After restoration - Kamalpur VDC.

This conservation project initiates waterholes conservation beyond boundary of protected areas for wildlife habitat management. Basically this project does not focus a particular species related works rather it focuses ecosystem level conservation. However, the project, through restoration of waterholes, contributes in habitat conservation of tiger and its prey species for long term.

This project will be carried out in two community forests located in Churia region of Saptari district of Eastern Nepal. Churia landscape of Nepal, which covers 13.6 percent of country land and maintains 75.7 percent forest land, is rich in faunal diversity and includes a wide variety of primates, carnivores, ungulates, elephants, rodents, birds, reptiles and fishes. Governments' conservation efforts of waterhole protection are basically confined to protected areas rather than that in community forests of Churia landscapes. On the other hand, waterholes are crucial for wildlife in dry ecosystems of protected areas as well as of community forests in Churia region of Nepal. Both local people and wildlife depend on waterholes; former for fishing and later for drinking water. But without appropriate mechanism natural waterholes are vanishing day by day in community forests of Churia landscape.

The overall aim of this project is to contribute for natural waterhole conservation in community forests of Churia landscape through waterhole restoration and awareness raising activities among local youths and students. Project will be implemented with theoretical and field-based activities with active involvement of local community. Local level activities include spatial distribution map preparation of waterholes, restoration of waterholes; conservation awareness program, preparation of waterhole conservation action plan; and dissemination of community's conservation efforts.

This project contributes in participatory restoration of natural waterholes. Community forest user groups, local youths, school students, school teachers and community based organization (CBOs) will be empowered and motivated for restoration of waterholes through conservation awareness coaching and exposure field visit to natural waterholes. Through this proposed project, a community management system will be established for regular monitoring of waterholes in their forests. The proposed project will build up the capacity of community in restoring the waterholes and will be handed over to community itself for their conservation, management and sustainable use of waterholes.