Wetland Resources and the Livelihood of Local Communities:A Situation Analysis of Kusaha Area in Koshi Tappu

Abstract

The present studywas conducted in order to find out the available wetlandresources and to have the economic status of the local ethnic communitieswhose livelihood sustains from the wetland products. It especially covered thewetland dependent people, living at the area of one hour walking distancefrom the wetland sites. The main objective of the study was to measure thedependency on the wetland products. A set of questionnaire was made to get the desired information related to thelivelihood situation and further information was obtained through theobservation made of the local communities in the study area. The research identified the local community people, i.e. Bantar, Sardar,Jhangad, Mallah were living in a miserable condition. These people aresocially and culturally neglected people of the area. They are identified asuntouchable in their surroundings. But the Yadav community was found to besuperior socially culturally and economically. The preliminary socioeconomic survey carried out in the study area showedhigh level of dependency on the wetlands for food, fodder, fuel and so forth.All the surveyed households were found to depend on the wetland productsdirectly or indirectly. The Bantar had their traditional occupation of weavingmat which possesses a huge market in the urban areas. The productmaterials can be supplied to markets and the workers may get benefits fromit. The traditional way of fishing in the Mallah community still exists, but theywere feeling hard to maintain their livelihood through fishing. That iswhy afocus on the livelihood situation of these people, who are truly a stakeholderof wetland conservation, is most needed. The household survey showed that an encouraging percent (81.69) of therespondents expressed favorable attitude towards the management ofwetlands. The study had recoded 31 species of locally available fish and 22plant species. In the reserve areaMicania micaranthaplants species hadcovered the wide area. Most of the respondents had land below 5 Kattha andtheir agricultural production cannot support more than 5 months. One of themain causes of not supporting the agricultural production was due to thegrazing of wild animals in their agricultural land. The educational attainment inthe surveyed households was below SLC level. The wild animals likeBubalusarnee,wild boar and sometimes wild elephant harass them by eating theagricultural product. Because of these wild animals they usually guard theiragricultural field in the night time also.