This document summarizes a term paper presentation on financing red panda conservation projects in Nepal. It outlines the objectives, methodology, findings, and conclusions of the presentation. The red panda is endangered and faces many threats. Conservation projects require stable, long-term financing from various sources, including government, NGOs, international donors, and trust funds. The total budget for Nepal's 2019-2023 Red Panda Conservation Action Plan is 30.3 million Nepali rupees. Major challenges include reliance on short-term international funding and lack of stable financing mechanisms. Incorporating political ecology into conservation can help explore social and economic dimensions to achieve financial sustainability.

1. Political ecology of financing red panda
conservation projects
A term paper presentation on wildlife conservation and
protected area management WPR-601
Avinash Kafle
Roll no: 5/2079-2081
M.Sc. forestry
Faculty of Forestry
Agriculture and Forestry University
August 5, 2023
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2. Outline of Presentation
 Introduction
 Objectives
 Methodology
 Findings and Discussions
 Conclusion
 References
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3. Introduction
 The red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is an endangered species distributed in five
Asian countries –Nepal(in 24 districts), India, Myanmar, Bhutan, and China
(Glatston et al., 2015). Nepal is home to the Himalayan red panda (Hu et al.,
2020) whose population in the wild in 2010 ranged from 237 to 1,061
individuals (Jnawali et al., 2012).
 This species is listed as Endangered in IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
and included in the Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
 This amazing creature faces numerous threats including habitat destruction,
forest fragmentation, poaching, human disturbance, forest fire, and extreme
climate events, etc. (Karki et al., 2021).
 Sustainable financing mechanism in conservation projects is generating
sufficient, stable and long-term financial resources, allocate them in a timely
manner and in an appropriate form, to cover full costs of natural resources and
ensure that funds are effectively and efficiently managed with respect to
conservation and other development objectives (Emerton et al., 2006).
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4.  Political ecology is the study of the relationships between political, economic
and social factors with environmental issues and changes (Vayda and
Walters,1999).
 Conservation projects need to be adequately funded to meet their conservation,
sustainable development and management objectives so they can guarantee long
lasting local, national and global benefits (Cabrera et al., 2021).
 Government Authorities (MOFE, DNPWC, DFSC), Non-governmental
organizations (Red panda Network, WWF, IUCN, etc), different trust funds
(Mithila wildlife trust), International donors (Nordens Ark, Foundation SEGRE,
Rainforest Trust, etc) are providing financial support for the conservation of red
panda.
 Each initiative needs a name that captures the spirit and vision of the initiative
which also attract donor for funding. Bhutan (Bhutan for Life), Colombia (
Heritage Colombia), Costa Rica ( Forever Costa Rica).
 A total climate-Smart investment opportunity of USD 46 billion in Nepal from
2018 to 2030 which can be unlocked through geen finance (IFC, 2017).
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5. Sustainable financing Mechanism 5
INSIDE Protected Area OUTSIDE Protected Areas (buffer zones,
corridors)
SOURCES
OF CAPITAL
• Public funding / policy
interventions
• NGOs, multilateral
institutions
• Market-based approaches
• Public funding / policy interventions
• NGOs and philanthropy donors
• Local financial institutions
• International return-seeking investors
REVENUE
STREAMS
• Entrance and user fees, taxes,
fines
• Payments for ecosystem
services
• REDD+
• Compensation payments
• Fees on licenses and permits
• Taxes and levies
• Payments for ecosystem services
• REDD+
• Small and medium enterprise
business loans
• Microfinance
USE OF
CAPITAL
Adopted from
Cabrera, H. et al.,
(2021)
• Increase and maintain
protected areas management
effectiveness and sustainable
natural resource use
• Fund direct conservation activities in
buffer zones, corridors
• Incentivize conservation compatible
economic activities, thereby reducing
pressures on protected area

6. Objectives
To review about the political ecology of financing red panda
conservation Project.
6
Methodology
This review paper was prepared on the basis of information collected
from secondary data sources like relevant articles, journals,
government documents, thesis reports and internet surfing.

7. Findings and Discussions
7
17.16% 16.05%
22.88%
35.23%
8.27%
0.41%
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
35.00%
40.00%
5.2 cr 4.865 cr 6.935 cr 10.675 cr 2.505 cr 12.5 lakhs
Enhance
understanding
and knowledge
on conservation
status, ecology
and habitat
dynamics of red
panda
Curb poaching
and illict trade of
red panda
protect and
manage the red
panda habitat
Strengthen and
extend
community
based red panda
conservation
initiative
Strengthen
cooperation and
coordination on
red panda
conservation at
national level
Monitoring and
evaluation of
action plan
Red panda conservation Action plan budget distribution (2019-2023)
Percentage weight
Figure 1: Red panda conservation action plan budget distribution

