( L TO R ) MOHAN PANDEY , TSERING DORJI AND KTK-BELT CO-FOUNDER AND CONSERVATION DIRECTOR , RAJEEV GOYAL
Voices on the Ground : Rajeev Goyal
Indigenous Knowledge Reaches Young Hearts and Minds in Nepal
Rajeev Goyal ’ s journey of discovery began when he was a young man on a five-hour trek through the roadless terrain in eastern Nepal . There he encountered villages of people living completely from the land . Those five hours turned into a 17-day research trip during which he witnessed firsthand the richness of the region ’ s biodiversity and the ancient knowledge held by Indigenous farmers and villagers . But this abundance was starkly juxtaposed against the destruction quickly spreading across the region .
“ The germ of an idea came to me ,” Rajeev said . “ In Nepal , schools can acquire land but not easily sell or transfer it , and there are over 20,000 schools serving 7 million children . Could government schools hold the key to the long-term survival of species and the safeguarding of Indigenous communities in Nepal ?”
Rajeev stayed in Nepal for another five years , working with schools to protect little parcels of land in danger of being grabbed in the name of development . At grad school several years later , inspired by Indigenous land defenders of eastern Nepal , he wrote about the idea of a “ Vertical University ,” wherein schools would be akin to a “ land trust mechanism ” serving Indigenous knowledge , immersive education and biodiversity conservation . This Vertical University would be the composite of place-based “ Learning Grounds ,” connected by plant trails and owned by Indigenous people .
Together with project co-founder Priyanka Bista , Rajeev co-founded KTK-BELT * to apply the new model in eastern Nepal . They also helped support the creation of six Learning Grounds community organizations . Seven years later , Rainforest Trust , KTK-BELT and the Learning Grounds partners are fulfilling this vision , working on our seventh project together .
A circle of protection and learning
As Rajeev learned , every village relies on their community forests for medicine , water , food , everything . But Nepal ’ s forests face huge threats from hydropower , extractive industries , and new roads — defacing and disregarding Indigenous Peoples ’ customary laws , culture and forestbased livelihoods . Roads are built only to transport excavators in and forest products out .
Indigenous ownership saves their territories from these threats . Sharing Indigenous knowledge and culture with
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* “ KTK ” stands for “ Koshi Tappu to Kanchenjunga ,” the region encompassed by the program , and “ BELT ” stands for “ Biodiversity Education Livelihood Terra-Studio .”