Ecotourism near Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal (1)
Case Study C0071
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| Date | 1995 |
| Project type | Self implemented |
| Context(s) | Protected area |
| Geographic coverage | Nepal |
| Locality | Royal Chitwan National Park, Terai area, at the foothills of the Himalyas |
| Biodiversity focus | Species, habitat |
| Development focus | Specific villages |
| Conservation goals | None |
| Poverty reduction goals | None |
Summary
Royal Chitwan National Park (RCNP), Nepal, is one of the most popular destinations for foreign ecotourists in Asia. The RCNP, which is made of a mosaic of alluvial grasslands and riverine forests, supports one of the highest recorded densities of tigers and one-horned rhinoceros in Asia. Unfortunately, poaching and habitat loss due to fragmentation, degradation, and conversion to agriculture continue to threaten the wildlife.
The RCNP is bordered by 36 village development committees, however, the results of the present case study refer only to 7 of these Village Committees, with an estimated population of 64,000. The majority of villagers are subsistence level farmers. The annual per capita income is about $150.
Large numbers of tourists travel to RCNP each year. The constant increase in the number of tourists has in turn stimulated a dramatic increase in hotel construction in Sauraha, a small, rural ward on the border of RCNP. The number of privately owned ecotourist hotels in Sauraha, the centre of ecotourism activities, has increased steadily since the early 1980s. In October 1995 there were 46 budget hotels in Sauraha, and 7 larger, more expensive, hotels inside the park.
As it has become evident, privately based ecotourism in RCNP, provided little employment potential, had a marginal effect on households income, offered few benefits for local people, and did not make a significant contribution to biodiversity conservation. The lack of positive outcomes stimulated the implementation of a different kind of ecotourism project (see case study n°72).
Conservation impact
The remarkable success achieved by RCNP in restoring its rhinoceros and tiger populations is attributable largely to strict protection by the Nepalese army and park staff, rather than from incentives for the privately owned ecotourism industry.
Poverty reduction impact
Of the estimated 87,000 working-age people living near the park, less than 1100 are directly employed by the local ecotourism industry. Only 6% of the surveyed households earned income directly and indirectly from ecotourism, with an average annual salary for these households from ecotourism of around $600.
Strategy for Conservation/Poverty Linkages
Local employment/job creation
Reference 1
Bookbinder, M.P., Dinerstein, E., Rijal, A., Cauley, H., and Rajouria, A., 1998, 'Ecotourism's Support of Biodiversity Conservation', Conservation Biology 12(6):1399-1404
Reference 2
http://www.worldwildlife.org/bsp/bcn/learning/ar97/97_chitwan2.htm
Similar record to this one:
- Ecotourism near Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal (2) (Case study C0072)