Parks - IUCN

Alpine meadows
and sub-alpine
areas in Jigme
Dorje supporting a
number of species
such as oak trees,
rhododendrons,
takin, snow leopard
and blue sheep.
Photo:
Mingma Sherpa.
PARKS VOL 9 NO 3 • OCTOBER 1999
40
Key challenges
Settlements and
development
Some of the villages along the boundaries
of Royal Manas National Park, such as
Panbang, Surey, and Tingtibi, are
relatively large commercial centres and
require adequate attention as potential
conservation threat areas. Similarly, over
6,500 people live within Jigme Dorji
National Park, subsisting on park
resources. The increasing populations
put greater pressure on the park,
including demands for already scarce
fuelwood and pastures. Subtropical habitats are already threatened by unsuitable
agricultural and other land uses. Short rotation shifting cultivation on steep hill slopes
has already caused much soil erosion, and natural forests around major settlements
are becoming gradually degraded by unsustainable patterns of use of forest resources
to meet the demands of an increasing population and associated development.
Large-scale burning of grasslands to increase new forage disrupts wildlife movement
and causes habitat degradation.
Jigme Dorji National Park has a heavily populated human enclave in Gasa area
up the Mochhu valley and some high altitude seasonal grazing areas in the Lingshi,
Laya, and Lunana areas. These areas have been zoned for intensive use. Creation of
the park will thus cause minimum disruption to the lifestyle and land use rights of
the local people. The area has high potential for trekking tourism but that will require
intensive monitoring of cultural and environmental impacts. Moreover, the limited
number of park staff are already required to address a number of pressing
environmental concerns such as overgrazing, overharvesting of medicinal plants, and
wildlife poaching.
Community development initiatives that focus on conservation education and
alternative livelihoods are critical to mitigate conservation threats from local
communities. The conservation management plans for both Jigme Dorji and
Royal Manas duly recognise the importance of involving local communities and
gaining their support in natural resources management. Projects focusing on
integrated conservation and development are already underway in Royal Manas
and Jigme Dorji National Parks.
Integrating nature conservation objectives and community development
needs has become a major challenge for our conservation personnel. Specifically,
they will need to design and implement people-based approaches to conservation
management in these areas, rather than the more conventional restricted model.
Wildlife poaching
As a result of the political turmoil in the adjacent Indian State of Assam and a
consistently lucrative international market for wildlife parts and products, poaching
of wildlife poses a serious problem in India’s Manas Tiger Reserve. Since wildlife
migrate freely across the international boundary, poaching in the Manas Tiger