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Natural resource dependency and decentralized conservation within Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project, Nepal
1Department of Tourism, Recreation & Sport Management, Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8208, USA. pete.parker@mcgill.ca
Environmental Management
|December 1, 2011
Summary
Local communities in Nepal
Area of Science:
- Conservation Science
- Socio-economics
- Community Development
Background:
- Decentralized conservation models aim to improve efficiency and local equity.
- The Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project (KCAP) in Nepal pioneered a fully decentralized approach.
- Assessing local equity is crucial for understanding the impacts of such conservation initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate local equity within the KCAP by measuring household dependency on natural resources.
- To identify factors influencing natural resource dependency among local populations.
- To inform strategies for enhancing the effectiveness of decentralized conservation efforts.
Main Methods:
- Conducted detailed surveys with 205 randomly selected households in the KCAP.
- Calculated natural resource dependency by comparing total household income to income from natural resource access.
- Analyzed economic, social, and access-related variables as predictors of dependency.
Main Results:
- Households exhibited high dependency on natural resources, particularly those at higher elevations and with more adult members.
- Remittance-receiving households significantly reduced their reliance on natural resources.
- Socio-economic factors (land, education, caste, ethnicity) and KCAP training did not predict dependency.
Conclusions:
- Decentralized conservation success in KCAP depends on strengthening project capacity through social mobilization and participatory approaches.
- Effective capacity-building is essential to reduce local dependency on natural resources.
- Increased engagement between KCAP and local households is needed to improve conservation outcomes.
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