Collaborative conservation strategies: The role of communities in Uttarakhand’s Naina Devi Himalayan bird conservation reserve

The Naina Devi Himalayan Bird Conservation Reserve was established through a collaborative process involving the forest department and the local community to preserve the rich biodiversity in the Kumaon division of Uttarakhand state in India. This conservation effort was developed to incorporate local knowledge and priorities, strengthening that meaningful community involvement is vital for the reserve’s sustainable management. The Conservation Reserve's goals remain unmet due to poor management, limited funding, and insufficient institutional support from the government, resulting in unfocused conservation efforts. The present work undertakes an empirical assessment of community involvement, analyzing current management practices as well as highlighting opportunities to enhance community participation in the reserve's management and conservation. This study presents a significant opportunity to strengthen collaborative conservation efforts and offer actionable insights to improve collaboration between the reserve's management and the local community. Based on research findings on three major interventions, viz., community participation in capacity-building programmes, community participation in reserve through management committee, and benefit-sharing with the community, the present paper discussed valuable insights and proposed suggestions to underscore the need for a more inclusive and well-supported management framework to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Conservation Reserve.