Parks - IUCN

PARKS VOL 9 NO 3 • OCTOBER 1999
Opportunities for ecosystem conservation
Multiple land use concept a means for biodiversity conservation
With the rapid rate of development and population growth, local communities are
finding it increasingly difficult to sustain their needs of natural resources. Growing
demand for fuelwood, construction timber, and other forest products, slowly
growing urbanization, and a lucrative international market for rare wildlife species
and medicinal plants, all threaten biological diversity and sustainable development.
Several experiences from within the Asia and Pacific region demonstrate that
successful biodiversity conservation needs to be built on community participation
and support. Conservation initiatives need to be inter-sectoral in nature and should
incorporate biodiversity conservation into the main productive sectors of the national
and local economy. Integrated rural development addressing livelihood issues of
local and indigenous communities living in buffer zones of protected areas might
include community forestry, agroforestry, soil and water conservation, livestock
production, sustainable mountain agriculture, vocational training, and community
education. Just as important, it is essential to identify and implement innovative
economic instruments to finance biodiversity conservation at local, national, and
regional levels. Conservation with a human face will be an important issue to be
incorporated in all biodiversity conservation and sustainable development initiatives.
While the concept of multiple land use as a means for biodiversity conservation
is relatively new in Bhutan, neighbouring countries have gained substantial
experience, both good and bad, in practicing the concept. Bhutan can benefit from
the lessons learnt in Nepal, the Himalayan parts of India and Pakistan, and other
countries with considerable experience in implementing the multiple land use
concept in mountain forest ecosystems.
Transborder cooperation
Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan and Manas Tiger Reserve in India, which
together constitute the Manas ecosystem, share many rare and threatened wildlife and
critical natural habitats. Some of these wildlife such as the greater one-horned
rhinoceros, Bengal tiger, and Asian elephant face serious threats from poaching. A joint
conservation research and anti-poaching scheme between the Indian and Bhutanese
park authorities would greatly help curtail the threats from wildlife poaching.
Field level cooperation
The relations between park management staff at the local level are fairly good with
informal meetings being convened between the staff of the two protected areas at
ad hoc intervals. The main entry route to Royal Manas National Park is through India’s
Manas Tiger Reserve. Since ethnic Bodo tribal agitation in Assam broke in the late
1980s, considerable disturbances have occurred in the Reserve. The impact is stronger
in the buffer areas where illegal felling of trees and poaching are more common.
Despite the insurgency and manpower problem, staff in both protected areas patrol
the vulnerable and threatened areas of the park regularly to ensure reasonably good
protection to an otherwise fast-dwindling wild flora and fauna.
Bhutanese people living in the southern buffer areas of Royal Manas National
Park are allowed unrestricted passage through the Indian Manas Tiger Reserve to
reach markets in the neighbouring towns of India.
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