TY  - SER
AU  - Bhattarai,Asmita
AU  - Shrestha,Rajendra Prasad
AU  - Tsusaka,Takuji W.
AU  - Yaseen,Muhammad
ED  - AIT Scholarship,
TI  - Assessing wildlife-induced challenges in livelihoods and natural resource management: a case study of Pokhara, Nepal
T2  - Thesis
PY  - 2025///
CY  - Pathum Thani
PB  - Asian Institute of Technology
KW  - Wildlife management
KW  - Nepal
KW  - Human-animal relationships
KW  - Natural resources
KW  - Thailand
KW  - Management
N1  - A thesis submitted in patial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Natural Resources Management; Thesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2025
N2  - Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is a growing issue where human settlements and wildlife  habitats overlap, leading to economic loss, safety risks, property damage, and conservation  challenges. While much global literature emphasizes large mammal conflicts, less attention has  been given to primate-related conflicts, an emerging concern in South Asia. In Nepal{u2019}s Pokhara  region, rising encounters with Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), Assamese macaques  (Macaca assamensis), and Himalayan Gray langurs (Semnopithecus schistaceus) have  intensified, impacting both livelihoods and local resource management. This study used a  mixed-method approach. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with community  leaders, a forest officer, a ward chairperson, and a zoology expert, alongside focus group  discussions with residents. Quantitative data were gathered by surveying 200 households to  assess monkey-related conflicts' frequency, severity, and socio-economic impact. The data  analysis incorporated both qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative data were analysed  using thematic analysis to extract key patterns and recurring themes. Quantitative data were  examined using descriptive statistics, the Weighted Average Index (WAI) method, chi-square  tests, Spearman's rank correlation, H-test, and regression analyses. Findings revealed that  Rhesus macaques accounted for 96.5% of incidents, Himalayan Gray langurs (47.0%) and  Assamese macaques (23.0%). Over half (58.0%) reported daily encounters, with conflict  intensity peaking in June. Impacts included crop damage, financial loss, stress, anxiety, and  fear of zoonotic diseases. Nearly 48% had abandoned land or crops, while 43.5% adjusted  planting schedules to cope. 39.5% of respondents rated slingshots, stones, and loud sounds as  "extremely effective" mitigation methods, whereas physical barriers were largely ineffective.  Community preferences favoured monkey population control (31.5%) and planting fruit trees  in forests (29.5%) to divert primates from farms. The study concludes that forest-adjacent  communities face the worst impacts, and current interventions are insufficient. Policy  recommendations include structured monkey population management, insurance support for  affected farmers, and community-based conservation initiatives, aligning with local adaptive  behaviours and promoting sustainable human-wildlife coexistence.
UR  - http://203.159.5.9/ait-thesis/detail.php?q=B22436
ER  -