conflict over natural resources at the community level in nepal

5. Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation Disruption: The government’s ability to enforceforest management laws and protect wildlife and other biodiversity resources within and outsideprotected areas has been greatly reduced as a result of the armed conflict, putting these resources at risk.This management vacuum has led to accelerated forest degradation in the Terai and increased poachingof some wildlife species.3.3 NATURAL RESOURCES CONFLICT SCENARIOS3.3.1 Type I ConflictMaoist use of natural resources to fund their military operations seems to vary widely in different parts of thecountry and over time. They have shown themselves to be opportunistic, obtaining funds from whateversources are at hand. Early in the insurgency, they robbed banks to get cash. Over the past decade they haveset up systems for levying taxes on salaries and extorting money from businesses. We do not know whatpercentage of their total funding comes from the various ways of “taxing” natural resource use listed below.For some Maoist units, especially those in the high mountains and along the border with India, taxes onNTFPs and timber, respectively, may provide a significant portion of their funding.• The Maoists tax timber harvested by community forest groups and government-appointed loggingcontractors. Community forestry products are reportedly taxed from 2 to 50% with Terai timber mostheavily taxed.• The Maoists tax collectors and traders of medicinal and aromatic plants and other NTFPs.• The Maoists charge foreigners visitor fees for entering at least two national parks and also extort moneyfrom trekking operators and hotels.• The Maoists are believed to profit in some way from wildlife poaching, either by taxing the poachers orthe traders.• The Maoists tax larger landowners as a percentage of their crop from irrigated land and in some caseshave displaced landlords and taken a portion of the harvest of sharecroppers.• Maoists have taxed some hydropower systems and have sabotaged others.3.3.2 Type II ConflictCompetition over natural resources at the community level is deeply embedded in Nepalese history andsociety as discussed in Section 2. This conflict is chronic but generally not violent. The Maoists and their warwith the RNA has changed the social and governance framework within which natural resource conflictoccurs in ways that can be bad, good, or neutral for the poorest users and the resources themselves. Naturalresource conflict under the insurgency continues to be largely non-violent, except in cases where the Maoistshave killed forestry and park guards or both sides have killed innocent Nepalis for entering forested areas.Terai Forests• Anecdotal evidence indicates that there have been clashes between armed timber smugglers from Indiaand Maoist forces over control of the illegal timber trade in the Terai.• There have been conflicts over forest resources in government-owned forests in the Terai betweenadjacent communities or with distant users. These inter-community conflicts are generally not violent.• Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the hills have illegally settled on forest estate lands in thewestern Terai. This implicit conflict with the government is reported to involve tens of thousands ofpeople.12 CONFLICT OVER NATURAL RESOURCES AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL IN NEPAL