Community Development for Bote in Chitwan National Park, Nepal: A Political Ecology of Development Logic of Erasure

The conflict between development and conservation concerns is a perennial topic in sustainable development, especially significant for marginalized social groups. In Nepal, fortress protected areas (PA) gave way to community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) narrative of inclusion participation so-called buffer zone (BZ) initiatives around national parks. Studies date show mixed outcomes the model communities, traditional indigenous river forest dwellers. Academic government reports successes failures projects Nepal assume progress based on livelihood practices being abandoned state modernization parks reserves. Thus, despite promises participation, evidence shows de facto continuation thinking erasure customary knowledge livelihoods. Based an ethnographic inquiry informed by political ecology conducted two villages Bote IPs (in area) Nawalparasi District Chitwan National Park (CNP), we describe how interventions regulations under guise actively ignore moral riverine livelihoods while pursuing project. Echoing calls other scholars stakeholders, argue that new approach respects environmental ethics long overdue Nepal.