Welcome to Mrigakunja Bufferzone User Committee
After the fourth amendment of the National Park and Wild Animal Conservation Act of 2029 was passed in 2048 (Nepali Year) many groups were formed such as the Bufferzone Area Management Committee and their User Committees. They became active after a set of rules were passed by the Nepalese government in 2052 (Nepali Year) and the registration of the Bufferzone area in Chitwan National Park (CNP) was fully approved. Chitwan is the first National Park in Nepal to declare a surrounding Bufferzone Area, with its sole purpose being to support local communities and wildlife conservation. They invest 30-50% of the income from the National Park's revenue in the development of its local surroundings and teach local people about the importance of conservation. Mrigakunja Bufferzone User Committee is one of the 21 user Committees and 1 sub-committee situated in the Buffer Zone of Chitwan National Park. It covers 1,5,6,7,8 and 9 of Ratnanagar Municipality. To make the practices of the Bufferzone User Committee more effective, the Nepali Government legally manages the spending conditions of the User Committee in their community development conservation programme.
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Chitwan National Park is the third most popular tourist destination in Nepal, and Sauraha village, the main tourist quarters and entrance to Chitwan National Park, is located in the heart of the Mrigakunja Bufferzone. Local tourism provides a steady source of income for the area, and plays a vital role to involve the local community in the sustainable conservation of such a protected area. Bufferzone Area Management laws were introduced in 2052 (Nepali Year), and state that 30-50% of the Park’s annual revenue is allocated to the Bufferzone User Groups. This is used for local area development and construction. Management guidelines were published in 2056, and these show how the received annual park’s revenue has to be distributed. They state that 30% is to be spent on community development, 30% on conservation activities, 20% on internal income and skill development, 10% conservation education and 10% on administrative expenditure. This means that on top of the income generated from Chitwan National Park we are also able to invest 20% within the Bufferzone, to act as a further source of income.User groups have been established in each and every village community, to effectively distribute the income using a democratic approach. Money is spent on various community developments, construction activities, and conservation awareness programmes that are open to discussion at general meetings. |
Information of Mrigakunja Bufferzone User Committee
| Address: Ratnanagar Muncipality Napa-6, Chitwan | No. of Committee Members: 13 |
| District: Chitwan | Number of consumer user groups: 133A) Women: 65B) Men: 61C) Mixed: 7 |
| State: Bagmati | Number of households: 3565 |
| Registration No. : 13 - 2059 - 060 (Ch.R.N.) | Population: 17533A) Male: 8,889B) Women: 8644 |
| Date of registration: 14th of Chaitra, 2059 | Number of Bufferzone Community Forests: 5 |
| Wards covered: 1,5,6,7,8 and 9 (6 wards) | Number of Bufferzone Conserving Forests: 1 |
| Area covered: 3332 hectares (33.32 sq. Km.) | |
| Term of office: 5 years |