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In response to deteriorating biodiversity, many countries are party to
international agreements. All except Afghanistan, Brunei Darussalam and
Thailand are party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The
CBD specifies a framework of measures at the national level for the conservation
of biodiversity and many countries have prepared National Biodiversity
Strategy and Action Plans and submitted National Reports. Most countries
are party to CITES and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
| Conservation in Nepal |
| The National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act was implemented
in Nepal in 1973, and its amendment in 1993 has provided for the involvement
of local people in species conservation. Buffer zone management was
introduced in 1996 with the Buffer Zone Management Rules which allow
local people to access ecosystem resources in protected zones. Under
the Forest Act 1992, 13 plant species have been protected. The government
has also given legal protection status to 26 species of mammals, 9
species of birds and 3 species of reptiles. A total of 17 protected
areas (eight national parks, four wildlife reserves, one hunting reserve
and four conservation areas) constitute about 17 per cent of the total
area in the country (MOPE 2000). |
National responses aimed at conserving biodiversity have been variable
in effectiveness, with many initiatives suffering from a lack of data
and common understanding of ecological systems. Protected areas have been
set up in different countries but they tend to be geographically limited
and disconnected. The proportion of protected area to total area in most
countries is lower than the 10 per cent norm recommended by IUCN.
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