A Comparative Analysis of Community Participation in the Raimona National Park, Assam

Since time immemorial, forests and their associated products have remained essential in sustaining livelihoods (Mamo et al. 2007). About 1.6 billion people globally are substantially reliant on forests for livelihood sustenance (World Bank, 2002). Forests are an important natural resource with which humans are directly related in all aspects. Forests have influenced all aspects of food, medicine, livelihood, economy, etc., since ancient times. In addition, forests have environmental benefits, ecosystem services, cultural connections, etc., without which life is impossible. Similarly, there are different opportunities for employment generation in terms of economic development. Tourism provides a market for local products, and cultural development becomes possible also. However, this can also be accompanied by environmental degradation, land-use change, etc. Raimona National Park has a lot of positive potential for conservation due to its location. The Bhutan border to the north, adjacent to Manas National Park, also contributes to its security. However, local awareness can maintain the conservation aspect of a forest. “It is felt by present-day conservationists that without proper participation and a positive attitude of the local people, no protected area can sustain itself in the long run (Nath, Bhrigu Kumar 2016).” The residents of a total of 90 villages adjacent to Raimona National Park have played a major role in this regard. In addition, everyone has an emotion about their place of birth and wants to be safe. During the researcher's field study period, villagers reported that Raimona National Park provides almost all their basic needs. To analyse the community participation, the researchers collected primary data using a questionnaire and face-to-face conversation with the localities. A total of 331 respondents were interviewed. The data collection period is October 2023 to September 2024. To analyse the collected data, the researcher used simple statistical techniques.