Rufford Small Grants for Nature Conservation (RSGs) are aimed at small conservation programmes and pilot projects. They were set up in 1999 by The Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation.

The projects in Nepal funded by Rufford Small Grants for Nature Conservation are listed below:

1. Dolphin Conservation Awareness Project: The project "Dolphin (Platanista gangetica) Conservation Awareness Project" is carried out in Karnali River and its tributaries, near Royal Bardiya National Park, with the active participation of local people. The project completes in one year around. It mainly aims to protect Dolphin, an endangered mammal, through increasing awareness on dolphin conservation among the peoples at local and national/international level. The project primarily focuses awareness programs at the local level through secondary school level speech competition, essay competition and calendar distribution to the local people.
2. Ecology and Conservation of the Snow Leopard and the Himalayan Tahr in Mt. Everest National Park in Nepal: The overall aim of the project is to use theories of foraging and habitat selection to assess habitat suitability for snow leopards and Himalayan tahr, and then to develop a habitat management plan for wildlife and livestock in Mt Everest National Park in Nepal. The project has three specific goals: 1) determine the distribution and the abundance of snow leopards and Himalayan tahr in the park, 2) assess the diets of snow leopards, 3) determine population dynamics of Himalayan tahr, and 4) assess foraging behavior and habitat use patterns of Himalayan tahr in habitats differing in predation risk and forage.
3. Human-wildlife conflict, Nepal: The project aims to find out the impacts of incentive measures and management approaches used to resolve conflict between park and local community and to test the effective measures to resolve the threat to community through people's participation in one of the most diverse national park of Nepal. With the difference in needs, resources utilization and the existing ethnic group, the project will focus on the role of incentive measures present in the project area, the role of institutions involved in implementing those incentive measure together with benefit sharing from the revenue generated from tourism and its impacts on the livelihood of community in Royal Bardia National Park, Nepal. In the process it will explore the main causes of ongoing park-people conflict and its impact on the biodiversity of the national park. In exploring the causes of conflict, the preliminary findings suggested that communities' daily livelihoods need has not been met and trespassing the national park for fuelwood and fodder had been inevitable for them.
4. Community Based Biodiversity Conservation Project (CBCP): Community forestry was formally launched in Nepal since late 70's to increase participation and control of local people in forest management. It has received highest priority within the forestry sector and is one of the most successful development initiatives in Nepal. However, emerging evidences show that forest user groups have selective behaviour over the choices of species to fulfil basic requirements of forestry products, which may be leading to loss of shrub, and unwanted timber species. This indicates that biodiversity conservation contradicts with community forest management. The aim of the project is to develop a model user group demonstrating active forest management and biodiversity conservation leading to a win-win situation in community forestry in Nepal. The project also endeavours documenting biodiversity at users' level using CFUG as an appropriate option. This project will develop a model CFUGs demonstrating active forest management and biodiversity conservation leading to a win-win situation. To achieve this, the CBCP will develop base line information, community documentation of biodiversity information, creating income generation activities addressing biodiversity conservation, promoting innovations to biodiversity conservation while adopting active forest management, reducing pressure to forest products through alternative energy, promoting private plantation, developing mechanism for local people financial contribution to biodiversity conservation, broadening the role of FECOFUN as civil society organisation for biodiversity conservations. The piloting work will be replicated and expanded to other CFUGs through local level networking. It also ensures contribution of CFUGs towards biodiversity conservation as their operational plan activities.
5. Distribution and Conservation of Grey Crowned Prinia in Royal Chitwan National Park, Central Region, Nepal: This research aims to reveal the status and distribution of Grey- crowned Prinia. Nepal is exceptionally rich in biodiversity about 861 bird species has been recorded in this small Himalayan Kingdom, which represent 8.5% of the world's birds. Grey Crowned Prinia is a globally threatened small grassland bird species, its world population is estimated to be less than 10,000 and it is qualifies as Vulnerable by BirdLife International. Nepal is facing major challenges of environmental degradation many species of flora and fauna are declining at alarming rate. Habitat destruction due to deforestation, occurrence of fire in grassland and increase in human population are the key factor responsible for its population declination. This species has small body size due to which established NGO and INGO neglect its welfare and due to which threats are continue in future too. Biological creatures in the ecosystem have their own role and importance, in spite of that Grey Crowned Prinia doesn't receive the attention it deserves. The research programme entitled "Distribution and Conservation of Grey Crowned Prinia (Prinia cinereocapilla) in Royal Chitwan National Park, Central Region, Nepal" aims to explore its habitat condition and distributional map of Grey Crowned Prinia in Royal Chitwan National Park.
