Nepal – rethinking conservation strategy in times of conflict

This briefing reports on a November 2004 workshop organized by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) during the 3rd World Conservation Congress in Bangkok. The session focused on the challenges facing conservation efforts in Nepal due to the ongoing conflict between the government and Maoist rebels, drawing on global strategies to sustain environmental protection during armed conflict.

• Nepal has a strong history of environmental protection, with national parks and protected areas covering 18% of the country's land area.
• The conflict between the Nepali government and Maoist rebels, spanning nine years, has resulted in over 10,000 deaths and the displacement of between 200,000 and 400,000 people.
• The Maoist insurgency has created significant obstacles for conservation organizations, including threats to staff, damage to infrastructure, and constraints on program implementation.
• Environmental damage in Nepal is not uniform across the country, and the full extent of the impact is expected to remain unknown until the conflict ends. Most negative impacts are categorized as opportunistic or driven by localized resource needs resulting from a lack of security.
• To maintain legitimacy and effectiveness during conflict, conservation organizations are encouraged to use contingency planning, ensure transparent operations, engage local communities in protected area management—including training locals to manage areas where security has failed—and align management with poverty reduction goals.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2004). Nepal – rethinking conservation strategy in times of conflict. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/security_nepal_conservation.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Nepal – rethinking conservation strategy in times of conflict. 2004. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/security_nepal_conservation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Nepal – rethinking conservation strategy in times of conflict |date=November 2004 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/security_nepal_conservation.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2004nepal, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Nepal – rethinking conservation strategy in times of conflict}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2004}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/security_nepal_conservation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }