Snow Leopard Conservation Action Plan for Nepal (2017 – 2021)

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Snow Leopard Conservation Action Plan for Nepal (2017 – 2021) Snow Leopard Conservation Action Plan for Nepal (2017 – 2021) Government of Nepal Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation 1 2 Snow Leopard Conservation Action Plan for Nepal (2017 – 2021) Government of Nepal Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Technical Team Mr. Gopal Prakash Bhattarai, Deputy Director General, DNPWC Mr. Laxman Prasad Poudyal, Ecologist, DNPWC Mrs. Madhuri Thapa Karki, Planning Officer, DoF Mr. Bhupendra Prasad Yadav, Assistant Ecologist, DNPWC Mr. Rishi Ranabhat, Assistant Ecologist, DNPWC Dr. Shant Raj Jnawali, WWF Nepal Dr. Narendra Man Babu Pradhan, BCN Dr. Hem Sagar Baral, ZSL Nepal Dr. Naresh Subedi, NTNC Dr. Kanchan Thapa, WWF Nepal Mr. Sheren Shrestha, WWF Nepal Dr. Som Ale (Expert) Dr. Rinjan Shrestha (Expert) Review Team Mr. Krishna Prasad Acharya, Director General, Department of Forest Mr. Man Bahadur Khadka, Director General, Department of National Parks & Wildlife Conservation Dr. Maheshwar Dhakal, Joint Secretary (Technical), Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation Mr. Fanindra Kharel, Former Director General, Department of Forest and Soil Conservation Mr. Gaurishankar Timila, Former Director General, Department of Forest Published by: Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Kathmandu, Nepal. Copyright: Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Nepal (2017) Citation: DNPWC. 2017. Snow Leopard Conservation Action Plan (2017-2021). Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo Credit: Kangchenjunga Conservation Area/DNPWC Snow Leopard Conservation Action Plan for Nepal (2017 – 2021) Foreword Snow Leopard Conservation Action Plan for Nepal (2017 – 2021) Acronyms and Abbreviations ACA Annapurna Conservation Area ANCA Api-Nampa Conservation Area APO Anti-Poaching Operation CBAPU Community-Based Anti-Poaching Unit CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CBO Community-Based Organization CIB Central Investigation Bureau CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora DFO District Forest Office/Officer DHR Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid DNPWC Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation DoF Department of Forests FY Fiscal Year GCA Gaurishankar Conservation Area GGN Green Governance Nepal GPS Global Positioning System GSLEP Global Snow Leopard & Ecosystem Protection Program GTF Global Tiger Forum ICIMOD International Center for Integrated Mountain Development IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature KCA Kangchenjunga Conservation Area km Kilometer KNP Khaptad National Park KSL Kailash Sacred Landscape KSLCDI Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative LNP Langtang National Park MAP Medicinal and Aromatic Plants MBNP Makalu-Barun National Park MCA Manaslu Conservation Area MoFSC Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation MoU Memorandum of Understanding MVP Minimum Viable Population NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan NPWCA National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act NPR Nepalese Rupee NSLEP National Snow Leopard & Ecosystem Protection Priorities NTCC National Tiger Conservation Committee, Nepal NTFP Non-Timber Forest Product NTNC National Trust for Nature Conservation NWCCCC National Wildlife Crime Control Coordination Committee PA Protected Area RNP Rara National Park SHL Sacred Himalayan Landscape SLCAP Snow Leopard Conservation Action Plan SLCC Snow Leopard Conservation Committee SMART Special Monitoring and Reporting Tool SNP Sagarmatha National Park SPNP Shey-Phoksundo National Park SAWEN South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network TAR Tibetan Autonomous Region UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle USAID United States Agency for International Development WCCB Wildlife Crime Control Bureau WWF World Wildlife Fund Snow Leopard Conservation Action Plan for Nepal (2017 – 2021) Contents Foreword .......................................................................................................................................................... III Acronyms and Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................... IV Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................................. VII Chapter 1: The Context ......................................................................................................................................... 1 1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Relevance of the Action Plan Revision .......................................................................... 1 1.2 Revision Process .......................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Scope of the Action Plan .............................................................................................. 1 2 Background ............................................................................................................................. 2 2.1 Global Status and Distribution ...................................................................................... 4 2.2 National Conservation Status ........................................................................................ 4 2.2.1 Snow Leopard Population Status and Ecology ............................................................. 8 2.2.2 Habitats and Prey ......................................................................................................... 8 2.2.3 Policy, Legislation and Institution .................................................................................. 8 3 Review of the Revised Snow Leopard Conservation Action Plan 2005–2015 & Priority Areas of NSLEP 2014-2020.................................................................................................................. 9 3.1 Implementation Status of the SLCAP 2005-2015 (Revised in 2012) .............................. 9 3.2 Priority Areas of NSLEP of Nepal .................................................................................. 9 4 Major Conservation Efforts and Achievements .......................................................................... 10 4.1 Enhancing Policy, Legislation and Institutions ............................................................... 10 4.1.1 Policy and Legislation ................................................................................................... 10 4.1.2 Institutional Development .............................................................................................. 10 4.2 Landscape Approach in Snow Leopard Conservation................................................... 10 4.3 Cutting-Edge Research to Inform Conservation ............................................................ 10 4.4 Community Engagement in Conservation ..................................................................... 10 4.5 Building Awareness and Capacity ................................................................................. 11 4.6 Transboundary, Regional and International Cooperation ............................................... 12 5 Threats ..................................................................................................................................... 12 5.1. Persisting Threats ......................................................................................................... 12 5.1.1 Loss of Prey ................................................................................................................. 12 5.1.2. Habitat Loss and Degradation ...................................................................................... 12 5.1.3 Wildlife Crime ............................................................................................................... 12 5.1.4 Human-Wildlife Conflict ................................................................................................ 12 5.2 Emerging Threats ......................................................................................................... 13 5.2.1 Adverse Impact of Climate Change ............................................................................... 13 5.2.2 Rapid Development of Illegal Wildlife Market Centers .................................................... 13 5.2.3 Unplanned Infrastructure Development ......................................................................... 13 6 Learning ................................................................................................................................... 13 7 Opportunities and Challenges ................................................................................................... 14 7.1 Transnational Landscape Conservation ......................................................................... 14 7.2 Enabling Policy and Institutions ..................................................................................... 14 7.3 Applying Cutting-Edge Technology in Research and Monitoring .................................... 14 7.4 Promoting Nature-Based Tourism ................................................................................. 14 7.5 Engaging Local Community in Conservation ................................................................. 15 7.6 Promoting Transboundary, Regional
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