Forest fire dynamics in Nepal: Regional trends and socio-ecological drivers
Forest fires pose a significant threat to global ecosystems and communities. In Nepal, the country’s diverse vegetation, climates, and socioeconomic settings contribute to unique regional fire dynamics, which are often underrepresented in national forest fire analyses. This study investigates fire t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-09-01
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| Series: | Trees, Forests and People |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666719325001682 |
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| author | Khagendra Prasad Joshi Susma Giri Dipesh Kuinkel Sajesh Kuikel Rohini Devkota Dhiraj Pradhananga Suresh Marahatta Binod Pokharel |
| author_facet | Khagendra Prasad Joshi Susma Giri Dipesh Kuinkel Sajesh Kuikel Rohini Devkota Dhiraj Pradhananga Suresh Marahatta Binod Pokharel |
| author_sort | Khagendra Prasad Joshi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Forest fires pose a significant threat to global ecosystems and communities. In Nepal, the country’s diverse vegetation, climates, and socioeconomic settings contribute to unique regional fire dynamics, which are often underrepresented in national forest fire analyses. This study investigates fire trends, key drivers, and public perceptions of management strategies across Nepal’s four major physiographic regions: the Terai, Chure, Middle Mountains, and High Mountains. We employed remote sensing data, questionnaire surveys (n = 337), and statistical modelling to assess regional fire dynamics and evaluate management approaches. We found that over the past two decades, fire incidents and burned areas have increased significantly in the Chure and Middle Mountains. Broad-leaf deciduous forests in lower regions and needle-leaf forests in higher regions were the most significant contributors. While topographical factors played a major role in most regions, they had minimal influence in the Chure. In the High Mountains, anthropogenic factors—such as proximity to roads and agricultural land cover—were strongly negatively correlated with burned area. Pre-monsoon precipitation consistently showed a significant negative relationship with fire occurrence across all regions, whereas pre-monsoon temperature had no discernible impact. Survey responses highlight strong community support for awareness programs and training, and a widespread belief in the importance of local institutions in fire management. However, labor-intensive fire prevention practices, such as creating fire lines and collecting leaf litter, were less preferred. To mitigate future fire risks, we recommend strengthening community involvement, expanding fire management training, and increasing economic incentives linked to forest resources. These findings offer valuable insights into Nepal’s fire regimes and support evidence-based forest fire management strategies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4fa2f73f61d348ca8c81be03245fa76d |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2666-7193 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Trees, Forests and People |
| spelling | doaj-art-4fa2f73f61d348ca8c81be03245fa76d2025-07-19T04:39:20ZengElsevierTrees, Forests and People2666-71932025-09-0121100942Forest fire dynamics in Nepal: Regional trends and socio-ecological driversKhagendra Prasad Joshi0Susma Giri1Dipesh Kuinkel2Sajesh Kuikel3Rohini Devkota4Dhiraj Pradhananga5Suresh Marahatta6Binod Pokharel7Central Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal; Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USAKathmandu Institute of Applied Sciences, Lalitpur, NepalCentral Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, NepalCentral Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, NepalInstitute of Agriculture and Environment, University of Southern Queensland, AustraliaDepartment of Meteorology, Trichandra Campus, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, NepalCentral Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal; Corresponding authors.Central Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal; Department of Plants, Soils and Climate, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA; Corresponding authors.Forest fires pose a significant threat to global ecosystems and communities. In Nepal, the country’s diverse vegetation, climates, and socioeconomic settings contribute to unique regional fire dynamics, which are often underrepresented in national forest fire analyses. This study investigates fire trends, key drivers, and public perceptions of management strategies across Nepal’s four major physiographic regions: the Terai, Chure, Middle Mountains, and High Mountains. We employed remote sensing data, questionnaire surveys (n = 337), and statistical modelling to assess regional fire dynamics and evaluate management approaches. We found that over the past two decades, fire incidents and burned areas have increased significantly in the Chure and Middle Mountains. Broad-leaf deciduous forests in lower regions and needle-leaf forests in higher regions were the most significant contributors. While topographical factors played a major role in most regions, they had minimal influence in the Chure. In the High Mountains, anthropogenic factors—such as proximity to roads and agricultural land cover—were strongly negatively correlated with burned area. Pre-monsoon precipitation consistently showed a significant negative relationship with fire occurrence across all regions, whereas pre-monsoon temperature had no discernible impact. Survey responses highlight strong community support for awareness programs and training, and a widespread belief in the importance of local institutions in fire management. However, labor-intensive fire prevention practices, such as creating fire lines and collecting leaf litter, were less preferred. To mitigate future fire risks, we recommend strengthening community involvement, expanding fire management training, and increasing economic incentives linked to forest resources. These findings offer valuable insights into Nepal’s fire regimes and support evidence-based forest fire management strategies.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666719325001682Burned areaForest firesFire managementInfluencing factorsPublic perception |
| spellingShingle | Khagendra Prasad Joshi Susma Giri Dipesh Kuinkel Sajesh Kuikel Rohini Devkota Dhiraj Pradhananga Suresh Marahatta Binod Pokharel Forest fire dynamics in Nepal: Regional trends and socio-ecological drivers Trees, Forests and People Burned area Forest fires Fire management Influencing factors Public perception |
| title | Forest fire dynamics in Nepal: Regional trends and socio-ecological drivers |
| title_full | Forest fire dynamics in Nepal: Regional trends and socio-ecological drivers |
| title_fullStr | Forest fire dynamics in Nepal: Regional trends and socio-ecological drivers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Forest fire dynamics in Nepal: Regional trends and socio-ecological drivers |
| title_short | Forest fire dynamics in Nepal: Regional trends and socio-ecological drivers |
| title_sort | forest fire dynamics in nepal regional trends and socio ecological drivers |
| topic | Burned area Forest fires Fire management Influencing factors Public perception |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666719325001682 |
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