Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-19T06:04:01.525Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Distributing conservation incentives in the buffer zone of Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 April 2008

ARIAN SPITERI  and
SANJAY K. NEPAL
ARIAN SPITERI
Affiliation:
Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture, PO Box 280, Exshaw, Alberta, CanadaT0L 2C0 26-640 Upper Lakeview Road, Invermere, BCCanada, V0A 1K3
SANJAY K. NEPAL*
Affiliation:
Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845-2261, USA
*
*Correspondence: Dr Sanjay K. Nepal Tel: +1 979 862 4080 Fax: +1 979 845 0446 e-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Since the late 1980s, biodiversity conservation efforts have expanded to incorporate delivering social and economic benefits to communities nearby or within protected areas. Benefits can generate incentives to encourage conservation support; however, such incentive-based programmes (IBPs) have been criticized owing to their inability to provide equal and equitable distribution of benefits. This research examines the distribution of IBPs in the buffer zone of Nepal's Chitwan National Park (CNP). Questionnaire interview data indicate the livelihoods of buffer zone residents remain strained by conservation activities. While benefits under IBPs are recognized by the residents, villages distant from the main tourist entry points to the park where costs associated with conservation are highest recognize few benefits. An individual's level of participation in tourism also affects the benefits received, with those directly employed in tourism receiving the most benefit. Despite the discrepancy in benefit distribution between villages and between levels of involvement in tourism, CNP is making progress in distributing benefits beyond villages where tourism is concentrated. The main IBP flaw in CNP is a limited ability to replicate benefits throughout the buffer zone, providing similar levels of benefit to all villages.

Keywords

buffer zoneChitwan National Parkconservationincentive-based programmesNepalprotected areas
Type
Papers
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 35 , Issue 1 , March 2008 , pp. 76 - 86
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adams, W. & Infield, M. (2003) Who is on the gorilla's payroll? Claims on tourist revenue from a Ugandan national park. World Development 31 (1): 177–190.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Archabald, K. & Naughton-Treves, L. (2001) Tourism revenue-sharing around national parks in Western Uganda: early efforts to identify and reward local communities. Environmental Conservation 28 (2): 135–149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Balmford, A. & Whitten, T. (2003) Who should pay for tropical conservation, and how should the costs be met? Oryx 37 (2): 238–250.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baral, N. & Heinen, J. (2006) The Maoist people's war and conservation in Nepal. Politics and the Life Sciences 24 (1–2): 2–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barrett, C. & Arcese, P. (1995) Are integrated conservation-development projects (ICDPs) sustainable? On the conservation of large mammals in sub-Saharan Africa. World Development 23 (7): 1073–1084.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bhattarai, K., Conway, D. & Shrestha, N. (2005) Tourism, terrorism and turmoil in Nepal. Annals of Tourism Research 32: 669–688.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bista, D. (1967) People of Nepal. Kathmandu, Nepal: Ratna Pustak Bhandar.Google Scholar
Bookbinder, M., Dinerstein, E., Rijal, A., Cauley, H. & Rajouria, A. (1998) Ecotourism's support of biodiversity conservation. Conservation Biology 12 (6):1399–1404.Google Scholar
Brandon, K. (1998) Perils to parks: the social context of threats. In: Parks in Peril: People, Politics, and Protected Areas, ed. Brandon, K., Redford, K. & Sanderson, S., pp. 415–439. Washington, DC, USA: Island Press.Google Scholar
Brandon, K. (2002) Putting the right parks in the right places. In: Making Parks Work: Strategies for Preserving Tropical Nature, ed. Terborgh, J., Van Schaik, C., Davenport, L. & Rao, M., pp. 443–467. Washington, DC, USA: Island Press.Google Scholar
Brandon, K. & Wells, M. (1992) Planning for people and parks: design dilemmas. World Development 20: 557–570.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brechin, S., Wilshusen, P. & Benjamin, C. (2003) Crafting conservation globally and locally: complex organizations and governance regimes. In: Contested Nature: Promoting International Biodiversity with Social Justice in the Twenty-first Century, ed. Brechin, S., Wilshusen, P., Fortwangler, C. & West, P., pp. 159–182. Albany, NY, USA: State University of New York Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, K. (2002) Innovations for conservation and development. The Geographical Journal 168 (1): 6–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Colchester, M. (1997) Salvaging nature: indigenous peoples and protected areas. In: Social Change and Conservation, ed. Ghimire, K. & Pimbert, M., pp. 97–130. London, UK: Earthscan Publications Limited.Google Scholar
