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VOL. 28, NO. 13, Dec 05, 2008 (Mangsir 20 2065 B.S.)

Balancing Conservation And Livelihood

At a time when Nepal's major protected areas and their natural surroundings are under constant threat of conflict and encroachment, the Western Terai Landscape Complex Project (WTLCP) has shown a way to manage the landscape by bringing all the stakeholders together in managing them. With the empowerment of local communities through alternative livelihood programs and promoting the conservation, the project has already introduced various schemes for sustainable, biodiversity friendly natural resources and land use management system. As Nepal has made enormous progress in the protected areas resources management in the last decades, challenge for WTLCP now is balancing between the conservation and livelihood

By KESHAB POUDEL, in Kanchanpur

A Tharu Woman in Bardia: Conservation for livelihood

For Dev Ram Koirala, 45, a resident of Shivapur Village Development Committee of Bardiya National Park, life is easier now. In the past, they relied on the forest of Bardiya National Park for their daily livelihood and their cattle used to graze inside the park. But the wild animals like elephants, boars and rhinos used to come to their fields for grazing. This prompted conflict between the people and wildlife in protected areas.

As the focus was given more on conservation, the issues of livelihood of surrounding areas was undermined. Though introduction of buffer zone management reduced the tensions and gave some role to local community, the question of landscape management remained unresolved as what was lacking was balanced approach between conservation and livelihood.

Amid this gap, the WTLCP was introduced as it focused its attention on the use of landscape of terai for the betterment of livelihood of local population and conservation of resources of protected areas.

With the implementation of WTLCP in 2006, local people have felt different situation and are gradually becoming convinced that the conservation of natural resources and betterment of their livelihood can go side by side. Working from behind, WTLCP encourages other stakeholders in the districts including National Parks, District Forest Officers, District Development Office, civil society members, community forest user
groups of buffer zones and other stakeholders to take a lead role.

"It was very difficult for us to survive till few years ago because of terror of wildlife and negligence of human settlement by officials. Now the situation has some how changed. The electric fence bar virtually stopped the destruction of our crops by wild elephants, the bio-gas, improved stoves and use of solar light reduced our dependency on forest. Finally, the income generating activities offered us better alternative livelihood," said Koirala. "As villagers like me get a lot of benefits, we come to realize that national park is here to benefit us. People think that the protected areas and conservation of natural resources are also for them. Of course, there are still certain conflicts but people have now sense of ownership."

Along with Koirala, more than 150,000 people of 52 Village Development Committee of three districts in western Nepal in Bardiya, Kailali and Kanchanpur have obtained better alternatives for their livelihood due to cost of conservation of bio-diversity in protected areas.

Hareram Tharu, chairman of black buck protection committee of Khairapur Village Development Committee of Bardiya has reason to rejoice as the WTLCP supported to build two fishing ponds in return for their role in protection of black buck. Khairapur is the only remaining habitat of black buck. "As we are given alternative livelihood programs constructing fishing ponds and technology for vegetable farming, we are able to maximize our income. This is possible because of conservation of black buck," said Chaudhari. "With the completion of fishing pond under WTLCP, we are now spending our time to protect black buck," said Chaudhari.

Like Hareram, whose crops used to be destroyed by black bucks, 86 groups of 43 localities surrounding Khairapur are engaged in alternative income generating activities. As they have built fishing ponds and other alternative crops, they need not worry about the destruction of crops by black buck. "As local people actively take part in the conservation, the number of black bucks has jumped from merely dozens to over two hundred now," said Asok Prasad Ojha, field manager, WTLCP. "For instance, we have already completed 10 kilometre electric fencing in the areas of Betani to Motipur. Similarly, the 13 kilometre electric fencing was completed in Rajapur."

For a long time, people living in surroundings of protected areas had complained as they had conflicts with the wildlife which usually attacked their means of livelihood. As they didn't have other alternatives other than farming, people lived without any sense of conservation and they sent their cattle inside the park and felled trees for fuel.

