Integrating social welfare and conservation: Improvements in multidimensional poverty index outcomes from ecological resettlements in Nepal

< 0.05) across both sites. MPI outcomes were strongly associated with location, ethnicity, land and livestock ownership, and access to markets, forests, schools, and healthcare. Results indicate that a well-designed ER can reduce long-term poverty while advancing conservation. Integrating income and non-income indicators, including local wealth-ranking systems, strengthens poverty assessment and informs socially inclusive conservation policy.