Prospect and implications of other effective area-based conservation measures in indigenous Chepang landscape in Nepal

The stakeholders should be clearly informed and meaningfully engaged with the OECM framework before implementation

Originally published on Global Voices

Nepal has been a signatory to the United Nations’ Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) since 1993. At present, protected areas cover 23.39 percent of the country’s total land area. In 2022, COP15 — the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) — adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). This framework calls for the protection of at least 30 percent of the earth’s surface by 2030, and focuses on areas that are effectively conserved and managed, including territories governed by Indigenous people and local communities.

In line with the framework, Nepal has also identified additional areas as Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs). The Ministry of Forest and Environment has categorized 58 potential OECMs sites, proposed by stakeholders through a series of multi-stakeholder consultation workshops held during the guideline formulation process. OECMs were formally defined at the CBD’s 14th Conference of the Parties (COP) held in 2018 as geographically defined areas, other than protected areas, that are governed and managed in ways that achieve positive and sustained long-term outcomes for the in-situ conservation of biodiversity. These areas may also support ecosystem functions and services, as well as cultural, spiritual, socio–economic, and other locally relevant values.

One such area is inhabited by the Indigenous Chepang Community. These forests are managed as community forests by the Chepang, who contribute directly to conservation through their reliance on natural and forest resources, traditional agricultural practices, and coexistence with wildlife. The landscape's diverse ecosystems, ranging from tropical forests to grasslands, contribute to regional climate regulation and watershed protection.

As an OECM site, it provides essential habitat connectivity for wildlife movement, particularly for species such as tigers, leopards, and Asian elephants. This designation helps maintain ecological integrity across fragmented habitats, supporting both resident and migratory species.

Nepal’s recognition of the Indigenous Chepang Community lands as an Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measure (OECM) reflects the country’s commitment to meeting international biodiversity targets, particularly the goal of protecting 30 percent of land and sea areas by 2030. This article examines the implications of this designation, assessing its effectiveness and relevance for the Chepang Community in Nepal following the declaration of the Chepang Landscape as an OECM.

Chepang community management

According to Nepal’s 2021 national census, the Chepang population stands at over 84,3oo. The Chepang are classified as a highly marginalized Indigenous community in Nepal, based on different socioeconomic indicators, such as access to education, health care services, basic infrastructure, and other essentials for daily living. The majority of Chepang communities are found to be living in four districts: Chitwan, Makawanpur, Gorkha, and Dhading in Nepal.

Chepang settlements are located in areas full of forest biodiversity, including a wide variety of wild fruits, vegetables, and medicinal herbs that contribute significantly to the community’s food security. Local Chepangs engaged in subsistence agriculture on forest land have maintained diverse traditional crops alongside forest resources, reinforcing the area’s ecological richness.

The Indigenous Chepang Community of Nepal manages an estimated forest area of 300 hectares (ha) stretching over six hills (locally called the Danda), including Gari, Sukring, Bhote Khoriya, Syaulo Chuli, Devi, Biwa Khola, Hapani, and Ruwali hills. These forests are collectively conserved by 103 Chepang households. The landscape is bordered by two small rivers, the Asha Khola to the south and Riddi Khola to the north.

Within these forests, there are patches that are considered sacred, while certain others are strictly protected from any form of use. For example, a common belief associated with the Syaulochuli hill forest is that the Ban Jhankri (forest shaman) dwells here, and he harms those who access resources from this part of the forest.

The Chepang have long maintained a close relationship with nature, as well as with their land, territories, and waters, helping to sustain some of the area’s remaining biodiversity. The locals largely depend on subsistence farming; however, many Chepang households still lack secure access to their own land.

The experiences of the Chepang community reflect broader tensions between state-led conservation initiatives and the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Traditional conservation measures have often been coercive, and recent reports point to the continued use of exclusionary models that are strictly enforced. These models have displaced Indigenous peoples and local communities from their homelands, restricted access to ancestral lands and natural resources, and, in some cases, led to human rights violations. Such practices also create socio-economic pressures that threaten the continuity of traditional knowledge, cultural practices, and livelihoods. Conventional protected area models, in particular, often exclude Indigenous peoples from decision-making processes and deny them meaningful access to traditional lands and resources.

The Chepang Landscape has been proposed by the Government of Nepal as an Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measure (OECM) and is currently under review and discussion. The landscape covers a total area of 13,479 hectares across three districts: Makawanpur, Chitwan, and Dhading. Governance and management responsibilities are shared between the Community Forest Users Group (CFUG) and the Divisional Forest Office (DFO).

Implications of OECM to Chepangs

The Chepang people have lived in this landscape for generations. Their traditional ecological knowledge and sustainable resource management practices align well with the principles of OECMs, which recognize the conservation value of areas managed by Indigenous and local communities. Effective conservation can occur outside formal protected areas through community stewardship.

Chepang livelihoods and traditions are deeply intertwined with their land, territories, and natural resources. One of the direct implications for the Chepang community relates to impacts on the agro-ecological landscape. The Chepang landscape functions as a critical biodiversity corridor connecting several protected areas in central Nepal, including Chitwan National Park and surrounding forests.

The designation may also raise concerns about Indigenous land rights. Many Indigenous People living in this area do not hold formal “land ownership certificates,” and there is often no clear demarcation between the shifting cultivation (Khoriya system) area and community forests. In this context, OECM implementation must be approached with care to ensure that it does not weaken Indigenous land claims or restrict community access to the natural resources on which their livelihoods depend.

At the same time, OECM status may create opportunities for sustainable financing mechanisms, including payments for ecosystem services, carbon credits, and community-based ecotourism development. However, experts argue such initiatives must be designed to ensure equitable benefit-sharing with local communities, particularly the Chepang people, who have historically faced economic marginalization.

The local Chepangs also collect a variety of wild medicinal herbs from the forest, such as wild climbers (Burjo and Gurjo lahara), as well as wild yam (Ban tarul), wild fruits such as chutrey and kale gedi, and other edible non-timber forest products. The forests also harbor a rich diversity of bird species. Linking these traditional practices to viable economic outputs could help secure sustainable livelihoods while supporting the continuation of their traditional knowledge.

There is a concern that the OECM designation could lead to bans on certain traditional practices,  including hunting, which may limit resources and create stress and uncertainty within the community. For example, hunting bats is one of the traditional practices of the Chepang community during the Chiuri tree harvest month. If OECMs are governed primarily through state-led structures, they may impose restrictions similar to those found in conventional protected areas.

It is therefore essential that community members, representative of the Chepang community, the Nepal Chepang Association, and associated civil society and community-based organizations are clearly informed and meaningfully engaged with the OECM framework before it is fully implemented. The enforcement of regulations by external governing bodies, without adequate consultation and consent, may lead to conflicts over land rights, resource access, and the continuation of spiritual and cultural practices, ultimately disrupting the symbiotic relationship between indigenous peoples and their environment.

OECMs are often perceived to be synonymous with protected areas, but there are key differences. There are still concerns due to the historical legacy of protected area formation, which has frequently involved the exclusion of communities and restrictions on their rights to access natural resources.

The failure to meaningfully engage Indigenous Peoples in planning, implementation, and locally-led monitoring has led to conservation projects that disrupt traditional livelihoods, generate conflict, and sometimes even displace entire communities. These outcomes are not isolated incidents; rather, they reflect conservation models that impose one-size-fits-all strategies, often rooted in colonial legacies, without considering the distinct cultural, political, and ecological realities of Indigenous communities.