Nepalese foresters have been checking out UK forest management practices during a visit funded by the Department for International Development.
The delegation visit to the University of Cumbria involved tours of forests in the Lake District, Lancashire and Scotland, as well as the Forestry Commission headquarters in Edinburgh.
Nepal is developing a national forestry plan but illegal logging remains a problem and 80% of the country’s energy needs are met by burning home-grown timber.
University of Cumbria lecturer Chris Starr hopes the visit will help Nepal to develop more effective forest management regimes.
“They are our first large cohort of students from Nepal, and South-east Asia is a part of the world where our expertise is in demand,” said Mr Starr.