8. Contd..
8
 The total estimated cost for the implementation of the Red Panda
Conservation Action Plan is NPR 30,30,50,000.
 These funds were managed from government regular budget, and
existing conservation partners like Red Panda Network which has been
working in red panda conservation in Nepal since 2010 (Red panda
Conservation Action Plan, 2019).
Income/funding summary:
45%
39%
15%
1%
% of Total
Individual Contributions
5,73,659 USD
Zoo and Zoo Foundations
4,84,836 USD
Conservation foundations
1,89,794 USD
Other income 16732 USD
Source: Red panda Nepal Annual Report
2022

9. Major issues
 According to Bista et al., (2016) Community-based conservation program
should be carried out that ensures the co-existence of red panda and human
beings as nearly 70% of total red panda habitat falls outside the PAs in
Nepal.
 Conservation projects in our countries continue to operate with minimal
national funding, and rely mostly on short-or- medium term projects
financed primarily by international public or private donors (Bista et al.,
2016).
 Stable and adequate financial flows needed to ensure the effective and
efficient management of red panda over the long time remains a challenge.
 Several financing mechanisms are already in practice in Nepal. Some of
which have been introduced in the recent years, such as revenue sharing,
royalty and cost sharing, conservation fee, compensation payments, carbon
finance, resource extraction fee, support from multilateral agencies etc. to
encourage conservation.
 Most of these practices are in evolutionary stages and clear operational
guidelines in consistent with the existing legislations are necessary for the
institutionalization of sustainable financing mechanisms (Basnyat and
Baral, 2014).
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10. Conclusions
 Stakeholders involved in the red panda conservation considered to be a
well thought out and holistic approach. It aims to transform the
management of red panda by developing unifying conservation goals and
bringing together funding from different sources to secure the
achievement.
 Branding of red panda is important because it increases the visibility of
the initiative, both demonstrating and generating additional political
support and donor interest.
 Red panda are one of the most charismatic wildlife species to be observed
in the wild. They therefore offer great opportunities for ecotourism, which
can provide an extra source of income for local communities.
 Incorporating the study of political ecology of red panda conservation and
management is important to explore the social, economic, and
environmental dimensions, benefits and equities in relation to indigenous
peoples and local communities while actualizing tourism potentiality and
financial sustainability.
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11. References
 Bista, D., Paudel, P.K., Ghimire, S. & Shrestha, S. (2016). National Survey of red panda to
assess its Status, Habitat and Distribution in Nepal. Final report submitted to
WWF/USAID/Hariyo Ban Program, Baluwatar, Kathmandu, Nepal
 Basnyat, B., and Baral, S., 2014; Unleashing the Potential: Exploring Sustainable
Financing Practices for Biodiversity Conservation in Nepal.
 Cabrera, H. Et Al. (2021). Securing Sustainable Financing For Conservation Areas: A
Guide To Project Finance For Permanence. Washington D.C. Amazon Sustainable
Landscapes Program and WWF.
 Emerton L., Bishop J. and Thomas L., 2006; Sustainable Financing of Protected Areas: A
global review of challenges and options, The World Conservation Union (IUCN), Gland,
Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
 Glatston A, Wei F, Than Z, Sherpa A. 2015. Ailurus fulgens. The IUCN red list of
threatened species 2015. Switzerland: IUCN.
 GoN. 2018. red panda Conservation action plan for Nepal (2019-2023). Kathmandu
(Nepal): Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and Department of
Forests and Soil Conservation.
 Hu YB, Thapa A, Fan HZ, Ma TX, Wu Q, Ma S, Zhang DL, Wang B, Li M, Yan L, et al. 2020.
Genomic evidence for two phylogenetic species and long-term population bottlenecks in Red
pandas. Sci Adv. 6. doi:10.1126/sciadv. aax5751
 International Finance Corporation, 2017.https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/fa3bea68-
20f1-4cb4-90b9-
3e812d38067f/Climate+Investment+Opportunities+in+South+Asia++An+IFC+Analysis.p
df?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=l.raVua
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12. Contd..
 Jnawali, S., Leus K., Molur, S., Glatston, A., Walker, S. (Editors) 2012. Red Panda
(Ailurus fulgens). Population and Habitat Viability Assessment (PHVA) and Species
Conservation Strategy (SCS) Workshop Report. National Trust for Nature
Conservation, Kathmandu, Nepal, Conservation Breeding Specialist Group and Zoo
Outreach Org
 Karki S, Marasseni T, Mackey B, Bista D, Lama ST, Gautam AP, Sherpa AP, Koju U,
Shrestha A, Cadman T. 2021. Reaching over the gap: a review of trends in and status
of red panda research over 193 years (1827–2020). Sci Total Environ. 781:146659.
doi:10. 1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146659
 Vayda A. and B. Walters, 1999. Against political ecology. Human Ecology 27: 167-79.
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