The US National Science Foundation awarded a $1.6 million grant to support a research project in Nepal led by UNC Geography Professor Conghe Song. This is an international interdisciplinary project with UNC being the lead institute, collaborating with North Carolina State University, University of Virginia, and the Institute of Forestry, Pokhara Campus, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. The project studies how of community forestry influenced the ecosystem services and human livelihoods in the Middle Hills of Nepal. The findings from this project could be used for sustainable community forest management worldwide, contributing to poverty alleviation and forest conservation.
The Forest and Cropland Mosaic in the Middle Hills of Nepal (Field Photo by Rajesh Bista)