"The Bardiya National Park used to receive hundreds of complaints from Thakurdhara and Shivapur VDCs regarding the loss of crops by wild elephants. After electric fencing, there is virtually no complaining this year. We are planning to fence more areas in coming years with the support from WTLCP," said Ramesh Thapa, assistant conservation officer of Bardiya National Park.

Pond Inside Shuklaphata in Kanchanpur: Water to wildlife

Till a few years back whenever people saw black bucks grazing in their fields, they usually attacked but now the situation has changed "We were tired to see the black bucks often grazing in our land destroying our crops. After construction of ponds and introduction of alternative agriculture, we need not worry," said Purna Bahadur Chaudhari. "By protecting black bucks and their habitats, we are getting better
alternatives for livelihood."

Parbati Chaudhari of Shivapur Village Development Committee of Bardiya district adjoining the Bardiya National Park has similar story to tell. With the seed money given by WTLCP through a local cooperative, Chaudhary brought broiler chicken. "I have already made profit of Rs.20,.000 (US$ 250) just in last two months," said Chaudhari. "This alternatives livelihood helped me make money by conserving the
forest."

The WTLCP has divided the population under four categories: rich, middle class, marginalized and lower marginalized on the basis of their income. Those whose income is lower than $ 1 a day are under the lower marginalized community. As this class of population does not have anything, they are most. When WTLCP introduced schemes including collective farming under agro-forestry program in newly planted areas of buffer zone, providing loan to buy rickshaws, and so on, there was change in overall status of livelihood. These lower marginalized groups now have better income.

The villagers of Bichuwa Village Development Committee of Southern part of Kanchanpur district have made enormous progress in the last two years. In a land in buffer zone of Jhil Jhila Phanta, the local population are now growing herbal crops as an alternative to maximize the income livelihood. In 266 hectare lands bordering with India, 50 households of Bichuwa Village have already planted various herbal aromatic plants like Lemon Grass, Palmarosa and Chamomile, Mentha and Frech Basil

As Chaudhary Biosys has already agreed to buy the products, people don't have to face the market problems. "We are providing technical support to the villagers and we will buy their products," said Technical advisor Loknath Pathak, who is stationed in the area.

As a buffer zone of Shuklaphanta reserve and corridor to Dudwa National Park of India, and Shuklaphanta, this area used to be more vulnerable to poaching.

Under a trans-boundary conservation program, the people living in Nepal side and across the border regularly conduct joint operation. "The farming of herbs help in increasing the income and gives alternative sources for livelihood," said Shivaraj Adhikari, chairman of Khageshowri Forest User Group. "Our people along with the residents from Indian side are regularly monitoring wildlife movement. Since we were given this area to make the buffer zone, it is our duty to make money and plant the trees."

At a time when the low marginalized population living in the areas don't have any alternative to their livelihood, they don't feel any attachment with the protected areas and conservation becomes nobody's concern.

Tuladhar: Conservation with livelihood

"Frankly speaking, we were in the receiving end in the past. The wild elephants and rhinos often destroyed our crops and many other species came to graze in our land. Some time many villagers had empty field," said Ram Dutta Bhatta, chairman Bageshowri Forest User Group Jadibudi. "This year our committee was also registered by warden Gopal Prasad Upadhaya and we have been legally recognized."

Along with conservation the WTLCP has been concentrating to provide alternative livelihood programs to the community expecting support in conservation.

Under agro-forestry program, low marginalized community of Mohana community forestry in Dhangadhi Municipality of Kailali district is getting similar opportunity. Loton Chaudhari,39, Boaradadi of Dhangadhi Municipality is now taking in joint farming in community forestry. Twenty five households of marginalized community of Dhangadhi have already planted vegetables in 4 hectares of forest land.

"We are expecting to generate additional income by selling our vegetables," said Loton Chaudhari.

As they get more benefits, there has been increase in the sense of conservation of natural resources.

The three districts Bardiya, Kailali and Kanchanpur are important to connect the larger wildlife habitat areas to protect the endangered species. Connecting four protected areas including Dudhwa National Park and Katrenaghat Wildlife Sanctuary of India with Nepal's Bardiya National Park and Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve through Khata, Basanta and Laljhadi corridor will make a lot of difference to lives of endangered species.

