Title: Initiating community-based bio briquette production to manage the invasion of mile-a-minute weed (Mikania micrantha) on community-managed buffer zone area of Chitwan National Park, Nepal.
Project timeline: September 2020 to September 2021
Donor: Van Tienhoven Foundation for International Nature Protection, Netherland. (
Project leader: Arjun Bhusal
Background
Chitwan National Park is located at Southern Central lowland Terai of Nepal. It provides habitat for the world’s second-largest population of Greater One-horned Rhinoceros, Nepal’s largest population of Bengal Tiger, and many other threatened species. But in recent times, a heavy infestation of mile-a-minute weed (Mikania micrantha) is posing a great threat to the survival of these species. In 2013, 90% of grasslands of the park where rhinoceros and other herbivores depend are found to be infested by Mikania, replacing native grass species. Infestation is even higher in the community-managed buffer zone area. Manual cutting is the only feasible option to manage proliferation.
During this project, we provided training to preparation of bio-briquette from Mikania micrantha and provided simple production system to five Buffer Zone Community Forests User Groups (BZCFUGs) of Chitwan National Park. They are; a) Lami Damar Buffer Zone Community Forest, Bhramastani Buffer Zone Community Forest, Santiban Buffer Zone Community Forest, Dakshinkali Buffer Zone Community Forest and Janasakti Buffer Zone Community Forest.
