Abstract
This paper analyzes five major causes of park-people conflicts that have occurred in Nepal's Royal Chitwan National Park. The causes include illegal transactions of forest products from the park, livestock grazing in the park, illegal hunting and fishing, crop damage, and threats to human and animal life caused by wild animals from the park. The conflicts indicate a reciprocal relationship between the park and local people. They reflect the attitudes of local people and representatives of the park authority whose priorities and objectives largely diverge. The results show that people settled adjacent to the park are heavily dependent on its resources. Even in places where some, albeit few alternative sources exist, local people continue to trespass the park boundary as these sources are inadequate to ensure the fulfillment of local people's resource needs. Illegal transactions of resources continue throughout the year; however, they are less intense during summer due to flooding caused by the Rapti River, which forms the park boundary towards the northern section where this study is conducted. The frequency of local people's visits to the park is mainly determined by their age, distance between homesteads and park, and volume of crop loss caused by wild animals. Crop damage is the function of size of landholding, distance, and frequency of crop raid. Local people claim that they have no intention of letting their livestock graze in the park; however, the dense vegetation of the park attracts livestock grazing on riverbanks just outside the open park boundary. Many head of livestock are killed by carnivores of the park. Human casualties are mainly caused by sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), tiger (Panthera tigris), wild pig (Sug scrofa), and rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis). There had been some earlier attempts to reconcile the conflicts by offering local people different kinds of compensations; however, these were unsuccessful measures. An integrated approach is essential if efforts to resolve the park-people conflicts are to succeed. The government is in the process of launching a project that aims to resolve the inherent problems with such an approach. Suggestions are made to incorporate some key elements, such as maintaining effective communication between various parties and the potential for wildlife conservation among local people.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Balakrishnan, M., and D. E. Ndhlovu. 1992. Wildlife utilization and local people: A case study in Upper Lupande Game Management Area, Zambia.Environmental Conservation 19(2):135–144.
Berkmuller, K., S. Mukherjee, and B. Mishra. 1990. Grazing and cutting pressure on Ranthambhore National Park, Rajasthan, India,Environmental Conservation 17(2):135–140.
Calhoun, J. B. 1991. The plight of the Ik. Pages 55–60in P. C. West and S. R. Brechin (eds), Resident peoples and national parks. Social dilemmas and strategies in international conservation, University of Arizona Press, Tucson.
Condon, W. M. 1986. Forestry in Nepal: A historical perspective and current direction. FS & ES 746A. Ecodevelopment Debate.
Durbin, J. C., and J. A. Ralambo. 1994. The role of local people in successful maintenance of protected areas in Madagascar.Environmental Conservation 21(2): 115–120.
Gurung, C. P. 1994. Linking biodiversity conservation to community development: Annapurna Conservation Area Project approach to protected area management. Paper presented at the regional seminar on community development and conservation of forest biodiversity through community forestry. 26–28 October 1994. Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand, 12 pp.
Gurung, H. 1984. Dimensions in development. Sahayogi, Kathmandu, Nepal, 322 pp.
Hales, D. 1989. Changing concepts of national parks. Pages 139–144in D. Western and M. C. Pearl (eds.), Conservation in the twenty-first century. Oxford University Press, New York.
Hanks, J. 1984. Conservation and rural development—towards an integrated approach.The Environmentalist 7(3):60–67.
Heinen, J. T. 1990. The design and implementation of a training program for tour guides in Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal.Tiger Paper XVII(2):11–15.
Heinen, J. T. 1993. Park-people relations in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal.Environmental Conservation 20(1):25–34.
Heinen, J. T., and B. Kattel. 1992a. Parks, people, and conservation: A review of management issues in Nepal's protected areas.Population and Environment 14(1):49–84.
Heinen, J. T., and B. Kattel. 1992b. A review of conservation legislation in Nepal: Past progress and future needs.Environmental Management 16(6):723–730.
HMG and UNDP (His Majesty's Government of Nepal and United Nations Developlent Programme). 1994. Parks and people project document. HMG and UNDP, Kathmandu, Nepal, 89 pp.
Hough, J. L. 1988. Obstacles to effective management of conflicts between national parks and surrounding human communities in developing countries.Environmental Conservation 15(2):129–136.
Hunter, M. L., and P. Yonjon. 1993. Altitudinal distribution of birds, mammals, people, forests, and parks in Nepal.Conservation Biology 7(2):420–423.
Ishwaran, N., and W. Erdelen. 1990. Conserving Sinharaja—an experiment in sustainable development in Sri Lanka.Ambio 12(5):237–244.
IUCN. 1993. Parks for life: Report of the IVth world congress on national parks and protected areas. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, 252 pp.
Jnwali, S. R. 1989. Park-people conflict: Assessment of crop damage and human harassment by rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) in Sauraha area adjacent to the Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal. MSc thesis. Noragric Agricultural University of Norway.
Laurie, A. 1978. The ecology and behavior of the greater onehorned rhinoceros. PhD dissertation. University of Cambridge, UK.
Lehmkuhl, J. F., R. K. Upreti, and U. R. Sharma. 1988. National parks and local development: Grasses and people in Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal.Environmental Conservation 15(2):143–148.
