Suman Bhattarai
Rhino Conservation through Livelihood Enhancement, Poor’s Education and Awareness Creation by Mobilizing Youth and Community Based Organization
Mother rhino with calf in Chitwan National Park.
Plantation in Community Wasteland.
Women are singing and dancing in their own culture.
Team member is rewarding the winner.
Growing pigs at farmer house.
T-Shirt with rhino conservation message.
| Town/Region | Country | Categories | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chitwan National Park | Nepal | Asia, Community, Conflict, Education, Habitat, Mammals | 23 Sep 2008 |
"Rhinoceros unicornis", (Greater Asian Rhino), threatened with extinction (CITES / Appendix-1) and endangered (IUCN / Red-list) species, is the main sensitive fauna of Chitwan National Park. Population status is in verge of extinction worldwide whereas Chitwan is ultimate habitat in Nepal (HMGN-2006). Poor people are deforesting its habitat for subsistence and income generation, involving in poaching for money, unable to afford children’s schooling and less aware about ecosystem/ecology.
At present, huge loss on population is getting slow / nominal recovery in Chitwan but bunch of threats are still alive, like; poor-awareness, illiteracy, poverty, poaching, habitat-loss etc. that may cause sever loss in population number in any-time. So, this project undertook livelihood, poor’s education and awareness concept.
This concept is learning of previous project (Awareness creating and knowledge imparting) so that project has basically focused areas of; capacity-building for conservation actions, creating awareness, educating poor’s and developing conservation based income generating activities (IGAs) trainings to enhance livelihood of rural poor and marginalized groups for conserving rhino and restoring habitat.
Community participation will be encouraged in each activities and special attention given to marginalized rural poor, youth and students and also mobilize community based organizations on conservation awareness programmes.
Communities of Bufferzone areas will be strengthened on conservation oriented IGAs trainings like; Fishery, Bee-Keeping and Home-Gardening to enhance livelihood of poor and discourage destruction based IGAs.
Project will support poor children for their schooling, carryout non-formal education about environment and biodiversity conservation. It will emphasize to educate people and promote their understanding level. Fuel-wood Plantation and biogas concept will be disseminated to reduce pressure on habitat. Awareness activities will be conducted to discourage poaching and other illegal-operation through youth, student’s mobilization and community participation
Local radio program and website creation helps to share information locally and worldwide. Community Based Organization and local clubs oriented activities help to sustain conservation activities. Student and local teacher oriented program is fruitful to share ideas to future generation for long last.
Assumption; these project activities will assure community ownership towards rhino conservation and their community development and attract more other allied agencies to replicate such project throughout buffer-zone for long term conservation.
Read about Suman's previous project at http://www.ruffordsmallgrants.org/rsg/projects/suman_bhattarai or for more information contact sumancha004@yahoo.com or go to www.rhinonepal.org