Saving forests with rhododendron juice

Climate change is being felt in the forests of Nepal. Erratic rainfall, melting glaciers, flash floods and landslides, droughts, forest fires and dried-up springs are leading to reduced crop production, loss of land, increased pests and disease and food scarcity.

But it is possible to cope and adapt. Expertise and funding from Nepal’s Livelihoods and Forestry Programme supported by the British Government's Department for International Development, is helping community groups who use the forest to become more resilient.

They are learning to manage the forest sustainably, which has stopped the landslides and reduced soil erosion. Barren land is being planted and new growth encouraged. They are using their funds to promote fuel-efficient stoves and alternative means of energy, reducing the need for firewood or fossil fuels. New ways are being found to generate income with forest-related enterprises that enhance all the forest users’ livelihoods.

Click on the image to see a photo gallery on how rhododendron juice is saving forests