Conley, A. & Moote, M. (2003) Evaluating collaborative natural resource management. Society and Natural Resources 16: 371–386.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Boer, W. & Baquete, D. (1998) Natural resource use, crop damage and attitudes of rural people in the vicinity of the Maputo Elephant Reserve, Mozambique. Environmental Conservation 25 (3): 208–218.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Vaus, D. (2002) Surveys in Social Research. London, UK: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dhakal, N., Nelson, K. & Smith, J. (2006) Assessment of resident well-being and perceived biodiversity impacts in the Padampur Resettlement, Royal Chitwan National Park. Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, USA: 86 pp.Google Scholar
DNPWC (2002) Participatory Conservation Programme Annual Report 2002. Kathmandu, Nepal: DNPWC.Google Scholar
DNPWC (2003) Participatory Conservation Programme Annual Report 2003. Kathmandu, Nepal: DNPWC.Google Scholar
DNPWC (2004) Annual Report 2003–2004. Kathmandu, Nepal: HMGN/DNPWC.Google Scholar
Gadd, M. (2005) Conservation outside of parks: attitudes of local people in Laikipia, Kenya. Environmental Conservation 32 (1): 50–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gbadegesin, A. & Ayileka, O. (2000) Avoiding the mistakes of the past: towards a community oriented management strategy for the proposed National Park in Abuja-Nigeria. Land Use Policy 17: 89–100.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goodwin, H. & Roe, D. (2001) Tourism, livelihoods and protected areas: opportunities for fair-trade tourism in and around national parks. International Journal of Tourism Research 3: 377–391.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gupte, M. (2003) Reexamining participatory environmental policy: social stratification and the gender dimension. Society and Natural Resources 16: 327–334.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heinen, J. & Mehta, J. (2000) Emerging issues in legal and procedural aspects of buffer zone management with case studies from Nepal. Journal of Environment and Development 9 (1): 45–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heinen, J. & Shrestha, S. (2006) Evolving policies for conservation: an historical profile of the protected area system of Nepal. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 49 (1): 41–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
HMGN (1996) Buffer Zone Management Regulation, 1996. Kathmandu, Nepal: MFSC.Google Scholar
Honey, M. (1999) Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Who Owns Paradise? Washington, DC, USA: Island Press.Google Scholar
Hutton, J. & Leader-Williams, N. (2003) Sustainable use and incentive-driven conservation: realigning human and conservation interests. Oryx 37 (2): 215–226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ikeda, N. (2004) Economic impacts of livestock depredation by snow leopard Uncia uncia in Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, Nepal Himalaya. Environmental Conservation 31 (4): 322–330.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jim, C. & Xu, S. (2002) Stifled stakeholders and subdued participation: interpreting local responses toward Shimentai Nature Reserve in South China. Environmental Management 30 (3): 327–341.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Josiah, S. (2001) Approaches to expand NGO natural resource conservation program outreach. Society and Natural Resources 14: 609–618.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kapoor, I. (2001) Towards participatory environmental management? Journal of Environmental Management 63: 269–279.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kiss, A. (2004) Is community-based ecotourism a good use of biodiversity conservation funds? Trends in Ecology and Evolution 19 (5): 232–237.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Matthews, S., Shivakoti, G. & Chhetri, N. (2000) Population forces and environmental change: observations from Western Chitwan, Nepal. Society and Natural Resources 13: 763–775.Google Scholar
McIvor, C. (1997) Management of wildlife, tourism and local communities in Zimbabwe. In: Social Change and Conservation, ed. Ghimire, K. & Pimbert, M., pp. 239–269. London, UK: Earthscan Publications Limited.Google Scholar
McLean, J. & Stræde, S. (2003) Conservation, relocation, and the paradigms of park and people management: a case study of Padampur villages and the Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Society and Natural Resources 16: 509–526.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mehta, J. & Heinen, J. (2001) Does community-based conservation shape favourable attitudes among locals? An empirical study from Nepal. Environmental Management 28 (2): 165–177.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Metcalfe, S. (1994) The Zimbabwe Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE). In: Natural Connections: Perspectives in Community-based Conservation, ed. Western, D., Wright, R. M. & Strum, S., pp. 161–192. Washington, DC, USA: Island Press.Google Scholar
MFSC (2000) Royal Chitwan National Park and Buffer Zone Management Plan (2001–2005). Kathmandu, Nepal: MFSC/HMGN.Google Scholar
