ABSTRACT
Community forestry has been a remarkable success in Nepal. It has transformed the landscapes of the country over the last four decades from the denuded and degraded lands during the 1950s and 1960s to green mountains by the 2000s. However, community forests have been facing intense and frequent fires over the last decade. The history of community forestry has been divided into three different phases: Red Hills (1950s–1980s), Green Hills (1990s–early 2000s), and Grey Hills (early 2000s–present). Environmental injustice is at the centre of recent forest management in Nepal. Environmental injustices were rampant during the Red Hills era when the state controlled the forests and directed benefits to the elites while burdens fell on the poor and the marginalised. The failure of attaining just processes during the Green Hills era, especially the restricted participation of marginalised groups in decision-making, laid a foundation for continued injustice contributing to the era of Grey Hills. Environmental justice, therefore, requires avoiding the marginalisation of different sections of society and creating fair and just outcomes.
