Banke National park

Banke National Park_Trilochan
Abstract:
Nepal is endowed with a rich biodiversity as it lies in the cross road of the six floristic reasons and two biographical realms (Bhuju, et. al. 2007, p.17). The conservation stats to take in place historically and individually by the different rulers but the modern forms of protection and conservation has been started with the declaration of Chitwan as a first National Park of Nepal in 1973. Now the total area covered by the national park is more than 23.23% as the Banke and Appi Namba are added recently to the list. The illegal poaching and trading and park people conflict are the major challenges to the national park. The declaration of National Park has helped the landscape management plant of the government and the transboundry conservation of the biodiversity. There is still a big debate that if the uncertainty and threats to the biodiversity remains then what about the declaration of national park and protected areas? So the implementation of the policies and strategies is the major recommendation and quick management for the security is the essence.








BANKE NATIONAL PARK
Introduction
As different theories has supported that protected areas are the most effective means for the conservation of bio-diversity in situ and for the conservation of the tiger. The Department of National Park and Wild Life Conservation has estimated that the idea will be helpful to support breeding tigers aiding to achieving the Nepal's goal to increase tiger population to 250 adult tigers by 2022. This National Park occupying the core area of 550 km2 and Buffer Zone of 343 km2 in Mid Western Region of Nepal adjacent to the existing Bardia National Park. The BNP Buffer Zone falls in seven VDCs of Banke, one VDC of Bardiya, three VDCs of Dang, and three VDCs of Salyan districts. The added advantage of this National park is the contiguous to Bardia National Park and connected with the extended 180 km2 bufferzone of Bardia National Park from the northern side.
This is the newest national park declared by the government as per the decision taken by the Cabinet meeting held at the Everest Base Camp in December 2009 as the news published in the Himalayan Times news.








Issues and of Challenges of biodiversity conservation
In Nepal national park is declared under the conservation Act 1973.The act stated that no person can carry out the hunting, occupy, occupy and graze inside the national park. It is fully protected with the warden and the army staffs are handed over for the security system of the national park.
But document of Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation stated that Habitat loss and fragmentation, invasion by introduced species, depletion of natural resources, poaching and illegal wildlife trade, pollution of water and air the prominent threats contributing to far reaching ecological and economic implications.
It has been strongly argued that during the declaration of the Banke National Park the government doesn’t consult with the local people as a result of which local people and community forest user groups. Due to which in future the further park people conflict may arise. According to FUCOFUN around 15000 members of the community forest user groups are affected by the decision.
Illegal collection of timber and other forest products, stealing woods, over-grazing, forest fire including poaching of wild animal are some of the well known challenges in the National parks of Nepal. The statement from the warden Mr. Tulsi Ram Sharma is that “We are in dire straits. We need urgent support from the army and officials to protect the forest area,” (as cited in Himalayan Times) a couple of months have passed after the declaration of National Park.

 

Banke National park and Tal project
Landscape management:
Under this landscape management there are two dimensions; first connect the national forest with the corridor and the second is to connect the transboundry forest so that the wild animals or biodiversity would get a big habitat, get more food, and ultimately would led to the increase in the number of species.
In Nepal TAL and WTLCP (western terai landscape complex project) are the two projects on the terai region working on landscape management and transboundry conservation. The declaration of Banke national park has linked the Banke and Bardia and provided the big habitat for tiger and black buck conservation (shrestha) and helped for the transboundry conservation and landscape management in Nepal.


Through this we can say that conservation of biodiversity cannot be absolute rather it’s a dynamic process. The conservation strategy in the past is changing in the course of time as the new problem arises along with it. As for example, in the past there was no buffer zone system but as the peoples’ demand and population increases the buffer zone came into existence and again there comes the issure of revenue income and government has decided to provide up to50% of the income to the people. Thus, the conservation started with the personal interest in Nepal but now we are thinking about the landscape and transboundry conservation.
Conservation critique:
It is a big question to the conservationist and other stake holders that what the meaning of conservation if there remains the threat to the biodiversity. As Nepal biodiversity strategy has stated the following,
Low level of public awareness
High population pressure and prevailing poverty
Weak institutional, administrative, planning and management capacity
Lack of integrated land and water use planning
Inadequate data and information management and
Inadequate policies and strategies of biodiversity conservation
Conclusion and recommendation
In conclusion we can say that conservation of biodiversity is a dynamic process and the implementation of the strategies plays a vital role in this part. The responsibility of the government bodies doesn’t end after the declaration of national park. It is still there responsibility to manage a security, to make policies to participate with people, to discourage the illegal poaching and trade and finally to encourage for the implementation of plans and policies at local level.
Thus in case of Banke national park the government must maintain the security personnel and quickly release the management plan of Banke national park. Otherwise the target to achieve the 250 adult tiger within2022 is in threat.