origin Stories: Conservation in Nepal and Namibia • The Revelator Looking at the dramatic effects two people had decades ago reminds us that individuals and communities can make a difference for conservation.

The Powerful, Often Overlooked Role of CFUGs in Nepal 🌿

Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs) have quietly been one of the most resilient governance structures in Nepal—long before disaster strikes, and long after global attention moves on.

When Nepal faced civil conflict and government institutions stalled, CFUGs stepped in. They made decisions on resource allocation, supported the poor and excluded, and ensured essential services didn’t disappear.

After the 2015 earthquakes, their deep community networks allowed them to mobilize volunteers, distribute relief, and provide materials for reconstruction faster than many formal systems.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, CFUGs again showed up: contributing cash to local relief funds, offering their buildings as quarantine space, and acting as first responders in rural communities.

And their impact doesn’t stop at emergencies.
Experience in community forestry has translated into civic leadership. In the 2017 elections:

🌿 1,967 CFUG members were elected
🌿 16 became mayors
🌿 15 became rural municipality chairs
🌿 And of the 14,000 women elected nationwide, 632 came from CFUGs

This is community leadership in action.
This is why community forestry matters.
And this is why we support it.

📸: Workshop participants learning about the many factors involved in community forest governance