From the lowlands of the Terai
to the icy heights of the Himalaya, Nepal possesses biological diversity
that is truly impressive. Nepal is one of the few countries in the world
where the population of several keystone species have increased following
the establishment of protected areas. The country has been highly successful
in establishing an impressive network of protected areas as a means of
protecting biodiversity. To date, from just 8% in 1980s, over 18% of the
country’s surface area is now under protected area jurisdiction. The ratio
of protected area to total land area of the country is one of the highest in
Asia. With the introduction of the Buffer Zone concept, the area under
conservation regime will increase further.
Although Nepal possesses an area of just 147,181 sq km (a mere 0.1% of the
world’s total landmass), it nevertheless accounts for over 2% of the world’s
flowering plants, about 8% of the world’s bird species and over 4% of the
world’s mammal species. With such a vast biological repository of global
significance, Nepal is undoubtedly a biological (as well as a cultural)
hotspot that deserves special attention. And the fact that two of the
protected areas Royal Chitwan and Sagarmatha National Parks are listed
as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, stands testimony to this.
Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC)
G. P.O. Box 860
Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: (977-1) 4220912, 4220850 Fax: (977-1) 4227675
Email: dnpwc@bdcin.wlink.com.np
Website: www.dnpwc.gov.np
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
G.P.O. Box 3226
Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: (977 -1) 5003222
Fax: (977 -1) 5003299, 5003277
Email: infomenris@icimod.org
Website: www.icimod.org
