Factors Associated with Conservation Participation by Local Communities in Gaurishankar Conservation Area Project, Nepal
Information about the factors associated with conservation participation by local communities is important to garner support and involvement within a natural protected area. This research examined how residents’ natural resource dependency and other social, economic, and access-related var...
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doaj-4ba2e7f6d5f1466eb0fd99aca8bcb4512020-11-25T00:30:20ZengMDPI AGSustainability2071-10502018-09-011010348810.3390/su10103488su10103488Factors Associated with Conservation Participation by Local Communities in Gaurishankar Conservation Area Project, NepalRamesh Paudyal0Brijesh Thapa1Suman Shree Neupane2Birendra KC3School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USADepartment of Tourism, Recreation & Sport Management, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USAKathmandu Forestry College, Koteshwor, Kathmandu 44600, NepalDepartment of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USAInformation about the factors associated with conservation participation by local communities is important to garner support and involvement within a natural protected area. This research examined how residents’ natural resource dependency and other social, economic, and access-related variables predict conservation participation. Data were collected based on a stratified random sampling of households from Gaurishankar Conservation Area Project (GCAP)—a newly designated mountainous protected area in Nepal. Analysis was conducted via an ordered logistic regression model. Higher levels of participation were observed among households that comprised of a larger family size, belonged to a higher caste/ethnicity, resided in higher elevations, and noted frequent visits and interactions with park management staff. However, natural resources dependency (i.e., income and fuelwood fodder) lacked a statistically significant relationship with conservation participation. Similarly, the economic dimension (i.e., land holdings and total livestock unit) was not a significant predictor of participation. Overall, key findings suggest that conservation participation at GCAP needs to be improved with multiple outreach activities, especially to resource-dependent households. More specifically, it is important to ensure equitable access so that locals can participate in programs that provide alternative resource use options, skills development, and trainings for income generation activities.http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/10/3488decentralizationdevolutionparticipationdependencysocio-economicaccess |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Ramesh Paudyal Brijesh Thapa Suman Shree Neupane Birendra KC |
spellingShingle |
Ramesh Paudyal Brijesh Thapa Suman Shree Neupane Birendra KC Factors Associated with Conservation Participation by Local Communities in Gaurishankar Conservation Area Project, Nepal Sustainability decentralization devolution participation dependency socio-economic access |
author_facet |
Ramesh Paudyal Brijesh Thapa Suman Shree Neupane Birendra KC |
author_sort |
Ramesh Paudyal |
title |
Factors Associated with Conservation Participation by Local Communities in Gaurishankar Conservation Area Project, Nepal |
title_short |
Factors Associated with Conservation Participation by Local Communities in Gaurishankar Conservation Area Project, Nepal |
title_full |
Factors Associated with Conservation Participation by Local Communities in Gaurishankar Conservation Area Project, Nepal |
title_fullStr |
Factors Associated with Conservation Participation by Local Communities in Gaurishankar Conservation Area Project, Nepal |
title_full_unstemmed |
Factors Associated with Conservation Participation by Local Communities in Gaurishankar Conservation Area Project, Nepal |
title_sort |
factors associated with conservation participation by local communities in gaurishankar conservation area project, nepal |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Sustainability |
issn |
2071-1050 |
publishDate |
2018-09-01 |
description |
Information about the factors associated with conservation participation by local communities is important to garner support and involvement within a natural protected area. This research examined how residents’ natural resource dependency and other social, economic, and access-related variables predict conservation participation. Data were collected based on a stratified random sampling of households from Gaurishankar Conservation Area Project (GCAP)—a newly designated mountainous protected area in Nepal. Analysis was conducted via an ordered logistic regression model. Higher levels of participation were observed among households that comprised of a larger family size, belonged to a higher caste/ethnicity, resided in higher elevations, and noted frequent visits and interactions with park management staff. However, natural resources dependency (i.e., income and fuelwood fodder) lacked a statistically significant relationship with conservation participation. Similarly, the economic dimension (i.e., land holdings and total livestock unit) was not a significant predictor of participation. Overall, key findings suggest that conservation participation at GCAP needs to be improved with multiple outreach activities, especially to resource-dependent households. More specifically, it is important to ensure equitable access so that locals can participate in programs that provide alternative resource use options, skills development, and trainings for income generation activities. |
topic |
decentralization devolution participation dependency socio-economic access |
url |
http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/10/3488 |
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