Reliability of National Data Sets: Evidence from a detailed Small Area Study in Rural Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Researchers often rely on Census data to provide us with information for local areas. In a study in rural Nepal we came across major discrepancies between the number of women with a child under the age of two as estimated from the national Census and the prevalence rate of this population in our local in-depth household survey. This Research Notes highlights why Census data might not be as reliable as one would hope. In summary, researchers using Census data in developing countries should include an element of quality control of the national dataset. We advise researchers to conduct a small survey from a random sample to provide an estimate of the likely population in the area under study

Financial Self-Help Associations among Far West Nepalese Labor Migrants in Delhi, India

Labor migration to India is the most important source of income for people in Far West Nepal. To better understand the effects of labor migration, a research analyzing why and how migrants invest their money in financial self-help organizations was undertaken. Fieldwork was conducted in the communities of origin in Nepal and migrant communities in India. Based on the study, the paper provides an overview of the existing financial self-help associations, their strengths and weaknesses, accessibility and possibilities of benefits and losses for the migrants and their families. The major conclusion is that migration helps to improve income or security but can also undermine a household's financial situation by perpetuating debt and dependency

Livelihood strategies and local perceptions of a new nature conservation project in Nepal

The recently established Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project (KCAP)—jointly managed by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF)—is based on the principles of the new participatory concept of nature conservation. The main objectives are to protect the unique environment of the Kanchenjunga region and to help local communities improve their standard of living. This study focuses on existing livelihood strategies and local institutions as well as on the local population's perception of the participatory approach. A theoretical consideration of the different concepts of nature and conservation is regarded as helpful in understanding locally observed processes. The results show wide diversification in the economic system that contributes to sustaining livelihood. Various local institutions have established governance over particular resources. With regard to the KCAP, it became obvious that nearly all interviewees had expectations that went far beyond the intended and economically feasible potential of the project. This is largely because they do not entirely comprehend the principal aim of “conservation.” On the other hand, most of the local people believe that conservation of nature is necessary in their region and that it is only possible through a joint effort made by everyone in the community

Die Erweiterung des Schweizerischen Nationalparks: der Planungsprozess 1995–2000, betrachtet aus partizipationstheoretischer Sicht

It seems to be increasingly recognised worldwide that the aims of nature conservation or of regional planning can only be achieved with adequate involvement of the concerned communities themselves. This article analyses the social processes during the proposed extension of the Swiss National Park between 1996 and 2000 from a participatory viewpoint. It is based on an analysis of relevant newspaper articles and in-depth interviews with representatives of involved stakeholders. Considering that participation is a very popular, yet contested term, we distinguish between normative (i.e., the aim is participation) and instrumental (i.e., the aim is to achieve predefined goals) participation, notions that supplement rather than exclude each other. While the local population rejected the majority of the proposed extensions of the Park, results show that this should not be perceived as a failure of the process. That the outcome was not perceived by local people to be satisfactory could be explained by the lack of awareness of the basic principles of participatory processes, like openness and transparency of planning, a sufficient timeframe, and independent mediation. These organisational shortcomings resulted in fundamental opposition from groups of local stakeholders and constrained the future development potential of the region

Forest and trees: changing perspectives on a natural resource in the Nepal Himalaya

In Nepal, state interventions, development projects and scientific investigations from different disciplines have always had a strong focus on forests. The article attempts to give a chronologically ordered overview of the changing perceptions of, and approaches to, forests and to identify the different important actors. The first section provides a historical account of state perceptions and interventions in Nepal under the Shah and Rana rules. The second, deals with the post-Rana period to the present and focuses mainly on the changing perception of forests in the field of science, given that state policy has become increasingly influenced by the international mainstream through development agencies, donors and research. Two opposing research approaches - the 'Theory of Himalayan Environmental Degradation' and its critical response, the 'Himalayan Dilemma' - are reviewed. Finally, new trends in forest-related perception and policy are examined. The overview of past and current forest-related perceptions and policies shows that forests are perceived and described from many different and contested points of view, which reflect the particular experience, culture, values, political and economic interests, scientific approach and abilities of the observer

Heilige institutionen? Regelungen von Nutzungsansprüchen an Ressourcen von Nationalparks

Naturschutzgebiete bergen eine Vielzahl von Ressourcen, deren Nutzung von verschiedenen Akteuren angestrebt wird. In diesen «Handlungsarenen» laufen nahezu idealtypisch Prozesse ab, die durch ein breites Spektrum institutioneller Regelungen beeinflusst werden, die zwischen lokaler und internationaler Ebene angesiedelt sind. Eines scheint Konflikte um institutionelle Regelungen in und um Schutzgebiete grundsätzlich zu kennzeichnen: Der wie auch immer geartete Schutz von «Natur» wird als Zielvorstellung immer allen anderen Zielen übergeordnet. Der Naturschutz kann somit zu einer unantastbaren «heiligen Institution» werden, die nicht in Frage gestellt werden darf. Die in einem Schutzgebiet gesehenen Werte kann man in «direkte», «indirekte» und «optionale» Nutzwerte unterteilen. Die Perzeption und Gewichtung dieser Werte ist bei den beteiligten Akteursgruppen oft recht verschieden. Anhand zweier Beispiele aus Malaysia und Nepal kann gezeigt werden, dass die institutionellen Regelungen des internationalen Naturschutzes durchaus eine gewisse «Heiligkeit» beanspruchen, indem sie sich als mächtigster Anspruch meist durchsetzen, auch wenn sie dem spezifischen Kontext eines Parks angepasst werden

New figures for old stories: migration and remittances in Nepal

Labour migration and remittances are major economic mainstays for Nepal’s economy. However, there is still insufficient documentation on scale and significance of this process. Estimations of migration figures suggest that real numbers are several times higher than official statistics show. Therefore this article contributes to the emerging debate of the last years comparing latest national statistics with own empirical data. The paper concludes that the total numbers of migrants calculated by the authors closely corresponds with official statistics, while amount of remittances seems to be higher indeed, highlighting once more that labour migration and remittances are an important mainstay of Nepal’s economy