Asian Journal of Environment & Ecology

Public Land Forests (PLFs) represent a promising nature-based solution for climate-resilient landscape restoration in Churia-Terai region of Nepal. This study, conducted under the Building a Resilient in Churia Region of Nepal (BRCRN) project, assessed the ecological and socio-economic potential of PLFs across 26 river systems. A combination of geospatial analysis, climate change adaptation assessment, Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) tools, stakeholder consultations, and field validation was employed. Through this integrated approach, 83 sites covering 3,244 ha across 18 river systems were identified as viable for ecological restoration through community-led agroforestry interventions. Geospatial analysis played a critical role in site selection and ecosystem diagnosis. The tools applied included satellite imagery interpretation (Sentinel-2, Landsat-8), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) mapping, Digital Elevation Models (DEM) for terrain and watershed delineation, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for land use classification, slope analysis, and overlay mapping. These tools enabled spatial prioritization of degraded public lands with high restoration potential. PLFs contribute to riverbank stabilization, biodiversity conservation, and carbon sequestration, thereby mitigating flood and sedimentation risks and enhancing local adaptive capacity. Participatory governance and inclusive benefit-sharing further strengthen community ownership, particularly among marginalized populations. Despite enabling policies, challenges persist in tenure security, inter-agency coordination, and data integration. Scaling this model requires strengthened institutional frameworks and strategic investment to align ecological restoration with pro-poor development and climate mitigation goals.