Nagendra, H., Karmacharya, M. & Karna, B. (2005) Evaluating forest management in Nepal: views across space and time. Ecology and Society 10 (1): 24 [www document]. URL http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol10/iss1/art24/CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nepal, S.K. (2002) Linking parks and people: Nepal's experience in resolving conflicts in parks and protected areas. International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology 9 (1): 75–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nepal, S.K. & Weber, K. (1993) Struggle for Existence: Park-People Conflict in the Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Bangkok, Thailand: Asian Institute of Technology.Google Scholar
Nepal, S.K. & Weber, K. (1995 a) A buffer zone for biodiversity conservation: viability of the concept in Nepal's Royal Chitwan National Park. Environmental Conservation 21 (4): 333–341.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nepal, S.K. & Weber, K. (1995 b) The quandary of local people-park relations in Nepal's Royal Chitwan National Park. Environmental Management 19 (6): 853–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neuman, W. (1997) Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Needham Heights, MA, USA: Allyn & Bacon.Google Scholar
Norton-Griffiths, M. & Southey, C. (1995) The opportunity costs of biodiversity conservation in Kenya. Ecological Economics 12: 125–139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Noss, R., Dinerstein, E., Gilbert, B., Gilpin, M., Miller, B., Terborgh, J. & Trombulak, S. (1999) Core areas: where nature reigns. In: Continental Conservation: Scientific Foundations of Regional Reserve Networks, ed. Soulé, M. & Terborgh, J., pp. 99–128. Washington, DC, USA: Island Press.Google Scholar
O'Connell-Rodwell, C., Rodwell, T., Rice, M. & Hart, L. (2000) Living with the modern conservation paradigm: can agricultural communities co-exist with elephants? A five-year case study in East Caprivi, Nambia. Biological Conservation 93: 381–391.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oppenheim, A. (1992) Questionnaire Design, Interviewing and Attitude Measurement. London, UK: Pinter.Google Scholar
Ross, S. & Wall, G. (1999) Evaluating ecotourism: the case of North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Tourism Management 20: 673–682.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sekhar, N. (2003) Local people's attitudes towards conservation and wildlife tourism around Sariska Tiger Reserve, India. Journal of Environmental Management 69: 339–347.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Songorwa, A. (1999) Community-based wildlife (CWM) in Tanzania: are the communities interested? World Development 27 (12): 2061–2079.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spiteri, A. & Nepal, S.K. (2006) Incentive-based conservation programs in developing countries: a review of some key issues and suggestions for improvements. Environmental Management 37: 1–14.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stem, C., Lassoie, J., Lee, D., Deshler, D. & Schelhas, J. (2003) Community participation in ecotourism benefits: the link to conservation practices and perspectives. Society and Natural Resources 16: 387–413.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stræde, S. & Helles, F. (2000) Park-people conflict resolution in Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal: buying time at high costs? Environmental Conservation 27 (4): 368–381.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tabachnick, B. & Fidell, L. (2001) Multivariate Statistics, 4th edition. Boston, CT, USA: Allyn & Bacon.Google Scholar
Terborgh, J. (1999) Requiem for Nature. Washington, DC, USA: Island Press.Google Scholar
Tisdell, C. (1999) Biodiversity, Conservation and Sustainable Development: Principles and Practices with Asian Examples. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Schaik, C. & Rijksen, H. (2002) Integrated conservation and development projects: problems and potential. In: Making Parks Work: Strategies for Preserving Tropical Nature, ed. Terborgh, J., Van Schaik, C., Davenport, L. & Rao, M., pp. 15–29. Washington, DC, USA: Island Press.Google Scholar
Wainwright, C. & Wehrmeyer, W. (1998) Success in integrating conservation and development? A study from Zambia. World Development 26 (6): 933–944.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walpole, M. & Goodwin, H. (2000) Local economic impacts of dragon tourism in Indonesia. Annals of Tourism Research 27 (3): 559–576.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walpole, M. & Goodwin, H. (2001) Local attitudes towards conservation and tourism around Komodo National Park, Indonesia. Environmental Conservation 28 (2): 160–166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wells, M. & Brandon, K. (1993) The principles and practice of buffer zones and local participation in biodiversity conservation. Ambio 22 (2–3): 157–162.Google Scholar
Western, D., Wright, R. & Strum, S. (1994) Natural Connections: Perspectives in Community-based Conservation. Washington, DC, USA: Island Press.Google Scholar