Final Report Habitat Restoration in Royal Bardia National Park (Scaling up Effort to Conserve the Wild Tiger Population in and around Nepal’s Royal Bardia National Park) (Project #: 2000-0182-017) Submitted to Save the Tiger Fund, US Submitted by King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation July 2002 Prepared by Shant Raj Jnwali, PhD Abstract The report highlights activities and achievements of Habitat Restoration Program implemented in Royal Bardia NP’s southwestern buffer zone and adjacent areas, mainly in Thakurdwara and Suryapatuwa VDCs. The overall field activities were implemented through KMTNC’s Bardia based Bardia Conservation Program and the financial support was made available from Save the Tiger Fund US. The objectives of the program were to restore potential but seriously degraded habitats for tiger and its prey base and provide economic incentives to the local communities inhabiting southern peripheral areas of the park through ICDP aimed at developing local guardianship in conserving tiger and its prey base in their natural habitats. Over all activities were implemented in direct collaboration with the Royal Bardia National Park, Buffer Zone Development Council, Users Committees, Women Environment Groups, Village Development Committees and local government institutions. An effective linkage was also maintained among the line agencies such as Buffer Zone Development Project, Terai Arc Landscape and Participatory Conservation Program. The current security situation prevailed in the western part of the country hindered the implementation of field activities to a greater extent. Despite this, overall activities were successfully implemented and satisfactory results have been obtained. The main activities undertaken during March 2001 – June 2002 in Thakurdwara- Suryapatuwa area include community forestry program, wildlife monitoring, training to naturalists, micro-enterprise development, community health services, wildlife damage control, conservation education and alternative energy program. Supports have been extended to 19 different Users Committees to manage existing community managed regeneration plots and to establish new plots – ca 1500 ha forest areas. Major forest management activities include maintenance of trench and fences, digging up of new trench, thinning, pruning and eradication of alien species. More than 500000 plant saplings of MPTS have been grown in nurseries to distribute for private as well as community plantations in the project area. Wildlife study included regular monitoring of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians etc. Field data revealed that a total of 17 species of mammals, 113 species of birds, 6 species of reptiles, 3 species of amphibians inhabit the forest areas outside the park. Detail vegetation analysis yielded 178 different species of trees, shrubs, climbers, herbaceous, pteridophytes etc. Alternative energy scheme include installation of methane gas digesters under which a total of 85 plants of various capacities have been installed. ii Necessary materials (solar fencer magnum, cable, insulator etc) for minimizing the wildlife damage to agricultural crops have been purchased and ground work for establishing the solar fence has been initiated. Micro-enterprise development programs were mainly targeted to local women. Vegetable farming, pig and goat keeping, fish farming, sewing and tailoring training, bag knitting, potato chips preparation, exposure visits and skill development trainings were major activities under this program. Over 400 local women were directly benefited from micro- enterprise development program. Impact evaluation of micro enterprise development program has been initiated. Activities under conservation education consist of mobile workshop, training on avifauna conservation, school greenery program, shepherd education and preparation of field book on preventive measures against wildlife attacks. Village sanitation program, workshop on women reproductive health, mother and child health, eye camp, distribution of first-aid kits and improvement of laboratory facility of Nikunj Community Health Center, Thakurdwara were major activities conducted under health and sanitation program. CBOs strengthening program included office management training among 16 members of 8 women environment groups and office development support to Buffer Zone Development Council. iii Contents S. No. Activities Page 1. Background 1 2. Goal and Objectives 4 3. Implementation Module and Limitations 5 4. Activities and Achievements 6 4.1 Forest Regeneration Program 6 4.1.1 Support for Natural Forest Regeneration Program 6 4.1.2 Plant nursery Management 8 4.2 Wildlife Monitoring 10 4.3 Socio-economic Survey 15 4.4 Impact Evaluation of Micro-enterprise Development Program 16 