| Nepal | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | South of Tibet (China) | |||||||||||||||||||
| National websites | http://rip.physics.unk.edu/nepal/hpg.html http://library.advanced.org/10131/nepal_species.html http://www.nepalsearch.com/npact.htmlhttp://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/np.html#geo http://www.info-nepal.com/nhp/general/general.html http://www.nepal-forum.de/nice/nature.htm |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Embassy / Chancery in U.S. | 2131 Leroy Place,
NW, Washington DC 20008 (202) 667- 4550 |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Agencies responsible for biological inventory and conservation | King
Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservaton P.O. Box 3712 Jawalakhel Lalitpur, Nepal Tel: 977-1-526571,977-1-526573,977-1-527042 |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Non-governmental organizations concerned with conservation | The King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation (KMTNC), the Forum for Environmental Preservation, Environmental Camps for Conservation Awareness, and the United Mission to Nepal. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Major Natural Resources | Quartz, water, timber, hydropwer potential, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignit, copper, cobalt, iron, and ore | |||||||||||||||||||
| Major Environmental and Conservation Issues | "The almost total dependence on wood for fuel and cutting down trees to expand agricultural land without replanting has resulted in widespread deforestation, soil erosion, and water pollution (use of contaminated water presents human health risks)." | |||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics | Information Sources | |||||||||||||||||||
| Land area | 145,391 Sq. km | http://www.panasia.org.sg/nepalnet/facts_fig.htm#land | ||||||||||||||||||
| Area of forest | 21,000 Sq. km | http://www.info-nepal.com/nhp/general/land.html | ||||||||||||||||||
| Area of wetlands | (Sq. km) Nepal's Glacial Lakes May Burst Again in Monsoon Rains |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Area of territorial waters | 4,000 Sq. km | |||||||||||||||||||
| Population: | 23 million people | Density: | 136.2 people/Sq. km | |||||||||||||||||
| Area protected (ha) (only areas >1000ha) at all IUCN levels: | 1,109 | Fraction of land area protected (%): 33.3% | http://library.advanced.org/10131/nepal/protected.html | |||||||||||||||||
| Major Protected Areas | List from Information Center for the Environment | Information Center for the Environment | ||||||||||||||||||
| Endemic Species |
|
www.igc.apc.org/wri/wr-96-97/wr96dtbi.pdf www.igc.apc.org/wri/wr-96-97/wr96dtbi.pdf. |
||||||||||||||||||
| Endangered, Threatened and Vulnerable Species |
|
World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Animal | ||||||||||||||||||
| Extinct Species |
|
World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Animal | ||||||||||||||||||
| Species listed on CITES Appendices | CITES-listed Species Database | |||||||||||||||||||
| Legislation | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Laws protecting endangered or threatened species | Nepal does not adhere to the environmental ethics and Western style of park management. Subsequentially, Nepal has developed its own management concept for using natural resources from national parks. For instance, in Chitwan National park, "local people are given permission in January to harvest grass for thatching their houses or making mats. Similar permission is given to people living near the national parks or wildlife reserves in the southern plains." They have also implemented National Conservation Planning (NCS). There is also the National Park and Wildlife Conservation Acts and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Wild Fauna and Flora. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Laws protecting endangered ecosystems | Implementation of National Conservation Planning. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Signatory to CITES | January 1, 1990 http://www.ifs.univie.ac.at/intlaw/konterm/vrkon_en/html/doku/cult-pro.htm#38.0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Signatory to Ramsar Wetlands Convention | Biodiversity Action Plan, May 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Signatory to Convention on Biological Diversity | The Convention on
International Trade in Endangeredof Wild Fauna and Flora was signed by Nepal in 1975, |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Signatory to Migratory Bird Treaty | n/a | |||||||||||||||||||
| Member of International Whaling Commission | n/a | |||||||||||||||||||
| Signatory to other international treaties designed to protect or manage biological resources | Environment- international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation. Convention on International Trade on
Endangred Species. National Park and Wildlife Conservation Acts (1973) |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Natural Resource Use | Information Sources | |||||||||||||||||||
| Fisheries | 10.1 metric tons | |||||||||||||||||||
| Forestry / deforestation | "In 1964, the forest covered 6.5 million ha, some 45% of Nepal's total land area based on a 10% crown cover minimum. Of this total, some 5.7million ha was in the hills and only .8 million ha was in the Tarai. The Hills have lost 4% of their forest cover over a fifteen year period, and the Tarai had lost one quarter of total cover . This is an annual decline rate of 3.95 for Tarai." | http://rip.physics.unk.edu/nepal/NPG.html | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ecotourism | Ecotourism has been popular in Nepal. The ecotourism development project is proposing conservation awareness, community development, and a heritage conservation program, and also developing a sound waste management plan. | http://rip.physics.unk.edu/nepal/NPG.html | ||||||||||||||||||
| Trade in wildlife products | -Tigers and leopards are huntedfor their beautiful coats
and bones. The bones are used in Chinese and Japanese traditional medicine. There is also
a rising demand for tiger related good, such as Tiger skins and bones. -Musk, a powdery substance which amale musk deer secretes from a gland in the abdomen, is a highly valued item for perfumes and and medicines. This has resulted in the hunting of the Musk Deer for these products. -"The Himalayan Black Bear is killed for their gall bladder,which provides the ingredients of one of the most coveted oriental medicines. "
|
http://library.advanced.org/10131/nepal_species.html | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hunting | see above. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other uses of natural resources | the use of wood for fuel ahas contributed to the mass deforestation that the country is experiencing. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Human Impacts on Natural Resources | Information Sources | |||||||||||||||||||
| Air pollution | domestic smoke, vehicular toxic fumes, industrial fall-out | http://www.info-nepal.com/nhp/econ/env/unced.html#ENV | ||||||||||||||||||
| Water pollution | The use of contaminated water presents human health risks. Inadequate supply, poor layout and leakage, industrial effluents. | http://www.info-nepal.com/nhp/econ/env/unced.html#ENV | ||||||||||||||||||
| Development activities | Nepal's dependence on wood for fuel and cutting down trees to expand agricultural land without replanting has resulted in widespread deforestation. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced species | n/a | |||||||||||||||||||
| Legislation addressing these issues | see webpage | http://www.info-nepal.com/nhp/econ/env/unced.html#ENV | ||||||||||||||||||
| Restoration and Reintroduction | Information Sources | |||||||||||||||||||
| Programs for restoration of damaged habitat | Makalu-Barun Conservation Area Global Environmental Facility supported Biodiversity Conservation Project |
http://aleph0.clarku.edu/%7Erajs/text/biodiv | ||||||||||||||||||
| Programs for ex situ conservation (captive breeding and reintroduction) of endangered species | ||||||||||||||||||||
Return to Endangered Species Protection around the World
Page compiled by Angela Cardneas as part of a class project in h90 "The Science of Biodiversity and Conservation" (Peter J. Bryant, Instructor), University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA