Experts call for balance between migration and natural resources
"Unmanaged settlements have been causing problems in forests of the Terai region "
Migration should explore and manage instead of exploiting natural resources for sustainable growth, said experts in an interaction today.
Internal migration from the hills to the Terai — southern plains — has been creating problems regarding natural resources. It should be managed properly, said Dr Padam Prasad Khatiwada presenting a paper on migration and its impact on natural forests. “Unmanaged and governed migration has been causing encroachment problems in Terai forests,” he said.
Migration has built pressure on other natural resources too, but there are no studies on it, said economist Dr Ram Kumar Phuyal. Experts on migration and natural resources should together explore the impact at the macro and micro levels, he said, adding that such studies will help the country manage and govern the issue.
Migration from the hills to the Terai started in the 1960s after malaria was eradicated in 1954. It gathered momentum in the 1980s and has not stopped yet. The Terai shares only 17 per cent of the total land mass of the country but is home to nearly half the population of 26.49 million. Therefore, pressure on natural resources is high in the Terai.
Migration from outside has been creating serious problems in national parks and community forests, said chief of party of Hariyo Ban programme Judy Oglethrope. “Free movement of wild animals has been hampered due to human movements and settlements in and around national parks,” she added.
Migration expert Dr Ganesh Gurung said that the government should address the problem at the policy level. “Migration — both internal and external — have positive and negative impacts. We have to lessen the negative impacts and promote positive ones,” he said, adding that without managing the current migration trend, the burden on natural resources cannot be reduced to a sustainable level.
According to him, the best way to decrease migration pressure on natural resources is to provide options to people. “If there are facilities in the hills like those in the Terai, then people from the hills will not migrate to the Terai,” he said. The government should manage migration and maintain a balance between migration and natural resources, he added.
Dr Ghanshyam Gurung from WWF-Nepal said that migration pressure on natural resources should be reduced by promoting positive impacts of migration.
“At the same time, we have to be aware of its pressure on natural resources and the best ways should be explored in between,” Gurung said.
Published on: 14 March 2013 | The Himalayan Times
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