Livelihood security and tiger conservation: Ever the twain shall meet? Experiences from South Asia

The session will focus on the varying dimensions of vulnerabilities of resources dependent local communities in the landscapes harboring the iconic species such as the tiger. The human dominated landscapes, of South Asia are... [ view full abstract ]

The session will focus on the varying dimensions of vulnerabilities of resources dependent local communities in the landscapes harboring the iconic species such as the tiger. The human dominated landscapes, of South Asia are also the home to a rich biodiversity. The state in such areas has taken up the initiative to conserve this biodiversity through the declaration of Protected Areas and Tiger reserves, wherein human activity is often severely restrict. While conservation of such areas has a multitude of benefits for the larger community in terms of the ecosystem services provided, the cultural and aesthetic values, they become a challenge to meet the day-to-day requirements of local people who live in their immediate borderlands. The management solutions for addressing the resultant conflict are often inadequate and misdirected as often they lack the experience and the skills to address these issues. The lack of collaboration among development agencies and lack of livelihood opportunities in the larger landscape compound the problems and result in increased social, economic and ecological vulnerabilities of local people. The situation is further complicated by human Tiger conflicts, issues of access and benefit sharing (where permissible), lack of awareness and direct involvement of local communities in the conservation and an imbalance in sharing the benefits of tiger tourism, resulting in a lose-lose situation for both the local people and conservation efforts. There are several examples across the region that have successfully been able to link conservation efforts and local livelihoods at the Protected Area level, by encouraging local community support for activities that support the park’s conservation objectives. Such models need to be up-scaled and replicated through exchange of experiences and ideas and policy reforms and institutionalization. The session will comprise of three segments, first segment will include panel discussion with four to five expert panelists (30 min). The second session will include the simulated activities (30 min) wherein the participants will get a hands-on experience on one or two issues related to community livelihoods and tiger conservation. These two segments will be followed by open discussion (30 minutes).