Information about the factors associated with conservation participation by local communities is important to garner support and involvement within a natural protected area. This research examined how residents’ natural resource dependency and other social, economic, and access-related variables predict conservation participation. Data were collected based on a stratified random sampling of households from Gaurishankar Conservation Area Project (GCAP)—a newly designated mountainous protected area in Nepal. Analysis was conducted via an ordered logistic regression model. Higher levels of participation were observed among households that comprised of a larger family size, belonged to a higher caste/ethnicity, resided in higher elevations, and noted frequent visits and interactions with park management staff. However, natural resources dependency (i.e., income and fuelwood fodder) lacked a statistically significant relationship with conservation participation. Similarly, the economic dimension (i.e., land holdings and total livestock unit) was not a significant predictor of participation. Overall, key findings suggest that conservation participation at GCAP needs to be improved with multiple outreach activities, especially to resource-dependent households. More specifically, it is important to ensure equitable access so that locals can participate in programs that provide alternative resource use options, skills development, and trainings for income generation activities.

This research examined multidimensional relationships of service quality and motivation with satisfaction and loyalty intentions among visitors at Gaurishankar Conservation Area (GCA) in Nepal. Data were collected via a questionnaire survey with international tourists, and analysis was conducted using partial least square structural equation modeling. Satisfaction was significantly and positively related to both intention to revisit and intention to recommend, thus suggesting the key role of satisfaction on tourists’ loyalty. While the relationships of perceived service environment quality with satisfaction and revisit intention were not significant; perceived service environment quality had a positive and significant association with the intention to recommend. Similarly, motivation to experience nature and perceived service delivery quality were positively and significantly related to both intention to recommend and intention to revisit directly or indirectly via satisfaction. Overall, results suggest that GCA management could improve visitor satisfaction and loyalty by further improving the quality of service environment and quality of service delivery, and by attracting tourists who are motivated to experience nature. Findings also suggest the importance of considering multidimensionality and complex interrelationships of factors related to visitors’ expectations and behaviors in planning destination marketing and service offering.

The Kulekhani Watershed, a critical ecological and socioeconomic asset in Nepal, is increasingly threatened by unsustainable land use, population pressure, and climate variability, leading to severe degradation of its health and ecosystem functions. This study applies an integrated, multicriteria framework to evaluate watershed health, incorporating biophysical and anthropogenic indicators: vegetation status (via Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), Water Quality Index (WQI), road density, population density, and building density. Satellite‐based NDVI analysis revealed pronounced seasonal variation, with peak vegetation cover during the monsoon and significant declines in the dry season. Water quality parameters were analyzed using principal component analysis to identify key drivers influencing stream conditions. Results indicate sharp spatial disparities: SW2 emerged as unhealthy due to minimal vegetation cover and high human disturbance, while SW6 exhibited the highest health index, supported by robust vegetation and superior water quality. Overall, four subwatersheds demonstrated moderate health, underscoring pervasive anthropogenic pressure across the basin. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted watershed management strategies, including reforestation, controlled infrastructure development, and water quality improvement, to restore ecosystem resilience and sustain essential services. This integrative approach offers a replicable model for holistic watershed health assessment in data‐limited regions.

The increasing number of human‐black bear interactions in Nepal's Himalayas threatens both livelihoods and bear safety. Understanding human‐black bear coexistence has become increasingly important due to rising conflicts driven by habitat overlap, negative perceptions, and habitat degradation. Given the limited studies on the Asiatic Black bear in Nepal, particularly in the Gaurishankar Conservation Area, our research provides essential insights into its distribution, conflict patterns, and community perceptions. This study assessed the habitat suitability of Asiatic black bears and human‐black bear coexistence in the Gaurishankar Conservation Area, Nepal, using integrated ecological modelling and social analysis. We collected species presence data ( n = 173) between September and December 2023 and analysed them using the MaxEnt algorithm. Additionally, we surveyed 188 households to assess the nature of conflicts and local perceptions toward black bears. The MaxEnt model performed well (AUC = 0.83 training; 0.73 validation), identifying 805.9 km ² (35.4%) as suitable habitat, primarily at elevations between 1000 and 3000 m. Habitat suitability was positively associated with forest diversity, precipitation during the driest quarter, and moderate human presence but declined sharply with increasing elevation and proximity to roads. Among the survey respondents ( n = 188), 86% indicated that human‐bear conflict was increasing. Ordered logistic regression of perception data revealed that gender, ethnicity, elevation, and perceptions of ecological value and threats significantly influenced attitudes toward black bears (Pseudo R ² = 0.57). Indigenous and female respondents reported higher perceived conflict, likely reflecting greater exposure to forest‐edge livelihood activities such as fuelwood collection, fodder gathering, and livestock care, whereas respondents recognising the ecological importance of black bears expressed greater tolerance. The study underscores that black bear conservation in Nepal requires both ecological and social interventions. Habitat conservation, coupled with community‐based awareness, livelihood support, and conflict mitigation programmes, is essential to foster long‐term coexistence.

Human activities are fragmenting Himalayan black bear (HBB) habitat but may also create benefits such as increased resource availability. To understand these contrasting effects, we explored the relationship between HBBs and humans by constructing species distribution models for HBBs in Nepal. Specifically, we developed two distribution models using MaxEnt—one that assumed no human alterations of the landscape (Natural Environment model) and the other that included components of human activity (Anthropogenic Environment model). The models were based on a total of 475 presence records and potential environmental variables included bioclimatic and anthropogenic factors. Estimated distributions from the two models were then overlaid onto Nepal's Land Use and Land Cover map and categorized by land cover type (e.g., forest, grassland, anthropogenic) to analyze the net change between HBB distribution and land use patterns. The Natural and Anthropogenic environment distribution models predicted similar extents of suitable range for HBBs, with the natural distribution being slightly larger (+21,021 km²). We evaluated natural forests as highly suitable habitats under both models, while areas modified by human activity exhibited lower but still notable levels of suitability. Our findings indicate that current levels of anthropogenic habitat alteration in Nepal have a near net-neutral effect on the overall distribution of HBBs. However, the degree of anthropogenic development in Nepal’s mid-altitudes (that make up the bulk of the HBB habitat) is relatively low in intensity, consisting almost entirely of pervious surfaces (e.g. agricultural areas and villages with little to no pavement). Thus, it could be that more intense anthropogenic development (like paved areas) would equate to habitat destruction for HBBs. Despite the compensation some bears may reap through crops and livestock raiding, conservation activities to address human-HBB interactions and safeguard vital habitat for the species are necessary. KEYWORDS: Himalayan Black Bear, species distribution, MaxEnt, anthropogenic influences