Managing Protected Areas Under Conditions of Conflict
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IDRC LIb. MANAGING PROTECTEDAREAS UNDER CONDITIONS OF CONFLICT Selected Case Studies from China, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines and Thailand Edited by IDRC CRDI Sanjay K. Nepal Karl E. Weber i CANADA .JUL. JLiIt. "k'7 MANAGING PROTECTEDAREAS UNDER CONDITIONS OF CONFLICT Selected Case Studies from China, Myamnar, Nepal, Philippines and Thailand Edited by Sanjay K. Nepal Karl E. Weber HSD Monograph School ofEnvironment, Resource and Development Asian Institute of Technology Bangkok, Thailand 1995 "Regional Environmental Planning" Recommended Bibliographic Reference: Nepal, Sanjay K. and Karl E. Weber Managing Protected Areas Under Conditions ofConflict: Selected Case Studiesfrom China, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines and Thailand. Bangkok: Asian Institute of Technology, 1995, xvii + 225 p. (HSD Monograph) ISBN 1995 Sanjay K. Nepal and Karl E. Weber Cover Photograph by H. Kokkinen. The editors held responsibility for any errors of fact or assessments. The findings, interpretations and conclusion expressed in thecase studies are entirely thoseof the respective authors and shouldnot be attributed to AlT or IDRC. IDRC CRDI CANADA This work was carried out with the aid of a grant from the International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada PREFACE The majority of protectedareas in the developing countries of Asia are facing various forms and levels of threats. The threats caused by human impacts are of particular concern as poverty and overpopulationhave tended to increase human pressure on existing protected areas. While protected areas in many developing countrieshave becomethe safest way to ensure biodiversityconservation, local communities living adjacent to the protected areas have often become the victims of protected area establishmentwho are either displaced form their traditional homes or denied access to resources which previously belonged to them customarily. The result has been the conflict between protected area authority and local communities. The latter are often antagonisticto any conservationrelated activities as they hardly derive any benefits from such activities. On one hand, there is an urgent necessity to protect natural areas, on the other, the livelihoodneeds of local communities have to be duly consideredwithout which any efforts towards protected area conservation is bound to fail in the face of poverty stricken conditions of local communities. As the majority of protected areas in Asia receive low level of commitment from the national governments,they are inadequatelyfunded and lack manpowerand necessary skill. Often the legal basis of protected area conservation is not clear. Owing to the varied nature of problems, the resolution of conflictencompasses broader disciplines which reach beyondthe confinesof conventional protected area conservation and management. Recent approaches have emerged in which efforts are geared towards' linking protected area conservation with fulfilling subsistence needs of local communities. The local communities are seen as partners in managing protected areas whose support is indispensable for the long-term viability of protected areas. This research explores the overall conditions of protected area management with particular reference to the livelihood needs of local communities. It attempts to examine the social and economic conditions of local communitieswho are, so far, marginalizedin the overall developmentprocess. Eight case studies from five countries, namely, China, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines and Thailand have been covered under this study. The case studies signal the need for coherent and systematic efforts to protected area conservation with particular emphasis on the involvement of local communities. The inherent issues in conflict resolution are discussed and remedial measures are suggested. While strong commitment from the central authority is necessary, attention must be paid to enlisting local communities, non-governmental organizationsand private land oers in the planning and management aspects. A solid baseline information is needed in many biological and human-ecological asl5ects of conservation. Similarly, effective communicationmechanism between protected area authority and local communitiesshould be established.Without prompt actions, protected areas will barely remain intact in the future. Sanjay K. Nepal Karl E. Weber V ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This publication is jointly written and edited by the authors based on the Master's thesis produced by the respective authors ofthe case studies presented in this publication. The original thesis were produced under the supervision of the respective thesis committee members (Appendix C). The editors have rewritten, refined, augmented and updated the information