Nine Districts Identified as High-Risk Zones for Forest Fires in Nepal

Kathmandu. Various nine districts across the country are at high risk of forest fires. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, based on the previous year's data, Banke, Bardiya, Chitwan, Dang, Kailali, Kanchanpur, Parsa, Salyan, and Surkhet are at high risk of forest fires.

Similarly, Achham, Arghakhanchi, Bara, Dadeldhura, Doti, Gorkha, Jajarkot, Kapilvastu, Makwanpur, Nawalpur, Pyuthan, Sindhuli, and Udayapur are at medium risk. The Authority has formulated an action plan to reduce the risk of forest fires by making forest fire forecasting, monitoring, and warning effective, and by adopting preparedness and forest management measures.

The Authority has set an action plan to make efforts to control forest fires more effective and result-oriented by coordinating among responsible bodies at the federal, provincial, and local levels, and stakeholders. The action plan aims to minimize loss of life, property, and environmental resources by controlling forest fires.

A strategy has been formulated to clarify the understanding of forest fire risk by making public awareness enhancement and regulation effective. The risk of fire will be reduced by assessing forest fires and managing forest areas and forest fuel.

A strategy has been formulated to make disaster response related to forest fires effective by strengthening and robustifying weather forecasting and early warning systems.

The Authority has formulated a strategy to make monitoring, surveillance, identification, and early warning of fire-risk areas effective through the use of technology and mobilization of human resources, and to strengthen preparedness and fire control work through coordination, communication among stakeholders, awareness campaigns, training, and mock drills.

Likewise, the Authority's strategy is to make rescue, treatment, relief, and rehabilitation work for classes, areas, and communities affected by forest fires effective, and to prepare the basis for feedback, study, and research by making monitoring and data management work effective.