摘要：This paper investigates the views of multi-stakeholders on the governance quality of existingforest management strategies for red panda (Ailurus fulgens) protection in Nepal, focusing onforest governance in general, red panda conservation programmes and natural habitatprotection in particular. The study deployed two surveys in August and September 2020.The first survey was conducted online for the stakeholders with internet access; for thosewithout, it was conducted over the phone. While the results reveal almost similar perspectivesamong the stakeholders regarding the effectiveness of the red panda managementapproaches, they differ significantly between the online survey and telephonic survey, interms of the relative scores given to these initiatives. In depth, follow-up interviews revealedthat marginalised groups had little access to income generation from conservation activitiesand few capacity-building opportunities. These findings indicate that while managementstrategies for red panda conservation were generally considered effective by online surveyparticipants which are generally more privileged, this is less effective for marginalised people.Local people, who are typically resource-poor and reliant on the forest, continue to endureinequitable resource distribution and benefit sharing. Consequently, greater attention shouldbe paid to balancing the conservation needs and basic needs of forest-dependent communities through capacity building, income generation and alternative sources of livelihood.
