Tiger Landscape: Terai Arc
Children gathering firewood in the buffer zone that surrounds Royal Bardia National Park, Nepal. Firewood is the main source of fuel in the area. The wood can only be collected from designated forests that under the control of the Community Forestry Coordination Committee (CFCC). The committees were set up with the help of WWF in order to allow communities to manage their surrounding forests in a more sustainable way.
Countries
India, NepalTiger subspecies
Bengal tigerOther priority species
Asian elephantClouded leopard
Greater one-horned rhinoceros
Priority place
HimalayasEcological region
Terai-Duar savannas and grasslandsA diverse array of hoofed mammals supports the tiger populations in this area shared by India and Nepal – a landscape where elephant grass reaches 7 metres by the end of the monsoons.
WWF is working with various partners in the Terai Arc to strengthen anti-poaching efforts, reduce threats to the natural habitat, reduce conflict between tigers and people, and monitor tiger populations.
Examples of this work include:
WWF is working with various partners in the Terai Arc to strengthen anti-poaching efforts, reduce threats to the natural habitat, reduce conflict between tigers and people, and monitor tiger populations.
Examples of this work include:
- Supporting community forest user groups
In Nepal, we have very successful partnerships with community user groups that take responsibility for patrolling and protecting their forests. WWF-India is working with Joint Forest Management Committees in critical corridors around Corbett Tiger Reserve, providing training on monitoring wildlife movement in the corridors as well on controlling wildlife crime.
- Developing alternative livelihoods
In both India and Nepal, WWF's livelihoods programs have helped thousands of rural poor to improve their lives in sustainable ways, and generated tremendous support for conservation.
- Reducing human-tiger conflict
WWF-India in collaboration with the Corbett Foundation is successfully running an interim cattle compensation scheme around Corbett Tiger Reserve. This compensates a villager immediately after her or his cattle is killed by a tiger or leopard. This has reduced the retaliatory killing of big cats in the region to almost nil in recent years. WWF also provides ex-gratia to persons injured or killed by tigers in and around Dudhwa Tiger Reserve to prevent retaliatory killing.
- Land-use planning
The long-term aim is to secure a well-connected habitat for the whole landscape, with core protected areas connected by corridors.
On the Indian side, for example, efforts have been started to secure two corridors – Lagga Bagga and Rajaji-Corbett – which will allow tigers to live, breed and disperse in a larger area. Already some of the restored habitats are showing signs of use by tigers for breeding.
- Stopping the tiger trade
In Nepal and India, we are working to halt tiger trade across borders by developing informer networks and working with law enforcement agencies.
Related links
- Himalayas - a WWF priority place
- More on tigers
- More on WWF's Terai Arc Project
- WWF-India website
- WWF-Nepal website
Ram Swarup (54) and grandaughter Pashupati Choudhary (14), weeding a crop of mint (Mentha arbensis). WWF's Terai Arc Landscape program introduced the idea of mentha farming in order to reduce human/wildlife conflict and to increase a farmer's income through greater profit margins and allowing them to grow crops during the off season. Lamahai, western Terai, Nepal.
Contact us
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WWF India,
Secretariat172 B Lodhi Estate New Delhi 110003
India
+91 11 4150 4815
+91 11 2469 1226 -
WWF Nepal Programme Office
Baluwatar Kathmandu Post Box 7660 Kathmandu
Nepal
+977 1 4434820
+977 1 4438458
