Recent intensified human pressure on Narayani River resources - like illegal fishing, sand mining and stone quarrying lead to threaten gharial populations in the wild state. Launching conservation education and awareness programs, capacity building, piloting alternative livelihood approaches e.g. construction of a community fish pond for fish rearing to the targeted communities and other capacity building activities - like providing scholarship for schooling, fishery and livestock development trainings will be effective means for reducing human pressure on gharial habitats. This project will also try to strengthen positive relations between local villagers, park managers, and of course, the gharial and thereby introducing community-based conservation model there in the ground with supporting the justification of - "community based conservation approach has no other alternatives for continued existence of these flagship species".

Dol Raj Thanet

Tribal Society for Biodiversity Conservation

Community-based gharial conservation initiative in the Narayani River of Chitwan National Park

Location: Chitwan National Park

Species: Gharial