6. Promoting Community Action for the Conservation of Treatened Endemic Plant Species in Community Forests, Nepal: Community forestry in Nepal is the principle program addressing conservation and livelihoods. Forest management plans prepared by communities, however, give emphasis to economic plants. Many inferior type of endemic plants are often ignored and eliminated as weeds. The project's purpose is to facilitate community actions on the conservation and management of species under selection stress. This will be done through developing community understanding on the longer term ecological role of such species, exploring and communicating economic values, exploring and developing management options that do not compete with most desired economic plants, incorporating management strategies in the officially approved management plan.
7. A study research on poison fishing in the rivers and stream of Dang Valley of mid western Nepal: The project will cover the sites that are being ruined by the use of poison. Rivers and streams of Dang valley (largest valley of Asia) are the targeted sites. The Rapti River, Babai River and Sano Nadi are the major rivers whereas Arjun Khola (Khola- stream), Katua Khola, Gwar Khola, Pantu Khola, Gurje Khola, Chauwa Khola, Sewar Khola and Sisne Khola are the major tributaries and streams located as major sites. In the targeted sites and its surrounding areas, our project plans to conduct awareness campaigns. School level awareness programs, community level demonstrations and awareness campaigns with the involvement of the local people are the main strategies of creating awareness about the hazards of poisons. Whereas data collection of the most used poisons and the most affected species, legal actions for those who do not stop using poisons, access for the local people to the extra and alternative source of income and rehabilitation of many minimized species in the rivers are the main active strategies for the restoration of healthy aquatic eco-system.
8. Impact of human relocation program on rural livelihood (A study from Royal Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve): Human relocation programs were carried out to the community of Royal Shuklaphanta Wildlife reserve to provide a better and quieter habitat for the reserve wildlife. These relocated communities have a changed access to natural resources from reserve to community based resource management contributing positively to conservation. This study is aimed at exploring the life pattern of relocated communities by studying the impact of relocation program to their rural livelihood. The study comprises of direct field observation and tools of standard social research for the same. The study has been planned for one-year period with anticipated date commencement on April 2006. The objective of this study is to identify the change in lifestyle of relocated people with reference to Dhakka, Bhatpuri, and other major areas which have recently been relocated into New Dhakka and other areas outside the reserve in order to understand the impact of such relocation programs as such.
9. Assessment of Community-Based Biodiversity Conservation and Rural Livelihood Improvements in the Buffer Zone of Royal Bardia National Park, Nepal: Royal Bardia National Park (968 km²) is one of the well reputed parks for its unique biodiversity. The 327 km² area around the periphery of Royal Bardia National Park that extend in 17 Village Development Committees (VDCs) of Banke, Bardia, and Surkhet districts has been declared as Buffer Zone. The general objective of this study is to assess the accumulated contribution of the buffer zone program on conservation practices and in improving local livelihoods in the buffer zone of Royal Bardia National Park, Nepal.
10. Creation of Community Awareness on Wetland Conservation for Birds among the Indigenous people around Ghodaghodi Lake (A Ramsar Site), Kailali District, Nepal: Ghodaghodi Lake (Ramsar Site) of Nepal is still unprotected although it supports rare, vulnerable and endangered wildlife species. Around 6,700 people - including indigenous Tharu people, live around the lake area and use resources of lakes in various ways. The main threats to the lake and its biodiversity are excessive drainage of lake water, overgrazing on adjacent forest, use of poison for fishing, use of pesticides, herbicides and inorganic fertilisers on agricultural land, water pollution, eutrophication, proliferation of alien invasive species, hunting, excessive collection of fuelwood, fodder and timber and unplanned infrastructure development. The illiteracy and lack of conservation awareness among indigenous Tharu community are the major factors to speed up the activities that threaten the biodiversity especially waterfowls. So it is essential to aware them about the importance of wetlands to birds' continued survival, their day to day activities and consequent negative impacts on wetland resources. This project aims to create awareness and impart knowledge amongst indigenous Tharu community and school students about the importance of wetlands and facilitate a process by which they can play their part in reducing threats to birds' continued survival and improve natural environment of the wetland ecosystems. In this manner they can gradually increase their knowledge and become sensitive to issues of wetland ecosystems and bird conservation. To achieve this, the researcher will work with local indigenous community in and around the Ghodaghodi Lake to aid them in developing their vision for the future management of wetland to support threatened flora and fauna species. Moreover, this project will involve school students to introduce them to the wetland and biodiversity through both theoretical and field-based activities and create their interest for long-term contribution for conservation. Local Conservation Clubs and online network of conservationists will be formed to bring local people and conservationists in common forum for discussion, to make educational materials available for free download access and to ensure continuity of conservation efforts in long-run. Moreover, an educational kit and brochures will be produced as a part of the project incorporating wetland and waterfowls conservation aspects.