Abstract

Use of GIS for Better Protected Area Buffer Zone Management
Track: Environmental Management
Authors: Bhuwan Dhakal

Integrity of protected area buffer zone is in question because of its failure to fulfill the dual need of protecting the core zone and fulfilling the demand of people living in the periphery. This paper, based on the study carried out in Kolhuwa buffer zone VDC of Chitwan National Park, tries to describe how GIS could be applied for differentiating the priorities within buffer zone, so that effective program can be launched within different zone. It was found that buffer zone concept can only be successful if the priorities within the zone can be differentiated in such a way that communities living within the proximities of national park can be given more incentives than those living in the remote areas. The study had found that 42.78% of the fuelwood extraction was from the national park in which more than 75% households extracting the fuelwood were within 750m from National park.