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Providing human communities living locally to Snow Leopards with
economic incentives for their conservation
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Income generating schemes
Governments, resource managers and NGOs should assist local communities in the
design, establishment and implementation of schemes that provide economic
incentives to protect Snow Leopards and wild ungulates. Snow Leopard Enterprises
is an example of such a wildlife stewardship scheme, where conservation agreements are
signed with communities willing to protect Snow Leopards and their habitats, in exchange
for economic incentives and/or skills training. These schemes could result in the
generation of income which would eradicate the need to rely on poaching of wildlife, and
would enable herders to tolerate livestock losses to Snow Leopards, to a certain extent.
Ultimately, these programmes could result in a lesser dependence on livestock as a means
of livelihood, owing to the additional income generated and the increased use of more
productive breeds. The involvement of a wide range of local stakeholders in the design
and development of these schemes is critical to their success. Products from such schemes
should be promoted in the media and via conservation NGOs, particularly in affluent
countries, as beneficial to Snow Leopard conservation.
Livestock insurance schemes
NGOs, development agencies and resource managers working with local
communities in Snow Leopard range States should assist local communities in
developing livestock insurance schemes, where appropriate. Taking into account
lessons learnt from livestock insurance schemes already in place, attention should be given
to ensure that these systems are economically sustainable, locally administered and
effective in preventing retaliatory killings of predators. These schemes should be designed
and developed in close co-operation with the affected communities and should incorporate
a livestock insurance plan where stock owners contribute to a common fund, administered
at local level, thus reducing likelihood of fraud and other problems inherent in direct
compensation.
Community-based trophy-hunting programmes
Governments, resource managers, hunting agencies and NGOs should assess the
feasibility of establishing programmes for community-based trophy-hunting of wild
ungulates and other mammals, as a tool to provide economic incentives for local
communities to conserve wildlife and habitats. The revenue generated from these
hunting programmes should be re-invested into conservation programmes that aim to
provide incentives to local communities to conserve wildlife and its habitat. These could
be administered through community-based conservation trust funds. The programmes
should also be accompanied by regular scientific surveys that monitor potential impacts on
the population of the affected species.
Tourism programmes
The establishment of conservation-based tourism programmes should be promoted,
to bring additional income to local communities through the establishment of conservation
trust funds. Such programmes, for example Traditional Village Homestays in
Ladakh, should take into account the environmental, socio-economic and cultural risks
60 FADING FOOTPRINTS: the killing and trade of Snow Leopards