The second half of the twentieth century witnessed drastic changes in thinking, understandings, policies, discourse, actors, management and governance of protected areas and conservation of biodiversity in general globally. Multiple values and roles of protected areas and ‘other effective area based conservation measures’ are prominent in the face of global challenges of conservation, development and humanity.

The country that witnessed a national thrust towards creation and institutionalisation of modern protected areas since 1970s, now has a comprehensive legislative/policy and a vibrant national system of protected areas, representative of diverse socio-ecological systems. As we have stepped into 2015, in the changed socio-political-ecological contexts, it is meaningful and timely to revisit and reflect upon the experiences, initiatives, innovations and pressing challenges of protected area management, governance and biodiversity conservation in Nepal. Production of a special issue of Journal of Forest and Livelihood (JFL) on PA can capture some of the lessons and insights in the field.

We envisage this special issue of JFL as a platform to deliberate and articulate socio-cultural, institutional and political dimensions of protected areas and biodiversity conservation in Nepal. Although, we encourage contributions based on social science inquiries and critical reflections; we also welcome multi-disciplinary perspectives; for example collaborative work of natural and social scientists; practitioners and researchers. Followings are potential/suggested themes, which are by no means exhaustive:

• Participatory and Community-based conservation measures, initiatives, innovations in and around protected areas
• Experiences and reflections of innovative solutions , practices, newer approaches in relation to people and conservation of biodiversity
• Conservation history
• Co-management/governance of protected areas
• Park and people conflicts; social impacts of conservation
• Social/cultural ecology Indigenous/local ecological knowledge
• Political ecology of conservation
• Connectivity conservation (landscape conservation), Wildlife Corridors, Protected Forests
• Buffer zone management, Buffer Zone Community Forests
• Community based anti-poaching, wildlife, biodiversity monitoring
• Community Conserved Areas, Sacred Natural Sites
• Communities and tourism in and around protected areas (e.g. ecotourism)
• Conservation education, youth and conservation
• Human rights and conservation
• Gender and conservation
• Indigenous peoples and conservation
• Chure Conservation Area
• Wetland conservation

Deadline for submission of abstract: 30 June 2025 (The authors will be informed on the selection of their abstract by no longer than 30 June 2025 and will be notified for full paper submission)

Deadline for full paper submission: 31 August 2025 (Only for selected abstracts)

Papers should not be longer than 5000-6000 words including references and notes. An abstract of 150-200 words along with key words should also be included.

Please refer to the guideline for authors for the style of the paper and bibliography. The papers will be peer reviewed and will be published subject to satisfactory revision of the reviewers’ comments.

Further information