contained in the case studies. The editors express heartfelt gratitude to the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Ottawa, Canada who have made this project feasible by providing a generous funding support. At IDRC, they would like to particularly acknowledge the support extended by Dr. David Brooks, Director of Environment Policy Program and Dr. W. R. Spence, Regional Director in Singapore. They also express sincere thanks to the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) for providing supplementary funding support, especially for the extended duration of the project. Thanks are also extended to the case study authors, particularly ChristinaLantican, Yongyut Trisurat, Xu Xiao Gang and Ram Krishna Shrestha, the latter became fully involved in the research project for almost seven months. His contribution to the project is greatly appreciated. The editors also wish to thank Dr. Apisit Eiumnoh, Prof. Douglas R. Webster, Dr. Howard J. Daugherty, Dr. Kaew Nualchawee, Dr. Yoichiro J. Higuchi, Dr. Tn B. Suselo, Dr. Mohammed Z. Hussain and Dr. David J. King who served as the Chairman or members of the student's thesis committee. Similarly, thanks are also due to Punya P. Regmi and Bishnu Han Pundit at the early stage of the researchproject. Finally the support ofthe first named editor's wife, Stella Amor F. Nepal, was indispensable, who despite her own busy office schedule and household responsibility helped in typing, formatting and producing graphs. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS page Preface v Acknowledgments vii List of Tables Xl List ofFigures xiii Abbreviations XV Introduction I Chapter One: Managing Protected Areas in Asia: Selected Case Studies 9 Chapter Two: Local People and Protected Areas: The Case ofWuyishan Nature Reserve, China byLiZifeng 27 Chapter Three: Protected Areas and Indigenous People: The Xishuangbanna NationalNature Reserve, China by Yu Xiao Gang 39 Chapter Four: Conservation Issues and Management Guidelines in Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park, Myanmar by Thaung Tint Lwin Chapter Five: Managing Livestock on the Edge of the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal by Ram Krishna Shrestha and Karl E. Weber 69 Chapter Six: Resolving the Park-People Conflict: The Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal by Sanjay K Nepal and Karl E. Weber - - 91 Chapter Seven: Strategies for Rehabilitation: The Case ofthe Bicol National Park, Philippines by Christina A. Lantican ill Chapter Eight: Striking a Balance: The Needs ofLocal People and Conservation Priorities in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand by Tippawan Chatchaiwiwatana 125 ix ChapterNine.' Resolving Conflicting Uses: GIS and Remote Sensing Applications in the Phu Rua National Park, Thailand by Yongyut Trisurat 147 Chapter Ten: Managing Resources and Resolving Conflicts: National Parks and Local People by Sanjay K Nepal and Karl E. Weber 169 Chapter Eleven: Prospects and Resolutions 185 References 199 Appendices 215 x LIST OF TABLES No. Title Page 1 Status ofForests and Protected Areas in Selected Asian Countries 16 2 Dai's Daily Schedule for Herbal Plant Collection 46 3 AverageLivestock Holding by Location 75 4 Proportionof Livestock Species by Location 76 5 Proportionof Lactating and Adult Male Livestock Population 76 6 Annual GrowthRate of Livestock Population 77 7 Size ofLivestock Holding by Location 77 8 LivestockUnit Size by Farm Category 9 78 Average Livestock Size Per Hectare 79 10 Proportionof Crop Residue Utilization by Location 80 11 Annual Average Livestock Feed at the Household Level 80 12 Livestock Feed Demand and Supply Assessment 81 13 Main Illegal Offenses Recorded in KYNP, 1986-1988 136 14 Action Plan for Resolving Conflicts 140 15 Management Zonesfor National Parks in Thailand 147 16 Suitability ofVarious Bio-Physical Characteristics for Zoning 153 17 Weighted Score for Bio-Physical Attributes 154 18 Land Cover Classification 155 19 Soil Classification 157 20 Wildlife Habitat Distribution 159 21 Slope Classification 159 22 Suitability Class and Area Coverage ofManagement Zones 160 23 PreliminaryManagement Zones and Estimated Area i 61 24 Final Management Zones and Estimated Area 161 25 Summary ofFindings from Case Studies 186 xi LIST OF FIGURES No. Title Page 1 Growthof the World Coverage ofProtected Areas 2 2 Map Showing Protected Areas Under Study 6 3 Dimension ofProtected Area Conflicts 4 13 Major Stakeholders Involved in Protected Area Conflicts 5 14 The Wuyishan Nature Reserve, China 6 29 The Xishuangbanna Nature Reserve Perfecturein China 7a The 41 Mengao Village 44 7b The Yanuo Village 8 The 44 Alaungdaw Kathapa NationalPark, Myanmar 58 9 The Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal 72 10 The Chitwan Royal National Park in Chitwan District, Nepal 92 11 ofa Feasible Design BufferZone 106 12 The BicolNational Park and its Land Use 115 13 Reforested Areas in Bicol National Park