Lusigi, W. 1981. New approaches to wildlife conservation in Kenya.Ambio 10(2–3):87–92.
Lusigi, W. 1984. Future directions for the Afro-tropical realm. Pages 137–146in J. A. McNeely and K. R. Miller (eds.), National parks, conservation, and development: The role of protected areas in sustaining society. Smithsonian Institute Press, Washington, DC.
Machlis, G. E., and D. L. Tichnell. 1987. Economic development and threats to national parks: A preliminary analysis.Environmental Conservation 14(2):151–156.
MacKinnon, J., K. MacKinnon, G. Child, and J. Thorsell. 1986. Managing protected areas in the tropics. IUCN Publications, Gland, Switzerland, 295 pp.
Milton, J. P., and G. A. Binney. 1980. Ecological planning in the Nepalese Tarai: A report on resolving resource conflicts between wildlife conservation and agricultural land use in Padampur Panchayat. Threshold, Washington, DC, 35 pp.
Mishra, H. R. 1992. Balancing human needs and conservation in Nepal's Royal Chitwan National Park.Ambio 11(5): 246–251.
Mishra, H. R. 1984. A delicate balance: Tigers, rhinoceros, tourists and park management vs. the needs of local people in Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Pages 197–205in J. McNeely and K. Miller (eds.), National parks, conservation and development: The role of protected areas in sustaining society. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC.
Mishra, H. R. 1991. Regional review: South and South-East Asia. Unpublished draft report developed from a regional meeting on national parks and protected areas, 1–4 December 1991, Bangkok, Thailand, 31 pp.
Müller-Böker, U. 1991. Knowledge and evaluation of the environment in traditional societies of Nepal.Mountain Research and Development 11(2):101–114.
Nepal, S. K. 1987. Wild animals' interference in the agricultural activity of the Gitanagar Village Panchayat. MA thesis. Department of Geography, Tribuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Nepal, S. K., and K. E. Weber. 1993. Struggle for existence: Park-people conflict in the Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal. HSD Monograph 28. Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand, 199 pp.
Nepal, S. K., and K. E. Weber, 1995a. Prospects for coexistence: Wildlife and Local People in and around Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal.Ambio 24 (in press).
Nepal, S. K., K. E. Weber. 1995b. A buffer zone for biodiversity conservation: Viability of the concept in Nepal's Royal Chitwan National Park,Environmental Conservation 21(4): 333–341.
Nepal, S. K., and K. E. Weber. 1995c. Managing resources and resolving conflicts: National parks and local people.International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology 2(1):1–15.
Neumann, R. P., and G. E. Machlis, 1989. Land use and threats to park in the Neotropics.Ambio 16(1):13–18.
Osemeobo, G. J. 1988. Animal wildlife conservation under multiple land use systems in Nigeria.Environmental Conservation 15(3):239–249.
Prins, H. T. 1992. The pastoral road to extinction: Competition between wildlife and traditional pastoralism in East Africa.Environmental Conservation 19(2):117–123.
Raval, S. R. 1991. The Gir National Park and the Maldharis: Beyond setting aside. Pages 68–86in P. C. West and S. R. Brechin (eds.), Resident peoples and national parks. Social dilemmas and strategies in international conservation. University of Arizona Press, Tucson.
Seidensticker, J. 1976. Ungulate populations in Chitwan Valley, Nepal.Biological Conservation 10:183–210.
Sharma, U. R. 1990. An overview of park-people interactions in Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal.Landscape and Urban Planning 19:133–144.
Sharma, U. R., and W. W. Shaw. 1993. Role of Nepal's Royal Chitwan National Park in meeting the grazing and fodder needs of local people.Environmental Conservation 20(2): 139–142.
Smythies, E. A. 1942. Big game shooting in Nepal. Thacker, Spinck & Co., Calcutta, India.
SPSS Inc. 1983. SPSSx user's guide. SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 806 pp.
Studsrød, J. E., C. E. Bergstrøm, B. Thapa, and P. Wegge. 1988. Sustainability of traditional energy resources: A case study from Bachyoli Panchayat adjacent to the Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Part I. Supply/demand analysis. Pages 129–65in Management of natural resources, articles/summaries from MSc Theses 1988, case studies from China, Kenya and Tanzania. Noragric Occasional Paper Series C. Norweigian Centre for International Agricultural Development, Agriculture University of Norway, Aas, Norway.
Thorsell, J. 1985. World heritage report—1984.Parks 10(1): 8–9.
Wells, M. 1992. Biodiversity, conservation, affluence and poverty: mismatched cost and benefits and efforts to remedy them.Ambio 21(3):237–243.
Western, D. 1984. Amboseli National Park: Human values and the conservation of a Savanna ecosystem. Pages 93–100in J. McNeely and K. Miller (eds.), National parks, conservation and development: The role of protected areas in sustaining society. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nepal, S.K., Weber, K.E. The quandary of local people—Park relations in Nepal's Royal Chitwan National Park. Environmental Management 19, 853–866 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02471937
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02471937