Not protected area

We wish to correct a statement in your article "WWF for conservation in Chure hills" in The Kathmandu Post of Saturday, February 3, 2001 written by Post correspondent Yagya Bikram Shahi. It refers to WWF’s Terai Arc Landscape conservation programme.

The reported statement, "The TALN (Terai Arc Landscape Nepal) has decided to declare the region as a protected area," is incorrect. The undersigned had clearly pointed out in his presentation in Bardia, that WWF has no intention of proposing that the Terai Arc Landscape be declared a protected area, such as a national park, wildlife reserve or sanctuary. Instead, what WWF proposes is an ambitious and visionary conservation landscape that extends from Chitwan and Parsa to Rajaji and Corbett in India, with the Chure hills forming the backbone. The conservation landscape will consist of a matrix of land-uses, from village settlements, agricultural lands, community forests, production forests, protection forests, forests reserves and protected areas. Therefore, once again, there is no need for protected areas to be declared.

The conservation concept on which the Terai Arc is based is to conserve a landscape for biological diversity through community participation that will return economic benefits to the local communities. The overall goal is conservation of biodiversity, soil and watershed of the area. The Chure hills is extremely important to the ecological and economic integrity of the Terai; widespread loss of forests along this fragile mountain range can result in disastrous consequences such as watershed degradation, landslides and loss of productivity in the Terai.

Anil Manandhar
Director of Programmes (Conservation)
WWF Nepal Programme