Resident Well-Being in Conservation Resettlement: The Case of Padampur in the Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Studies of forced resettlement during the creation and maintenance of national parks and protected areas have found negative socioeconomic consequences for human well-being. We investigated residents' social and economic well-being following a citizen-initiated resettlement program in Padampur, Nepal. We found a difference between voluntary and forced resettlement respondents in overall satisfaction as well as evaluation of land quality and employment factors. However, there was no difference in their evaluation of land ownership, housing, physical infrastructure, health, social ties, and support services as having positive outcomes. Most respondents reported being socially and economically better off in the new location. In the future, economic status, food and nutrition, and marginalization of some groups could potentially reduce satisfaction. We suggest that future conservation-related resettlement consider lessons from the Padampur model.