Conservation and sustainable use of wetlands in Nepal (CSUWN - NEP/05/G01)

Nepal hosts great wetlands diversity covering a total of 7, 43,756 ha, which represents 5 % of the total landmass of the country. It has nine Ramsar sites of international importance representing Himalayas, Mid Hills & Terai. Nepal's wetlands support a wide spectrum of nationally and globally important bio-diversity and harbor 42 globally threatened species. Despite its significant biological as well as social & cultural values, wetlands of Nepal are not getting sufficient concern and attention for its management and conservation, which has resulted into continuous loss and threats to wetlands biodiversity. The major threats to wetlands are: destruction & degradation of wetlands habitats, loss of wetlands ecosystem integrity & depletion of species abundance & diversity. Therefore, in order to address these gaps & issues, Government of Nepal has launched Conservation and Sustainable Use of Wetlands in Nepal (CSUWN) since 2008.