Snow leopards and sustainability: conservation, livelihoods and governance in the Himalayas

Given the prevalence of poverty and pastoralism across the snow leopard's range, this talk addresses the assumptions that more diverse and resilient livelihoods, and a decentralised conservation governance model, will improve coexistence between people, snow leopards and snow leopard conservation. It assess knowledge of and attitudes to the species; attitudes to its conservation; household livestock losses to snow leopards; and conflicts between people and snow leopard conservation. Additionally, perceptions of several proposed mitigation methods - translocation of blue sheep and a conservation incentive scheme - are also examined.

Using systematic sampling, a quantitative questionnaire was administered to 705 households at two sites in the Nepal Himalayas: Sagarmatha National Park, with a centralised governance model, and Annapurna Conservation Area, with a decentralised one. Seventy qualitative interviews were also collected for cross-methods triangulation. Linear regression models were the main form of analysis.

Attitudes to snow leopards were best predicted by attitudes to snow leopard conservation and numbers of livestock owned per household; with attitudes to snow leopard conservation, it was attitudes to snow leopards and livelihoods. For conflict with snow leopards and with snow leopard conservation, the number of livestock lost to all sources of mortality was the foremost predictor. A number of variables predicted attitudes to the proposed mitigation measures, including gender, livelihoods, livestock and support for snow leopard conservation.

The correlation between attitudes to snow leopards and attitudes to snow leopard conservation demonstrates that the way conservation is pursued and perceived needs consideration. Nevertheless, livelihoods predicted attitudes more than governance. The prediction of conflict by livestock lost to all sources of mortality - rather than livestock owned – illustrates the significance of husbandry factors for snow leopard conservation. The importance of conducting social assessments of proposed mitigation methods is also critical, particularly if they are likely to impact upon livelihoods.