Coexistence between humans and wildlife. A study on the influence of Human-Wildlife Conflict on the attitudes of local communities towards Community-Based Conservation around Bardia National Park, Nepal

Abstract

Community-Based Conservation (CBC) focuses both on community development and conservation, however, Human-Wildlife Conflict can undermine the goal. Nepal is one country that adopted this approach, but Human-Wildlife Conflict have been a major challenge in recent years. As a result, local livelihoods are affected by crop damage, livestock predation, stored food damage, property damage and human injuries or casualties. As different studies show that costs related to CBC form a threat to both conservation of wildlife and sustainable livelihoods, this research aims to understand the attitudes of local people towards CBC, while also taking into account the impact of Human-Wildlife Conflict experiences. This study is guided by a case study and attitudes of local communities in the buffer zone around Bardia National Park, Nepal is focused on. By using the Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA) and the Environmental Justice Framework (EJF) insights on the impact of Human-Wildlife Conflict on CBC is gained. This study shows that Human-Wildlife Conflict not only have an impact on local livelihoods, it also influences attitudes towards CBC initiatives including attitudes towards the Revenue Sharing Program (RSP) and feelings and behavior towards wildlife conservation. Two factors play a role in shaping attitudes, including the village and the level of education. Negative attitudes towards RSP and wildlife conservation need to be addressed because this reduces local support towards conservation efforts. One of the main issues related to these negative attitudes is the compensation process which is related to Human-Wildlife Conflict. Therefore, some policy recommendation are made.