Conservation enforcement in Nepal

Nepal is both a critical source country for wildlife at a cross-road for transnational illegal wildlife trade (IWT). It is also a country that has adopted a heavily enforcement-based response to IWT–including the deployment of the military into protected areas to protect charismatic megafauna. As countries globally work to respond to the growing challenges of IWT, many are adopting similar enforcement-based approaches, for which Nepal offers useful lessons.

On January 10th, Greenhood Nepal, with the support of the Lancaster Environment Centre and the Environmental Investigation Agency, held an event in Kathmandu to explore enforcement-based conservation approaches in Nepal.

As these types of approaches expand, there is a need to also consider the diverse social dimensions of enforcement-based IWT strategies. These are important to both ensuring socially equitable conservation policies, and to ensuring their long-term effectiveness and sustainability.

This event explored the challenges, complexities and social consequences of enforcement-based approaches to IWT and conservation. It included a video address by Prof. Rosaleen Duffy (Sheffield University; highlighted results from IUCN Sustainable Use and Livelihoods (SULi) Specialist Group project "Beyond Enforcement", and showcased emerging research by Kumar Paudel based on interviews with 116 IWT prisoners held in prisons across Nepal.

A panel discussion then heard from conservationists from across the Government of Nepal and civil society, featuring:

• Dr. Maheshowr Dhakal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation

• Anupam Rana, DSP Central Investigation Bureau, Nepal Police

• Susma Rana, Wildlife Crime Control Unit, Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation

• Santosh Mani Nepal, WWF Nepal

A video of the event and text summary of the event will be available shortly.