Bhishma Subedi

Community forestry (CF) is a successful forest management system practiced for decades in Nepal, which is gaining momentum in the world as one of the best models. Starting with a very brief context of community forestry in terms of forest resources, major subsectors, products and services, and trends and responses in South Asia, Bhishma will present an approach and innovations that ANSAB has pioneered bringing all key actors and facilitators in a common platform to form a common vision. 

Speaker Biography

 Bhishma P. Subedi, Executive Director of ANSAB has over 30 years of experience in participatory conservation and rural development programs. Thematic areas of his research and development works include community-based enterprise-oriented natural resource management, ecosystem-based commercial agriculture, community forestry, participatory biodiversity monitoring, access and benefit sharing, land tenure and property rights, non-timber forest products, agroforestry, sustainable forest management, certifications, subsector analysis, business development services market, value chain analysis and development, evidence based policy analysis, constituency building and multi-stakeholders facilitation, among others. He has designed over 80 development and research projects and led the implementation of over 50 projects including those with multiple donors and partners; developed strategies, methodologies and tools; and monitored and evaluated conservation and development programs. The outcomes through his organized programs are noteworthy in bringing positive changes in policies; meaningful improvement in the quality of life of tens of thousands of the poor; and environmental conservation of thousands of hectares of forest and meadows. He has been recognized as the “Champion of the Asia-Pacific Forests” by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.