A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Natural Resources Management, School of Environment, Resources and Development

Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2009

Integrated management of water and its watershed areas is an important agenda for efficient management of water resources. This has been already accepted by the global society. Forest and its management is one of the major components of watershed sustenance. Traditional and local ecological knowledge learned over years of experiences by the farmers play an effective role in management of such watershed areas. This knowledge learnt by one generation worth much for the upcoming generations to make an alert move earlier than needed. However, such knowledge and experiences are lost while being transferred over generations. This study is about such traditional and local ecological knowledge of forest management and deals with their role in watershed management. For the study, Sikhu khola catchment (1936 hectare) was selected from the upper hilly region of Nepal. Semi-structured questionnaire survey accompanied by focus group discussions and different formal as well as informal interviews were the major methodologies used for the study. This study has identified different socio-economic services and uses provided by the watershed area, then listed the traditional or local ecological knowledge of forest management that are important in securing watershed services and estimated their role in maintaining these watershed services. This study concludes that this knowledge has positive socio-economic role in securing watershed services and uses. It might not be individually capable to hold the pressure of ecosystem-based resilience but its supplementary and strongly supportive role needs documentation. Keywords: watershed services, watershed uses, forest management, local ecological knowledge, traditional ecological knowledge.