Conservation areas are at risk from invasive plant species
The Lamjung office of ACAP is implementing awareness programs and measures to control the spread of invasive plant species in conservation areas. The Area Conservation Office in Bhujung is collaborating with conservation committees and communities to manage and control invasive plant species, with support from the Gandaki Watershed Climate Resilience Project. ACAP Conservation Officer Basudev Neupane reports training on invasive species management for local conservation committees in various wards, and with community participation, physical weed removal is underway. Nineteen districts are presently engaged in the Gandaki Watershed Climate Resilience Project.
According to Neupane, the project has begun transforming these invasive plants into future-useful goods like fertilizer and compost, thereby preparing communities to manage them. Invasive plants diminish soil fertility and invade native species’ and birds’ habitats, conservationists cautioned. The chairperson of the Simpani Conservation Committee in Marsyangdi-9, Ram Bahadur Thapa, stated that it is critical to eliminate invasive species promptly since they are damaging crops and displacing native flora. He emphasized that local communities, conservation organizations, and the government working together may help stop the spread of invasive plant species.
