About us
ACOFUN is national network of Collaborative Forest Management Groups of Nepal. This network is working in the terai and inner terai for assuring the rights of traditional users on forest resources. The traditional distant users have no access on forest resources to manage and to utilize it since years. It was formed as an ad-hoc committee in 14th Asar 2063. According to the rule of Nepal Government, it was registered in 26th Baisakh 2064 in Parsa district as a national umbrella organization of Collaborative Forest Management Groups. It is affiliated also in Social Welfare Council, Nepal. ACOFUN represents basically the users involved in the management of collaborative forest.
The forest areas of terai and siwaliks play a major role on the livelihood, bio-diversity conservation and economic development of nation but there are challenges on its development and diversity conservation. Realizing the scenario, the government of Nepal implemented a new concept of forest development i.e. "Collaborative forest Management system" as a trial through Forest policy 2057 in terai, inner terai and siwaliks.
Collaborative forest is a part of national terai block forest which is declared for the management in the collaboration of different local and central stakeholders on the basis of approved plan. A collaborative management of a forest deals about the balance of ecosystem, support for livelihood and socio-economic development of target populations. It is an approved forest management plan forwarding a joint agreement between GoN and target stakeholders for sustainable forest management to get multi-benefit. Including sustainable management of block forest of terai, it promotes co-ordination, interrelationship and community development amongst its various stakeholders.
In Forest Act 2049, the national forest is categorized as: Government managed forest, Community forest, Leasehold forest, Religious forest and Protected forest. Amongst those, Collaborative forest is a part of government managed forest which defines the forest management system in active participation of central government, local government and local forest users. Due to the participation of stakeholders from different level, it seems better control and balance in forest management and conservation.