Abstract ID: 3.10527 | Accepted as Poster | Talk/Oral | TBA | TBA

Sustainable utilization of forest resources and biodiversity protection are guided by Conservation Acts and Conservation Guidelines in Nepal. The success of conservation projects depends strongly on community participation at all stages of planning and implementation. In a long-term BOKU-University led climate mitigation project, in collaboration with academic partners and local stakeholders of the target region in the Gaurishankar Conservation Area, Nepal, we ask the following research questions: Are carbon offset programs a way to meet the needs of mountain societies and a chance for mountain ecosystem restoration? What are the social and economic implications of voluntary offset projects? How big is the carbon sequestration potential? How do biodiversity and other ecosystem services evolve? How can the resilience of communities towards natural disasters be strengthened? The basic conditions for the project implementation were multi-faceted and strongly guided by post-Earthquake conditions 2015. The forests within Gaurishankar Conservation Area were historically managed and utilized by local communities under the Community Forestry Program of the Government of Nepal. After the establishment of the conservation area 15 years ago, it has been felt that multiple legal conservation acts have triggered conflicts between the local communities and governments’ policies, adversely affecting the conservation activities, despite conservation interests shown by the local communities. Nevertheless, several adaptive and transdisciplinary interventions in the frame of our project, such as trainings, the establishment of a nursery, altered management of forest resources, afforestation and enrichment planting to increase forest resilience (including prevention of landslides) are carried out by actively involving the mountain communities. The project activities are successful in raising awareness for the need to build resilient mountain communities in the context of global climate change. Over the past decade, with low investment and high engagement, our approach has broadened the toolset of local communities for sustainable utilization of forest resources. At the same time demographic and socioeconomic changes (out-migration) alter land use intensity and practices. The case study demonstrates the multi-faceted aspects of climate change adaptation and highlights the importance of participatory approaches in strengthening the resilience of mountain communities.