How can Nepal reduce forest fire risks?

Last Updated on February 7, 2025 6:05 am

Nepal experienced 242 forest fire incidents between December 3, 2024 (17 Mangsir, 2081), and February 5, 2025 (22 Magh, 2081), shows satellite imagery from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Most of these fires erupted within the mid-hills and high Himalayan regions.

Providing more details, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Deputy Secretary and Forest Technician Sudip Chhatkuli stated, “Nepali fires occur in two key phases. Winter fires primarily erupt in the Mahabharat and high Himalayan ranges between November and February.

“Meanwhile, fires that occur from mid-February up to May are more frequent and primarily hit the Chure and Terai zones.”

He then explained further, “A lack of winter rain is the prime reason for winter fires. More winter rain can prevent such fires, but in the last couple of years, we have had prolonged dry winters that have resulted in more accidents.”

Nepal so far received just 9% of the usual winter rain this season [from December 1, 2024 to 28 February, 28, 2025], which should have been more than 60%, says the country’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology.

Winter droughts have occurred more frequently in the past two decades, resulting in rising incidents of fires.

NASA statistics show that there were 101 fire incidents between December 1, 2001, and February 5, 2002. Since then, Winter fire incidents have gone up consistently in the last two decades.

In the past ten years, fires have killed 861 people and wounded 3,278 others. Although forest fires, as explained by Sundar Sharma of the South Asian Fire Network, are not that deadly to human populations in domestic residences, those still inflict heavy losses to property and animals.

Nepal experienced 34,724 fires Between 2008 and 2024, according to the government statistics. Among those, 116 individuals died in forest fires.

The greatest number of deaths due to fire occurred in the Kathmandu district with forty-one fatalities over the last decade, followed by the Dhanusha and Dang districts.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Barun Bahadur Singh comments that the increased fire incidents in the Terai are caused by factors such as houses made of thatch, short circuits caused by electricity, and gusty summer winds.

“Dry season and gusty summer winds create much higher chances for fires to happen,” said Singh, adding, “Not knowing sufficient things and having insufficient fire-fighting equipment complicate the situation.”

In the past 15 years, there have been losses of Rs 24 billion due to fires. At least 13,431 buildings have been destroyed by fires and 9,940 animals have been killed as well.

Forest fires also wreak havoc in the environment, but no large-scale study has been conducted to determine how much wildlife has been lost.

Forest fires also cause a sudden decline in air quality, particularly after mid-February. The 2024 Kathmandu Air Quality Index was 413 (PM2.5), which is unsafe for health. People breathe such air that can cause severe respiratory conditions and chronic illnesses.

Nepal ranks forty-nine globally in terms of biodiversity, with approximately 22,000 species. It annually loses some plants and animals due to forest fires. Yet insufficient studies on how much biodiversity has been lost render this issue difficult to tackle.

While such disasters recur annually, there is no visible system in Nepal to track the devastation to nature, human life, and the economy.

There is an urgent need for more public awareness programs, better weather forecasting, and studies on the environmental impact of fires to reduce risks. Preventive measures can prevent forest fires from inflicting further damage to Nepal’s environment, economy, and public health.

What can be done?

Although forest fires and fire incidents cannot be eliminated completely, a strong chance of reducing them by over half is present in Nepal.

A Nepalese Ministry of Forest and Environment study showed that 64% of fires in Nepal are human induced, while 32% result from accidents or negligence.

Forest fire specialist Dr Krishna Bahadur Bhujel said, “People occasionally start fires for fun or criminal reasons, but I think such occurrences can be reduced. By speaking to people, educating them on the dangers of starting fires, and by implementing the law, we can have a positive effect.”

The Forest Act 2076 BS and the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2029 BS make forest fire starting a criminal offense in Nepal.

Criminal offense for starting the fire in the forest carries a sentence of imprisonment and a fine.

Nabaraj Pudasaini, Joint-Secretary Ministry of forest and Environment, Chief of the Red implementation Center(REDD) reports that few of the people who started fires have been prosecuted. This is mainly because the culprits behind the fire are not known.

Sundar Sharma, the head of the South Asian Fire Network, points out that small steps can significantly reduce both the number of fires and the extent of the destruction caused by them.

He points out, “There have been cases when fires could not be contained due to a lack of water. Even if fire trucks could be made available, the absence of water sources meant that it was not possible to bring the fire under control.

“If ponds are built in every area to hold water, the risk of runaway fires can be minimized considerably.”

Adding that all local places must invest in portable fire control machines for each ward, Sharma states, “Portable fire control machines are extremely useful in reducing damage. Even small machinery can prove to be of much use.”

After last year’s Lele forest fire in Lalitpur, when the Leprosy Hospital had come in danger, the situation was compounded when available fire engines did not work.

The National Disaster Management and Risk Reduction team employed portable fire pumps to deal with the fire and make sure that it did not reach the hospital.

These portable machines are both effective and efficient and can utilize water from ponds or lakes to extinguish fires where they are. According to Sharma, such machinery is a great necessity in villages and areas that lack fire trucks.

Community mobilization challenges

Local communities manage around 40% of Nepal’s forests. But in recent times, fewer community members have been hired for forest and fire management.

Thakur Bhandari, the president of the Community Forest Consumers Federation, states that government policies have made the members of the community less engaged.

He states, “Communities that have strived to conserve the forest are now wondering about their roles, particularly as they have been deprived of forest products. What the government has done is left communities demoralized and unsupported.”

Bhandari still applauds community efforts, which fight off forest fires at considerable personal cost.

Nepal has 2.746 million hectares of community forests. It also has 64,848 hectares of partnership forests, 44,000 hectares of concession forests, 2,809 hectares of religious forests, and 124,000 hectares of intermediate community forests.

The government needs to provide support and assistance to these communities so that they can remain effective in terms of fire management.