This is the reason the immediate objective of the project is to establish effective ownership among the local communities and various stakeholders.

Rhino at Bardiya National Park: Living with harmony

"We are implementing the programs side by side with the bio diversity conservation and livelihood or poverty alleviation. WTLCP is bio diversity conservation project but it cannot go alone and it must include livelihood of people. If there is increase in the number of wildlife, it must bring substantial change in the livelihood of the people. Until people do not see any benefit in the conservation, they will not participate in the conservation work. Our aim is to bring conservation and livelihood together, this is our challenge," said Dinesh Karki, biodiversity Conservation Officer of WTLCP.

As number of wildlife increases in protected areas and the population living in the buffer zones have to suffer, there increases the number of conflict between the people and wildlife of protected areas.

From electric fencing to alternative agriculture, the WTLCP has offered various ways to change the situation.

For the wildlife management, the WTLCP is also supporting protected areas for management. It supports the works like building bridges, ponds for wildlife and other such infrastructure as demanded by the protected areas.

"WTLCP has been supporting Shuklaphanta Reserve to build some bridges, watershed management, visitor towers and other such things," said Gopal Prasad Upadhyaya. "What is lacking now with us is the awareness where people can feel the ownership of protected areas. It is unfortunate to say when hundreds of people are illogically encroaching deep inside the protected areas, and nobody is there to speak against it."

WTLCP stretches from Bardiya National Park in the east to Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve in the West covering a total area of 3,466 sq kilometres in the western three districts Bardiya, Kailali and Kanchanpur of Terai Arc Landscape.

Implemented by the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation with the financial support from UNDP, GEF, SNV-Nepal, WWF-Nepal, Biodiversity International, NARC and Li-Bird, the program is first of its kind which concentrated on a holistic landscape level approach for conservation and sustainable use of bio-diversity.

An eight year long project, it aims at achieving vision of landscape level conservation in Nepal. Working in 52 VDCs of 3 districts of western Nepal, the project is in line with the National Biodiversity Strategy, and Terai Arc Landscape Strategic Plan.

WTLCP has envisaged establishing a framework for trans-boundary coordination and collaboration between Nepali and Indian government agencies in deterring Trans boundary poaching, illegal grade of biological resources and synergize landscape level conservation vision of Nepal government. WTLCP-Bardiya since its inception has been supporting and facilitating buffer zone institutions and protected areas offices to organize local Trans Boundary meeting at various levels.

From providing alternative livelihood to alternative resources, WTLCP has shown that the balancing between conservation and livelihood can sustain the protected areas and existing bio-diversity. One cannot think conservation in isolation.

"We Are Also Concentrating Our Programs To Conserve Biodiversity Outside The Park" - Dinesh Karki

DINESH KARKI, Bio-diversity Conservation Officer, Western Terai Landscape Complex Project (WTLCP), has a long experiences of working with the project. Karki spoke to SPOTLIGHT on various issues related to the WTLCP. Excerpts:

What is WTLCP?

It is basically a landscape level biodiversity conservation program with different approach. In the context of Nepal, various activities have been going on since 1970s. There are number of protected area system in terai and hills and many works have already been carried out in these areas. But, they have been facing problems. Bio-diversity species are not only inside the protected areas but they are out side the protected areas. One of the goals of the project is to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of globally significant bio-diversity in western terai, Along with protecting biodiversity species just inside the park; we are also concentrating our programs to conserve the biodiversity outside the park.

Is WTLCP an alternative to existing program?

No, our program is not an alternative to the existing programs carried out by government and other agencies. Our program aims to support them and this is a supplementary program. The rationale behind this project is that it works to protect the resources as a partner with others. Since this program is Nepal's government program, it is in the line with government policy. The project's landscape approach envisaged ecosystem management to achieve the multiple objectives of conservation, sustainable natural resource management and poverty alleviation by reorienting biodiversity management approaches and its institutional arrangements.

