Our solutions for the environmental issues faced in Nepal

Nepal has been a pivotal country for WWF ever since the organization first provided support to conserve the Greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) and the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) in the late 1960s.

Today, the endangered rhino is no longer on the brink of extinction, and is in fact, the second largest population in the world. The Rhino Census of 2000 recorded 612 in the kingdom with a growth rate of 3.8 percent. Nepal also has an estimated 123 breeding Bengal tigers distributed in the lowland protected areas.

WWF's Priorities: people & communities
The priority of WWF's support for Nepal's conservation effort has changed with the shift in His Majesty's Government of Nepal (HMG/N) policy for biodiversity conservation.

If in the early years the focus was on species conservation and research with strict law enforcement practices, there has been gradual change with the adoption of a more conciliatory approach and social mobilization for the participatory involvement of local people for conservation.

Over the years, support has been centered on integrating conservation and community development with an attempt to address the issue of livelihoods of local people living near protected areas. The aim is to win the support and stewardship of locals living in the fringe areas in wildlife conservation. Our focus has evolved to a landscape approach in conservation by
building partnerships with donors, stakeholders, interest groups, and local people.

Key areas of work
At present, WWF Nepal's major projects, TAL, KCAP, SCAFP and NMCP, are concentrated in the 4 Global 200 ecoregions and link WWF's global priority to the conservation needs of Nepal.

The 4 ecoregions include Eastern Himalayan Broadleaf and Conifer Forests, Terai- Duar Savannas and Grasslands, Eastern Himalayan Alpine Meadows, and Western Himalayan Temperate Forests. The first 3 are part of the greater Eastern Himalayan ecoregion complex and spreads over Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, India and Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) of China.

We have already joined hands with HMG/N and initiated coordination and cooperation with India, Bhutan and TAR to enhance biodiversity conservation by sharing information on wildlife poaching and illegal trade in wildlife products in the trans-border areas.

The aim is to strengthen cooperation with neighboring countries and adopt a regional approach in biodiversity conservation to save the region's rich and varied biodiversity.

 

Vital Partners

• Department of Forests (DoF) and
  
• Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC)
  
• Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation (MFSC)
• His Majesty's Government of Nepal (HMG/N) on transboundary issues of protected areas hence facilitating landscape level conservation.