The Cost of Conservation – Nepal’s Conservation Efforts’ Impact on Indigenous Communities
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Nepal is considered one of the few countries in the world that has been successful in its wildlife conservation efforts. The strong checks in poaching, local community awareness programs, alongside training of conservation authorities have led to a direct increase in the population of endangered species that call the forests of Nepal home. The numbers of one-horned rhinoceros, Asiatic elephants, Tigers, etc. have grown in recent years. This is despite the political uncertainties and the devastating earthquake of 2015 that could potentially have had a serious impact on conservation efforts. While this is a great achievement, conservation efforts have often created some adverse impacts on the indigenous communities. Nepal has listed several parts of the country as national parks and conservation areas. These areas, however, are also home to various indigenous groups who have relied on the use of natural resources for their survival and livelihood. Moreover, there is also the presence of people groups like Rautes and Chepangs who isolate themselves from the civilized world and choose to live in the wild – living a nomadic life. An increase in the conservation efforts has impacted the livelihood of these communities and people groups. There have been several conflicts around the country, where the government efforts for conservation have crossed paths with their indigenous way of life. One of the recent incidents was the death of Raj Kumar Chepang in July 2020 by Nepalese army personnel, allegedly over the use of resources in a national park. Forcible evictions and severe restrictions in the indigenous way of life have been reported. This paper focuses on highlighting the legislative framework of conservation law in Nepal along with the legislative protections of indigenous rights. With the use of case laws and data species conservation, the paper will aim to provide a balanced conclusion and identify prevalent gapsthat would assist in continuing conservation successes with minimal adverse impacts on the indigenous groups.
Abstract
Nepal is considered one of the few countries in the world that has been successful in its wildlife conservation efforts. The strong checks in poaching, local community awareness programs, alongside training of conservation authorities have led to a direct increase in the population of endangered species that call the forests of Nepal home. The numbers of one-horned rhinoceros, Asiatic elephants, Tigers, etc. have grown in recent years. This is despite the political uncertainties and the devastating earthquake of 2015 that could potentially have had a serious impact on conservation efforts. While this is a great achievement, conservation efforts have often created some adverse impacts on the indigenous communities. Nepal has listed several parts of the country as national parks and conservation areas. These areas, however, are also home to various indigenous groups who have relied on the use of natural resources for their survival and livelihood. Moreover, there is also the presence of people groups like Rautes and Chepangs who isolate themselves from the civilized world and choose to live in the wild – living a nomadic life. An increase in the conservation efforts has impacted the livelihood of these communities and people groups. There have been several conflicts around the country, where the government efforts for conservation have crossed paths with their indigenous way of life. One of the recent incidents was the death of Raj Kumar Chepang in July 2020 by Nepalese army personnel, allegedly over the use of resources in a national park. Forcible evictions and severe restrictions in the indigenous way of life have been reported. This paper focuses on highlighting the legislative framework of conservation law in Nepal along with the legislative protections of indigenous rights. With the use of case laws and data species conservation, the paper will aim to provide a balanced conclusion and identify prevalent gapsthat would assist in continuing conservation successes with minimal adverse impacts on the indigenous groups.
참고문헌 (29)
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