Indigenous Affairs 1/09: Challenges and opportunities for Indigenous nationalities in the face of REDD partnerships in Nepal
Nepal is a highly diverse Himalayan country in terms of ethnicity, language, culture, geography and origin. Throughout the history of Nepal, indigenous peoples have been marginalized in terms of language, culture, political and economic opportunities even though they constitute a significant part of the population. The latest census (Census, 2001) shows that at least 37.2 per cent of the total population of Nepal is indigenous; others claim that the figure is not less than 50 per cent of the total population.1 However, the Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2007, has recognized the right to equality of all citizens in terms of language, culture, caste, tribe, sex and origin. Thus the constitution has created a platform for indigenous peoples to exercise the protection and promotion of their culture, indigenous knowledge and skills (Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2009).