Douse Forest Fires

Each year in the dry months from mid-March to mid-May, the news of forest fires and loss of lives, property, biodiversity and soil quality make the headlines. But the preparedness and contingency plans to combat this scourge is not up to the mark. On the one hand, due to the sustained conservation efforts, Nepal's forest coverage has increased from 26 per cent to almost 45 per cent in the last 25 years. This has led to increase in wildlife, and flora and fauna significantly. On the other, failure to contain such incidents has dented the conservation efforts. Rising forest fires persist as a significant threat to the on-going sustainability of forest recovery and conservation endeavours.