Attitudes Towards Conservation in the Sagarmatha and Makalu-Barun National Park, Nepal

Rural alpine communities in Nepal and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation both face the challenge of balancing economic needs with conservation and environmental goals. Both Sagarmatha National Park and Makalu-Barun National Park in northeast Nepal are popular tourist destinations, and the tourism economy is both vital to local communities and residents of the parks, and also can be detrimental to conservation and environmental goals of the parks. This research set out to assess the concerns of residents of both protected areas and to compare the concerns of residents between three major valleys, Hinku, Gokyo, and Khumbu. This research conducted 63 interviews with residents from these valleys and found that overall, their concerns and opinions did not vary by valley, and that the majority of participants understood the need for tourism as well as the need for conservation. This study shows that community-based conservation strategies in the Sagarmatha and Makalu-Braun National Park are viewed mostly positive by residents, and that park management and future conservation policy and action should continue to address the concerns of the residents, primarily resident's perceived importance of the tourism industry and the importance of community-based organizations.