Livelihood Diversification and Household Well Being of Buffer Zone Area of Nepal: A Case of Chitwan National Park
This paper aims at analyzing livelihoods of people of buffer zone areas highlighting the case of Chitwan National Park, Nepal. The study has been based on primary data collected through open and close ended questionnaire method. A mixed method research design was employed in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected at household level. Of the 22 buffer zone users committees in Chitwan National Park, 4 buffer zone users committees were selected from random sampling. From these selected buffer zone user committees, 10% (845 households) of the total households were selected using random sampling. Responses to the close ended questions were analyzed through the SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) and responses to the open-ended questions were analyzed inductively. People of this study area primarily rely on agriculture with livestock rearing for their livelihoods. Different varieties of food crops and cash crops were grown in this area. About one third of the respondents were food crop deficient condition. The food deficient respondents had different copping strategies such as selling labour and livestock, borrowing money from others, selling cash crops and other household assets etc. Different tiers of government should implement income generation policy and program for the better livelihood strategies of people in the study area.
