Forest identity & boundaries
Forest name, mapped management boundary, forest type, ecological zone and area.
Madhesh
Living landscapes.
A place-specific foundation for forest partnerships, evidence and long-term stewardship.
25.86%Forest cover, 2022 · excluding other wooded land
6,245,522Population, 2021 Census
8Districts
Districts: Bara · Dhanusa · Mahottari · Parsa · Rautahat · Saptari · Sarlahi · Siraha
The forest record, researched.
Published backgroundGeography & identity
Madhesh Province (Province No. 2, officially renamed Madhesh) is the southern plains province of Nepal, stretching across the central and eastern Terai. It covers approximately 9,661 km² and is bordered by India (Bihar) to the south, Bagmati Province to the north, Koshi Province to the east, and Lumbini Province to the west. The terrain is almost entirely flat alluvial plain, drained by the Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki/Narayani, Kamala, Lakhandei, Ratu and other rivers. The province comprises eight districts: Parsa, Bara, Rautahat, Sarlahi, Mahottari, Dhanusha, Siraha and Saptari, with 135 municipalities.
Forests, carbon & biodiversity
Natural forest cover is very low across most of the cultivated plains. Significant forest and carbon stocks are concentrated in:
- Parsa National Park and buffer-zone community forests in Parsa district;
- Nijgadh forest patch and Chure/Siwalik community forests in Bara;
- Chure foothill community forests in northern Saptari and scattered riverine/wetland forests along the Koshi and Kamala.
Most carbon-sequestration potential lies in agroforestry, homestead plantations, canal-bank planting and community-forest management. No province-wide REDD+ project is documented, but buffer-zone forestry and local conservation initiatives contribute to carbon storage and biodiversity. Wildlife-human conflict (elephant, tiger, wild ungulates) occurs around protected and buffer-zone forests.
Agriculture, for context
The province is Nepal's grain bowl. Principal crops include paddy, wheat, maize, sugarcane, lentils, oilseeds, jute and vegetables. Fruits such as mango, litchi and banana are commercially significant in Sarlahi and Saptari. Dairy, buffalo, goat and poultry farming are widespread, and fish farming is common in pond-rich municipalities. Irrigation relies on a mix of canal systems, tube wells, shallow wells and monsoon rains. Main challenges are seasonal flooding, waterlogging, drought spells, fragmented landholdings, labour migration, marketing bottlenecks and post-harvest losses.
District by district
Open a district to read its landscape and forestry background.
Saptari
Rajbiraj, Nepal's first planned town and historic district headquarters; Kanchanrup; Hanumannagar Kankalini at the confluence of the Koshi and Kankai rivers; Chhinnamasta Temple (Tilathi Koiladi); Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (partly in adjacent district) influence; Mithila cultural landscape.
Forest cover is limited except along river corridors and scattered community forests; Koshi riverine forests and wetlands provide biodiversity value; carbon-sequestration potential is modest and concentrated in community forestry and riverine plantations; no major REDD+ project documented in the district.
Siraha
Siraha and Lahan as district commercial and transport hubs; Lahan is a major trade and educational centre; Mithila cultural region; religious sites and ponds; agriculture and cross-border trade with India.
Very low natural forest cover; scattered community forests, roadside and canal plantations; limited carbon-sequestration potential outside agroforestry; no documented REDD+ project.
Dhanusha
Janakpur, birthplace of Goddess Sita and a major Hindu pilgrimage centre; Janaki Mandir; Mithila art and culture; Chhireshwarnath and Dhanushadham religious sites; Dhanusha bow legend.
Very low natural forest cover across most of the district; scattered community forests, roadside and canal-bank plantations; limited carbon-sequestration potential; biodiversity confined mainly to wetlands, ponds and agricultural mosaic; no significant REDD+ activity documented.
Mahottari
Jaleshwar Mahadev Temple, a revered Shaivite pilgrimage site; Bardibas as an emerging transport junction on the East-West Highway; Gaushala and Matihani as agricultural and trading centres.
Minimal natural forest; scattered trees on farmland, canal banks and community plantations; limited carbon-sequestration scope except through agroforestry and homestead plantations; no documented REDD+ project.
Sarlahi
Malangwa district headquarters; Bagmati River corridor; Barahathawa and Hariwan as agricultural market centres; sugarcane, vegetable and litchi production; Lalbandi as a transport hub.
Limited natural forest; most tree cover consists of homestead, orchard and canal-bank plantations; community forests are small and fragmented; carbon-sequestration potential mainly through agroforestry and homestead plantations; no major REDD+ project documented.
Rautahat
Gaur, district headquarters and historic Mithila town; Gadhimai Temple area (religious/cultural site, though the municipality named Gadhimai is administratively in Rautahat); Chandrapur as a developing highway town; fertile agricultural plains.
Very limited natural forest; most tree cover is on homesteads, canal banks and scattered community plantations; low carbon-sequestration potential except through agroforestry; no major REDD+ project documented.
Bara
Simraungadh, the medieval capital of the Mithila region; Kalaiya and Jitpursimara as commercial and industrial centres; proposed Nijgadh International Airport; Thori and northern hill fringes touching the Chitwan buffer zone.
Forest cover is concentrated in the northern Chure/Siwalik hills and buffer-zone community forests; central and southern Bara are heavily cultivated with very low tree cover. Community forestry user groups operate in Thori and adjoining areas; carbon-sequestration potential is modest and localised; biodiversity links with Chitwan National Park buffer zone; no large REDD+ project specifically documented for Bara.
Parsa
Birgunj, Nepal's largest commercial gateway and industrial city; Nepal-India Raxaul-Birgunj border; Parsa National Park in the northern Terai; Simara industrial corridor; Bhikhampur and Ghadiarwa ponds.
Parsa National Park and community forests in the northern Chure/Siwalik belt provide the main forest and carbon stock; buffer-zone community forestry active; biodiversity includes tiger, elephant and wild ungulates; carbon-sequestration potential concentrated in protected and community forests; no district-wide REDD+ project widely documented but buffer-zone forest management contributes to carbon storage.
The project record, in detail.
Awaiting project dataEach participating forest will have its own record, distinct from the background research above. The following information needs to be established before a project can be assessed.
Stewardship & rights
Management institution, community forest user group, tenure, operational plan and benefit-sharing arrangements.
Ecology & condition
Species composition, age structure, canopy, growing stock, biodiversity and disturbance history.
Carbon baseline & monitoring
Inventory plots, baseline management, biomass and soil pools, methodology, uncertainty and monitoring schedule.
Safeguards & community
Consent, livelihoods, inclusion, grievance mechanism, fire risk, leakage and permanence planning.
Delivery & evidence
Proposed activities, budget, implementing partners, agreements, field photographs and verification documents.
Nepal, place by place
Every forest has its own story.
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25.86% forest cover · 2022 land-cover baseline
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