ABSTRACT
It is important to situate Nepal’s biodiversity conservation regarding protected area (PA) governance within environmental justice scholarship. By examining human–wildlife conflict (HWC) dynamics in the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (KTWR) – one of Nepal’s PAs – the chapter problematizes the notion of environmental justice. Analyzing the compensation models in relation to HWC, the chapter reveals how well-intentioned policies that fail to reflect the local political and socioeconomic realities cause invisible environmental injustice. Examining community perspectives on HWC-related compensation, the chapter highlights how communities contribute to biodiversity conservation despite facing unjust policies. The chapter concludes by making a call to recognize the community contributions to conservation efforts. Such a recognition reorients our perception about the legally framed monetary compensation model and helps us consider the community not as a threat but as a partner for biodiversity conservation.
