Community Development for Bote in Chitwan National Park, Nepal: A Political Ecology of Development Logic of Erasure

Despite the shift from fortress conservation to community-based development in Nepal's protected areas, traditional indigenous livelihoods and knowledge of marginalized groups, such as the Bote people in Chitwan National Park, continue to be erased under state modernization initiatives. An ethnographic study in two buffer zone villages revealed that while community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) promises inclusion, it often perpetuates exclusionary practices, ignoring customary environmental ethics and livelihoods. The research, grounded in political ecology, highlights the need for a conservation approach that respects traditional knowledge and values, challenging the prevailing logic of development in Nepal's protected areas.

Rai, I. M., Melles, G., & Gautam, S. (2023). Community Development for Bote in Chitwan National Park, Nepal: A Political Ecology of Development Logic of Erasure. Sustainability, 15(3), 2834. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032834