Karki, Sameer

It is widely acknowledged that Nepal is one of the rich biological treasure chests of South Asia. There are several "hotspots" of biodiversity - areas of high species richness and species diversity, as well as high levels of rare, endangered and endemic species of plants and animals. Efforts towards developing sustainability generally demand an in-depth understanding of the diverse life-forms in nature and their inter-dependence for survival and growth.

IUCN has been working to raise awareness regarding the values of wetland ecosystems, the threats to wetlands, wetland dependent peoples and species, and to build capacity for conservation and sustainable use of wetlands in Nepal. This report is the result of a significant project development effort undertaken by IUCN Nepal over the last two years, which was to design a national project for conservation and sustainable use of wetlands in the country.