Abstract
Universally, trees have been recognized as an important component of urban landscapes for millennia because they provide a wide range of benefits to society. Although the planting of trees has been an integral and important part of human settlements in Nepal, the concept of urban forestry is poorly understood and often neglected. This paper investigates urban peoples’ perceptions towards urban forests as well as the perceived benefits related to the use and existence of urban forests in Lalitpur, Nepal. A survey was conducted among residents and visitors to an urban park. Most respondents held positive attitudes towards urban forests and were aware of the benefits provided. Despite involvement of various agents from both government and non-governmental organizations in promoting urban forests, greenery was declining in the city. The loss and degradation of urban forests adversely affected the ecosystems because the city is suffering from water, air and soil pollution. In recent years, the local government has promoted urban greenery; however, there are no accompanying legislation or regulations governing urban forestry. Therefore, concrete scientific and professional knowledge is required in order to manage the forestry in the city.
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Notes
A district development committee (DDC) is located in each of the 75 districts of Nepal, and carries out the role of local government.
See Footnote 1.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the editor-in-chief, Dr. Steve Harrison for his precious time and comments for this manuscript. The data used in this paper is the part of the thesis of one of the author, submitted to Institute of Forestry, Pokhara for the partial fulfillment of the requirement of BSc Forestry degree. We acknowledge Dr. Ridish Pokharel for providing comments and practical insights during the research period. Also, the authors would like to acknowledge Institute of Environmental Research at Kangwon National University for providing financial assistance to accomplish the paper.
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Gurung, A., Karki, R., Bista, R. et al. Peoples’ Perception Towards Urban Forestry and Institutional Involvement in Metropolitan Cities: A Survey of Lalitpur City in Nepal. Small-scale Forestry 11, 193–205 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11842-011-9175-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11842-011-9175-x