Study Warns Nepal’s Conservation Policies Prioritise Infrastructure Over Communities
Kathmandu: A new international study has raised concerns that Nepal’s conservation policies increasingly favour large-scale infrastructure projects, such as hydropower, while neglecting the social and economic costs borne by local communities.
Published in the journal Earth System Governance, the research analysed 111 laws and policies governing Nepal’s Protected Areas (PAs) and interviewed 19 experts. The study highlights a growing gap between legal frameworks and on-ground realities, with recent measures like the PA land-for-infrastructure procedure and the Supreme Court’s approval of the Langtang Khola hydropower project reflecting a tilt towards commercial interests.
While national policies emphasise “ecosystem services,” the study notes that “ecosystem disservices” — including crop damage, livestock predation, fire risks, and restrictions on traditional livelihoods — remain largely unaddressed. Tiger conservation, despite tripling Nepal’s tiger population, has also resulted in significant human costs, with 36 people killed in Bardiya National Park over the past five years.
Lead researcher Daya Raj Subedi said, “Protected area laws recognise conflict but miss the wider costs communities face. Integrating both benefits and burdens into planning is essential to deliver real societal gains, not just ecological ones.”
The study urges the government to establish a National Ecosystem Accounting System and revise PA laws to address community risks and provide compensation. Researchers emphasise that balancing infrastructure development with social justice is crucial to protect the communities who are the true stewards of Nepal’s biodiversity.
