Conservation Conflict
In Nepal, growing human-wildlife conflict is fueled by forest resurgence, out-migration and forest management. What are influences of interactions of these factors?
Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is one of the most complex but unavoidable conservation challenges, especially in human-dominated landscapes. The main cause of HWC is the competition between people and wildlife for shared but limited resources, which manifests as crop-raiding, livestock predation, property damage, human death and injury, and retaliatory killings of wildlife. In Nepal, a country with a diverse landscape ranging from the subtropical river basin in the south to the trans-Himalayan region in the north, HWC is neither uncommon nor unexpected. However, increasing incidences of conflict in previously unreported areas, mainly in the midhills and lowlands, are a matter of concern.
There are four main reasons why this conflict might have escalated to a level of public concern. First, the massive restoration of degraded forests through community forestry programs has provided increased habitats and dispersal ranges for wildlife, leading to growing wildlife populations. However, fragmented forests due to poor management and the expansion of the road network through these areas have resulted in high edge density and small patch sizes, posing risks to people living nearby.
Second, forest management is now largely production-oriented, focusing on increasing forest cover and promoting certain species with high timber value. This has led to the monetization of habitats and reduced species diversity. The increasing trend of drying water springs in the mid-hills may also be linked to this diminishing species diversity. The growing human-monkey conflict has become a national issue due to its widespread coverage and steadily increasing conflict events.
Third, there has been a significant shift in livelihood strategies in recent decades. While nearly 80% of people in Nepal once relied on agriculture as their main occupation, this has reduced to around 50% today. Livestock herding has decreased, and millions of Nepalis now leave the country to work abroad, leading to a shift from agricultural to other types of rural and urban livelihoods. The families of migrants often rely less on forest products or abandon farmland, aiding reforestation and creating what one study termed a "remittance landscape." This has resulted in two key outcomes: abandoned agricultural land has become new habitats, bringing wildlife closer to human settlements, and the limited agricultural landscape available for wildlife to raid means those who still rely on agriculture now suffer more.
Fourth, forests are no longer heterogeneous, previously consisting of a mosaic of grassland, bushy areas, and dense forest. Now, forests are dense but mostly include silviculture practices that promote certain species, causing species to face a shortage of food and water sources, leading them to move out of forest areas in search of resources. Additionally, wildlife hunting is common in Nepal for subsistence use and trade, leading to the removal of predators and prey and disrupting the natural population structure.
Several studies support these postulations, but the interactions among these factors are not well understood. Himavat is conducting research using data from various sources to explore these assumptions further. This in-house research is seeking funding for pilot surveys. If you are interested in this research and wish to support the project to promote human-wildlife coexistence, please reach out to us at contact@himavatinstitutie.com.np.
