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Issues such as these were discussed at a discussion meeting organised today to update the emerging concept and approach on protected area management and governance issues in Nepal. Welcoming the participants, Narayan Belbase, Country Representative, a.i. of IUCN Nepal, said that IUCN, as a membership-based organisation, provides support and technical advice to the Government of Nepal and other members in achieving national and international protected area management commitments. He reiterated the fact that IUCN is aware of Nepal's national and international obligations arising from national legislations as well as international instruments to which Nepal is a party, and respects the same. He said that Community Conserved Areas (CCAs) have gained acceptance in recent years, and that the recent confusion on its concept should be dealt with collectively by the conservation community to further Nepal's successful conservation initiatives. Recalling that the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Programme of Work calls on parties to achieve full and effective participation of indigenous and local communities, Dr. Uday Raj Sharma, Vice Chair of World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) South Asia, said that as a signatory to the CBD, we have to recognise and promote various protected area governance types in line with national law and applicable international obligations. He also highlighted the achievements of Nepal in protected area management and governance of the past few decades. "Nepal has earned reputation for progressive, community-based conservation in its protected area management practices. The government has recognized several forms of community-based conservation within its protected area system and has handed over considerable management authority to local institutions in conservation areas and in buffer zones in and around national parks and wildlife reserves," said Dr. Annapurna Nand Das, Director General of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation. "We have provided full recognition of indigenous peoples’ cultural, religious and customary use of biological resources in accordance with traditional cultural practices and conservation goals," he said and added that the current policy milieu regarding recognition and support to community involvement in conservation has been widely recognised as they are tailored to specific context of application. A number of key issues on protected area management practices were raised and discussed including, among others, the opportunities and risks associated with recognising protected area as a CCA, the effectiveness of participatory governance mechanisms and the context-specific nature of equity. Delivering the concluding remark, Dr. Sharma said that the discussion has provided a good starting point to take stock of the specific situation facing emerging management practices, and urged members of the WCPA's open-ended Protected Area Support Group to identify key concerns with regard to communities, equity, benefit sharing and participation, generate thought-provoking research papers in analysing CCA as a management tool to conservation, and discuss at the national level. Dr. Sharma further said that the mechanism for the implementation of CCA in Nepal needs to be closely examined by the Protected Area Support Group to provide policy inputs to government agencies. The Group will also advise on the required legislative framework to implement CCA in Nepal, and its findings can provide guidance on protected area management to make appropriate changes in the current legislation. The meeting provided a unique opportunity for diverse protected area management professionals and stakeholders to share perspectives and seek solutions to the most challenging issues facing protected area management and governance today. The meeting brought together some of the most knowledgeable and experienced minds in the conservation field to enhance ongoing protected area management efforts and arrive at innovative solutions on management modalities. Although most of the participants were in favour of CCA, however extensive discussion was felt necessary to develop Nepal-specific CCA model. The meeting was jointly organised by IUCN Nepal and Office of the Chair of WCPA South Asia. For more information, please contact:
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Governance of protected areas is a relatively new concept in the conservation field and it first came into prominence since 2004. Governance is a key for effective and equitable protected area management systems. The concept and practice of governance needs to be recognised as centrally important. | Print |