Chepang Landscape proposed as an OECM in Nepal ^{CEFR B2}

Nepal has been a signatory to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity since 1993, and protected areas now cover 23.39 percent of the country. After COP15 in 2022, the Kunming‑Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework called for protecting at least 30 percent of the earth by 2030 and highlighted lands effectively conserved and managed, including those governed by Indigenous peoples.

Following that framework, the Ministry of Forest and Environment identified 58 potential OECMs through multi‑stakeholder workshops. OECMs were defined at COP14 in 2018 as areas, other than protected areas, that are governed and managed to deliver sustained positive outcomes for in‑situ biodiversity while also supporting ecosystem functions and local values.

One proposed OECM is the Chepang Landscape, inhabited and managed by the Indigenous Chepang. The 2021 census puts the Chepang population at over 84,300. The community conserves an estimated 300 hectares of forest across six hills (Danda), with 103 Chepang households involved. The landscape lies between Asha Khola and Riddi Khola and helps link Chitwan National Park with surrounding forests, aiding movement of tigers, leopards and Asian elephants.

The Government has proposed an OECM covering 13,479 hectares across Makawanpur, Chitwan and Dhading, with governance shared by the Community Forest Users Group and the Divisional Forest Office. Concerns include impacts on Indigenous land rights because many members lack formal ownership certificates and boundaries between shifting cultivation (Khoriya) and community forests are unclear. Potential benefits include payments for ecosystem services, carbon credits and ecotourism, but benefits must be shared fairly. Meaningful consultation with the Chepang, the Nepal Chepang Association and local organisations is essential to avoid conflicts and protect cultural and livelihood rights.