Mountain Partnership

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Nepal

Mountains constitute some 70 percent of the land surface area of Nepal (there are more than 1,000 mountains above 6,000 metres in Nepal). Nepal is home to eight of the world's 14 peaks over 8,000 metres, and shares Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain at 8,850 metres, with China, and with India the world's third tallest mountain, Kangchenjunga at 8,586 metres. Mountain areas are important as sources of water supply and biodiversity and also in terms of their cultural heritage. Bioclimates within the country range from tropical to alpine and arctic. Currently nearly 19 percent of national territory falls under a protected area system, which includes the highest terrestrial ecosystems in the world. Despite being a small country, over two percent of the world's flowering plants grow in Nepal. The country is also extremely rich in medicinal plants and wildlife species.

Nepal is prone to natural disasters such as landslides, floods and earthquakes. Many factors have already taken a significant toll on Nepal's unique biodiversity: deforestation, forest fires, the commercialization of agriculture, increasing human and livestock pressure, growing urbanization and changing lifestyles have all impacted adversely upon natural resources. The process of deforestation accelerated from the 1950s when the population boomed and uncontrolled illegal encroachment began to take place on a massive scale. Nepal's economy is predominantly subsistence-based and sources of income still rely heavily on biodiversity resources, which as a result are increasingly under threat. The remoteness and relative inaccessibility of mountain communities also create conditions for socio-political instability. Mountain communities are poor and marginalized and basic infrastructures are lacking. These areas are currently the focus of specially focused poverty alleviation policies and strategies. Other priority concerns are: access to education, biodiversity conservation, capacity-building, food security, gender issues, hazards and risks, health, land degradation, mountain products, policy and law, tourism and watershed management.

Tourism is an important source of income for Nepal. The country has recently opened another 100 peaks for mountaineering expeditions in order to attract more climbing expeditions to Nepal, at the same time imposing strict regulations to prevent further damage to these fragile environments. This means that a total of 263 peaks have now been open for international climbing since March 2002.

Nepal has a wealth of experience in many aspects of sustainable mountain development (e.g. watershed management, community forestry, tourism, national parks), and in this respect the country plays a leading role within the Hindu-Kush Himalayas. At an early stage it was recognized that a deteriorating natural environment was a considerable obstacle to development. Recent government policies are moving towards empowering local communities to manage resources.

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), headquartered in Nepal, is undertaking many projects and addressing problems in the mountains of the Hindu-Kush Himalayas. In addition, ICIMOD hosts the Asia-Pacific Mountain Network, a regional node of the Mountain Forum, as well as the Global Secretariat for the Mountain Forum.

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