SIAS in collaboration with ForestAction (FA) and Swedish University of Agricultural Science (SLU) organized a half-day district-level workshop in Sindhupalchowk on 5th April 2022. The program was attended by a district level stakeholder including the representatives from Municipality, DFO, Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Veterinary Office, ward level representatives and a couple of impacted households. The main objective of the workshop was to explore the extent and type of wildlife damage, discuss about existing policy provisions and gather different perspective for the possible way out and policy suggestions. The workshop was facilitated by Dr. Bishnu Hari Poudyal from ForestAction.
Dr. Dilli P. Poudel from SIAS shared the objectives of the workshop. Subsequently, Mr. Bhakta Bahadur Shrestha, AFO of Sindhupalchowk district highlighted the extent, type and seriousness of the wildlife problem in the district. He also shared some of the constraints and complications on the existing policy provisions concerning wildlife related compensations. The farmers participants reported that the major problematic wild animals in case of crop’s damage are monkey, wild boar, deer, porcupine and (new) birds, and leopard in case of livestock’s damage. Both the community and other stakeholders realized that farmers are facing bureaucratic and procedural difficulties to get compensation of damages, so update in the existing policies is needed. Finally, participants suggested several possible options to resolve farmer-wildlife conflicts. For example, exporting of wildlife, culling wildlife population, hunting, wildlife farming, managing wildlife in mini-Zoo, training to monkey to chase away other monkeys, changing crop pattern. One participant also suggested including wildlife issues and possible way out in school curriculum.
The Deputy Mayor of Chautara Sangachowkgadhi Municipality thanked the organizer and shared that the local governments are aware on the issue and looking for the possible solution. She highlighted the municipality had allocated some funds to address this issue but could not spend the fund as they did not find possible solution to resolve the wildlife issues. She concluded the workshop by saying that the discussion of the workshop will somehow support in the policy development process in coming days.
