Local perceptions of forest rules and interactions between rules, ecotourism, and human-wildlife conflicts: Evidence from Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Abstract

There is always a conflict of interest between conservation efforts and communities living near conservation areas. Buffer zones and opportunities for ecotourism are sometimes created to lessen the negative impact of the stringent rules involved in conservation which directly impacts the livelihoods of neighbouring communities. This paper examines a Nepalese community s perceptions of the Buffer Zone Community Forest (BZCF) rules, and investigates the interplay of rules, ecotourism, and human-wildlife conflict (HWC). Data were obtained from face-to-face household surveys and key informant interviews carried out in two Buffer Zone Villages in Chitwan National Park, Nepal. It was found that access to forest resources has become more restricted since ecotourism was introduced in the BZCF. Furthermore, contrary to expectations, settlements both closer to and farther from the forest are largely affected to the same extent by these restrictions. This study recommends better livelihood opportunities for disadvantaged groups in and around the BZCF, along with the development of forest policies based in reality to improve compliance with forest rules and to gain local support for conservation efforts.

Wildlife institutions highly salient to human attitudes toward wildlife

“…Thus the “rules” includes a fundamental shift from exclusionary to inclusive conservation through the devolution of some aspects of wildlife proprietorship (Schlager & Ostrom, 1992), the establishment of community organization in the form of participatory governance (Child, 2019), and much more frequent and respectful relationships between the game park and the community (Durant et al, 2022). Our findings are consistent with recent literature demonstrating that the legitimacy of, agreement with, or respect for, local conservation regulations improves compliance with conservation rules (Kahler & Gore, 2012; Kandel et al, 2020) and reinforces positive perceptions of conservation (Ntuli et al, 2019). Together, this emphasizes the importance of including institutions in the definition and discussion of coexistence.…”

Contribution of marginal land and indigenous crops on food security: A case of eastern Chitwan, Nepal

“…The data indicated that 51% of respondents believed IUCs consumption was in an increasing trend, whereas 30% of respondents felt the consumption decreased and the remaining viewed the constant consumption trend (Figure 6). During COVID-19, due to transportation halt, agricultural-product damaged and food supply affected (Kandel et al, 2020). As a coping strategy, people consumed indigenous and underutilized crops to sustain their life.…”

Ecotourism through the perception of forest villagers: understanding via mediator effects using structural equation modeling

“…Current studies have found different perceptions and attitudes towards ecotourism activities (Juvan and Dolnicar 2016 ). The main phenomena involve negative effects experienced by the local inhabitants as a result of interactions with tourists coming to the region (Muresan et al 2016 ; Kandel et al 2020 ). Some studies have shown that this situation negatively affects the development of ecotourism and recreational activities (Cakir et al 2016 ).…”