In the late 1970s, Nepal launched a reforestation project to restore its massively deforested lands in the southeastern Terai landscape. However, the main tree of choice, eucalyptus, after showing initial signs of success has now proven detrimental to the region’s soil moisture and fertility, Mongabay contributor Mukesh Pokhrel reported in February.
To prepare for the reforestation project, the Australian government aided Nepal by sending experts, who suggested planting a eucalyptus species called red river gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), native to Australia, on Nepal’s lowland plains. At the time, there was a growing demand for fuelwood and timber among the local communities in the Terai region and its biggest employer, the Janakpur Cigarette Factory. Eucalyptus was chosen for its ability to grow fast and be harvested within eight to 10 years, Pokhrel writes.
The Sagarnath Forest Development Project, launched formally in 1977, got its first eucalyptus harvest in 1989 and was deemed a success for meeting its objectives of increased tree cover and wood supply.
By 2015, time for the fourth harvest, farmers from Sarlahi district took an interest in eucalyptus as they saw truckloads of fuelwood leaving the Sagarnath forests. They were enticed by the quick yields and the plant’s low maintenance, and began replacing their rice, mustard and wheat fields with eucalyptus trees, a trend that was copied in more than 20 neighboring districts in the region, Pokhrel writes.
The district forest office supported this interest by distributing eucalyptus saplings on a large scale. Although various reports from within and outside the country warned about the ecological impacts of eucalyptus, Pokhrel writes that the farmers said they were not informed about these concerns.
While a 1993 report said the red river gum was more water-efficient than native species, its high water consumption per hectare could prompt a decline in yields in nearby agricultural lands, deplete soil nutrients, and lead to desertification if not managed with fertilization.
Khem Raj Nepal, a farmer from Sarlahi, told Pokhrel that he planted 300 eucalyptus trees. “I earned just $2,000 in 10 years — far less than what traditional crops would have provided,” he said. “Now I’m back to rice and mustard.”
Community forest user groups in Sarlahi also told Mongabay that half of the farmers who planted eucalyptus had abandoned it as their land deteriorated.
There are now farmers filing complaints against neighbors who planted eucalyptus, Pokhrel reports.
However, the Nepal government has denied it made a mistake by promoting an exotic plant species. “It has not been proven so far; it is just a hypothesis,” Deepak Gyawali, joint secretary of Nepal’s environment ministry, told Pokhrel, adding that the farmers benefit from eucalyptus as it can be used to make furniture.
This is a summary of “In Nepal, a eucalyptus boom became an ecological cautionary tale” by Mukesh Pokhrel for Mongabay.
Banner image of farmer Khem Raj Nepal from Sarlahi, Nepal, looking at his farm. Image by Mukesh Pokhrel.
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