NEPAL NATURE(4)

PARKS AND RESERVES



The need for firewood, the increase in population (growing at the rate of 2.37% per annum) and the ever increasing demand for agricultural land have been the major contributing factors for the depletion of Nepal forest covers. Hence, Nepal’s government has done wisely in setting aside areas for conservation of the forests and the animals in them by creating National Parks, Wildlife Reserves, Conservation Areas and Hunting Reserve.



There are eight National Parks (Royal Chitwan, Royal Bardiya, Khaptad, Rara, Shey-Phoksundo, Langtang, Sagarmatha, and Makalu-Barun), two Conservation Area Projects (Annpurna and Kanchenjungha), fNepal’s Wildlife Reserves (Koshi Tappu, Parsa, Shivapuri Watershed, and Shukla Phanta), and one Hunting Reserve (Dhorpatan). These protected areas cover 16.2% of the total area of Nepal. All of these are natural habitats except with a slight exception of Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. Its natural habitat has artificially increased, an unforeseen but fortunate result of the construction of Koshi Barrage across Koshi River, in the early sixties, to control the monsoon floods in Bihar, Northern India. All of these areas have their distinctive characteristics that give them their present status. Royal Chitwan National Park is outstanding in its population of rhinos and tigers. This park alone, though only 932 sq. km, shelters nearly 600 rhinos, almost one third of the world's population. This rhino population is a success story of Chitwan for there were less than 80 rhinos in the park when it was established in 1973. Shey-Phoksundo, Nepal’s largest National Park (3,555 sq.km) with its emerald lake could harbor a fair number of the extremely rare Himalayan cat, the Snow Leopard. The population of these beautiful cats has been estimated at between 300 to 500 in Nepal. With more than 2,500 Swamp Deer (Cervus duvauceli), Shukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve, despite its relative small size of 320 sq. km., holds one of the largest population of this herd in the world. Koshi Tappu, though only 175 sq. km. but famous throughout the world for water birds, is also the home of the Wild buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). Any habitat having at least 50,000 birds or holding at least 1% of the total population of the species of the world at any time of the year can be declared a Ramsar Site. Koshi Tappu was declared a Ramsar Site in 1987 by the Ramsar Bureau. However, just setting aside and providing protection to the habitats and the animals are far from sufficient.



The government of Nepal has wisely set aside these parks ensuring the survival of species and their habitats. Challenges still remain, but credit goes to those people who have had the foresight to preserve and conserve.