4.5 Community Support Program 16 4.5.1 Support for Methane Gas Digesters 16 4.5.2 Capacity Building for Income Generation 18 4.5.2.1 Formation of Women Groups 18 4.5.2.2 Pig Keeping 19 4.5.2.3 Goat Keeping 20 4.5.2.4 Training on Potato Chips Preparation 21 4.5.2.5 Vegetable Farming 22 4.5.2.6 Sewing and Tailoring Training 23 4.5.2.7 Bag Kitting 24 4.5.2.8 Fish Farming 25 4.5.3 Training to Local Naturalists 26 4.5.4 Users Group Exposure Visit 27 4.5.5 Crop Damage Minimization 28 4.5.6 Capacity Building for Local CBOs 29 4.5.7 Conservation Education 30 4.5.7.1 Support to Local Schools 30 4.5.7.2 Conservation Education Mobile Camps and Training 31 4.5.7.3 Celebration of World Environment Day 32 4.5.7.4 Shepherd Education 32 4.5.7.5 Workshop on Preventive Measures Against Aggressive Wildlife 33 4.5.8 Health and Sanitation 34 4.5.8.1 Eye Camp 34 4.5.8.2 Training on Women Reproductive Health 34 4.5.8.3 Village Sanitation Campaign 35 4.5.8.4 Health Post support 36 iv List of Figures Figure 1. Map of Royal Bardia National Park and project site Figure 2. Plant saplings grown for private and community plantation Figure 3. Shivpur Bhale observed in Nayabeli, new regeneration plot Figure 4. Proportion of plant species recorded in different habitat types Figure 5. Methane gas digesters have greatly helped to reduce pressure on natural forests. Figure 6. High breed pig farming has become potential source of income among beneficiaries Figure 7. Members of WEG receiving high breed goats for commercial farming Figure 8. Trainees busy in practical session of potato preparation Figure 9. Off-season vegetable farming training organized within BCP premises Figure 10. Distribution of sewing machine helps to retain sewing skills Figure 11. DNPWC’s Director General distributing the certificates among trainees Figure 12. Senior naturalists setting infrared camera devices to photograph tigers Figure 13. Women group in their exposure tour at Palpa Figure 14. Conservation education session at a local primary school Figure 15. A glimpse of conservation education mobile camp Figure 16. Poem competition during world environment day, 5 June 2002 Figure 17. Shepherd education has become an effective means to disseminate conservation messages Figure 18. Participants discussing on preventive measures against wildlife attack Figure 19. DNPWCs Director General distributing medicine kit to local health workers v List of Tables Table 1. Name, location and the area of Natural Forest Regeneration Plots supported by the project. Table 2. Number of methane gas digesters installed in different VDCs under STF grant. Table 3. Name of WEGs supported under STF program and their activities. vi Acronyms BCP Bardia Conservation Program CBO Community Based Organization CFMC Community Forest Management Committee DASO District Agriculture Service Office DNPWC Department of National Parks and Wildlife Reserve DOTS Direct Observation Treatment Service ha Hectare hh Household GCHP Geruwa Community Health Post KMTNC King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation NCHP Nikunj Community Health Post NP National Park RBNP Royal Bardia National Park SEG Student Environment Group STF Save the Tiger Fund UC Users Committee UNDP United Nation’s Development Programs VDC Village Development Committee VFG Vegetable Farming Group WEG Women Environment Group WR Wildlife Reserve WWF World Wildlife Fund vii 1. Background The Royal Bardia National Park (28o 30’ N and 81o 15’E) is located in the mid-western lowland of Nepal to encompass a total area of 968 km2 including steep range of Shiwalik in the north and alluvial floodplains created by Karnali and Babai river systems. The park borders Geruwas River, eastern branch of Karnali in the west, Ratna Highway in the east and crest of Shiwalik in the north. Part of Mahendra Highway, large tracts of buffer zone forests and farmland delineate the southern boundary of the park. The climate is subtropical monsoonal with over 90% precipitation occurring between July and September. The park is reputed for its exceptionally rich biodiversity. The vegetation is composed of a mosaic of sal, riverine, mixed hardwood and Khair-sissoo forests, wooded grasslands, and tall alluvial floodplain grassland and short grassland patches established on the previously cultivated farmlands. Algae, Chara, Paspallum, Hydrilla etc. enrich the aquatic floral diversity. Similarly, the park provides refuge for 53 mammalian species, over 400 species of birds, 121 species of fishes, ca 24 species of mollusks, ca 20 species of reptiles and over 25 species of amphibians and unknown number of insects. Protected species of mammals including Panthera tigris tigris, Rhinoceros unicornis, Elephus maximus, Cervus duvauceli duvauceli and Tetraceros quadricornis. Plastanista ganatica and Gavialis