Why you are covering such a large area?

The wildlife and habitat cannot live in same place for year. They need a large area specifically tigers and rhinos which are flag species. They roam in large areas. To place the species like tigers in the protected areas of 900 square kilometres is like putting them in prison. There is need to have wider areas for their free movement.

Why do you need corridor protections?

There are wildlife in our national parks and as well as wildlife in India's national park. If they are confined to their own area, there is possibility of genetic loss in long run. Thus, there is need to interlink between them. Even within Nepal, there is a need for connectivity between Nepal's wildlife reserve, other forests and national parks.

What is the state of forest outside protected areas?

Although the forest outsides protected are in critical position, there is still possibility to maintain them. We have two protected areas Bardiya National Park and Shuklaphanta National Park and there is a buffer zone outside these parks. We have been working in core areas of national park as well as buffer zones even in Chure areas. In core areas, our thrust is on how to improve natural habitat and in buffer zones on how to institutionalize the buffer zone communities.

What is the role of Chure?

Chure mountain range is very important component which is very rich in biodiversity. Chure consists of various species of plants, trees and birds and their habitat. To link Nepal's national parks with India's national park, Chure is known as a biological corridor.

How many corridors are there?

There are three biological corridors which include Khata Biological corridor, Basthanta corridor and Laljhadi biological corridor.

Why do you need the preservation of corridor?

What we have been doing now is linking Nepal's protected areas with India's areas through the corridors. For instance, Khata biological corridor links Nepal's Bardiya national park with Katarniyaghat Wildlife Sanctuary of India and Kailali's Basanta Biological corridor links Nepal's chure with India's Dudhwa National Park. Similarly Laljjhadi corridor of Kanchanpur links Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve and India's Dudhwa National Park and Chure. Our objective is to make forest and wildlife habitat in tact and connect them so that all wildlife species can move freely from one place to another.

What are the other things you do?

Policy and legal environment needs to be conducive to landscape. Thus, we stress for the institutional frame work mechanisms. The conservation of biodiversity is other important component.

Why you are focusing on livelihood?

Landless farmer: Encroaching forest land

There is a need to implement the programs side by side with the bio diversity conservation and livelihood or poverty alleviation. WTLCP is bio diversity conservation project but it cannot go alone and it must include livelihood of people. If there is increase in the number of wildlife, it must bring substantial change in the livelihood of the people. Until people do not see any benefit in the conservation, they will not participate in the conservation work. Our aim is to bring conservation and livelihood together, this is our challenge.

How much do you focus on poverty alleviation?

Our project is not for the poverty alleviation but it is our responsibility to carry out development works targeting marginalized population living in our project areas. As long as we don't address the problems of the population living in our areas, we cannot involve people in conservation.

What are the activities of WTLCP?

At policy level, we support the program in district and ministry. There is district level forest coordination committee chaired by DDC chairman which includes all the members of government line agencies, and civil society members. For biodiversity conservation we have been supporting to improve infrastructures inside the protected areas building bridges, fire line construction, grass land management, water hole management. In buffer zones, we have been working to institutionalize the communities. We have been providing alternative energies like biogas, solar, improved stoves to reduce the dependency on forest. Similarly, we have been supporting them for organization management.

Why did y\ou choose far western region?

Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation developed a strategy known as Terai Arc Landscape Strategy which includes 14 districts of terai from west of Bagmati to Mahakali. Earlier WWF had launched program under the leadership of MOF. We have started in three districts because of agro biodiversity. There are altogether 96 VDCs and municipalities in Bardiya, Kailali and Kanchanpur. Among them we have been working in 52 VDCs. Our target area is forest and forest areas or dependent family. Our target group is just 150,000 and 50,000 of them are most vulnerable.

How do you prevent duplication?

Our program runs under the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation and senior officials of the ministry head our project. For instance, our national program manager is joint secretary of MoF. National Project Director is also from MoF. Department of Forest, and

Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation is in the driving seat. We are giving lead role to Ministry and departments. Thus, there is no question of any duplication.