Description
One of fundamental strategies in community-based conservation is people receiving benefits from conservation projects are more likely to express positive attitudes towards conservation. As a result, various forms of compensation and economic incentives are provided to local people to reduce park-people conflicts, and to influence the people’s attitude towards conservation. Nepal, being a leader in integrating conservation and local development, implemented a policy in 1976 to address the legitimate needs of local people residing in and around protected areas by allowing them the restrictive use of park resources. Since then, people in lowland Terai are given permits to harvest thatch grass from protected areas for a limited period every year. Thatch grass is traditionally used by the people in Terai as a building material in the roof of houses. In recent years, the grasses are also used as raw materials in the paper industry. Based on a case study in Shukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve, this study describes policy of issuing permits for grass harvesting, and its impact on people’s attitude towards conservation.
Issuing annual permits for harvesting thatch grass as compensation to local people in Nepal: does this policy have effects on conservation attitude?
One of fundamental strategies in community-based conservation is people receiving benefits from conservation projects are more likely to express positive attitudes towards conservation. As a result, various forms of compensation and economic incentives are provided to local people to reduce park-people conflicts, and to influence the people’s attitude towards conservation. Nepal, being a leader in integrating conservation and local development, implemented a policy in 1976 to address the legitimate needs of local people residing in and around protected areas by allowing them the restrictive use of park resources. Since then, people in lowland Terai are given permits to harvest thatch grass from protected areas for a limited period every year. Thatch grass is traditionally used by the people in Terai as a building material in the roof of houses. In recent years, the grasses are also used as raw materials in the paper industry. Based on a case study in Shukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve, this study describes policy of issuing permits for grass harvesting, and its impact on people’s attitude towards conservation.