Annapurna Conservation Area

Annapurna Conservation Area_SAGUN
Introduction
The Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) is the Nepal’s largest protected and first conservation area with the entire habitat gradient from sub tropical sal forest to perennial snow. The total area is 7629 sq. km and was established in 1992. The proposed conservation area encompasses the Annapurna range in Western Nepal. It is bounded to the north by the dry alpine deserts of Mustang and Tibet (China), to the west by the Kali Gandaki River, to the east by Marsyandi Valley and to the south by valleys and foothills north of Pokhara (Sherpa et al., 1986). Some of the highest peaks in the world i.e. Annapurna (8091m) and Machhapuchhere (6993m), also the world’s deepest gorge( Kali Gandaki) and highest altitude lake (Tilicho Lake) are contained in this conservation area.
Location
The ACA area is situated at the altitude of 790-8090 with 28 13’48” -29 19’ 48”N latitude and 83 28’48”-84 26’24” E longitude (Ukesh Raj Bhuju, 2007). It is extended to Manang, Mustang, Kaski, Myagdi, and Lamjung districts, with 55 VDCs inhabited by various ethnic groups.We can go through different routes i.e. Pokhara, Jomsom, Phedi to reach Ghandruk via Dhampus -Landruk. Annapurna sanctuary and base camp is located at 6-7 days trek from Ghandruk some 30 km to the south (DNPWC, 2006).
History
Annapurna Conservation Area was established in 1985 and gazetted in 1992 as the largest conservation area in Nepal. In 1986 ACAP was implemented and managed by National Trust for Nature Conservation (MTNC), a national NGO (KMTNC 1997) in Ghandruk as a pilot project covering one VDC with area of 200 km2. The main objectives of ACAP were to conserve the natural resources of the ACA for the benefit of the present and future generations, bring sustainable social and economic development to the local people and develop tourism in such a way that it will have a minimum negative environmental impact. In 1990, its work area had expanded to 16 VDCs with an area of 1500 km2 officially gazetted in 1992 covering 55 VDCs with present area. ACAP has been mobilizing the local people of the ACA in its conservation and development initiatives since the project inception in 1986. As a result there is a well developed network of local institutions in place that have formed on a VDC basis, where Conservation Area Management Committee (CAMC) is the primary institution. Under the umbrella of the CAMC, other sub committees are formed as per the need.
Features of the Conservation area
The Conservation Area’s biological aspects cover species and habitat including ecosystem description, conservation, and management. Mountain peaks, high altitude pastures, trans-Himalayan valleys, forests, lakes, glaciers, rivers, and cultivated lands comprise the landscape. It is one of the Nepal’s most extensive protected areas. Two distinct climatic regions within a span of 120 km and altitude of 1000-8000m: 3000 mm annual rainfall in the south (cis Himalayas) and <500 mm annual rainfall in the north (trans-Himalayas).22 different types of forest are supposed to be found there. This area is also a permanent home to101 species of mammals including the symbolic species Snow leopard, Musk deer, Tibetan Argali, Tibetan wolf, and Tibetan fox, 474 species of birds (including 38 species of birds at risk in Nepal and six species of Himalayan pheasants found in Nepal), 39 species of reptiles and 22 species of amphibians. Bird species symbolic of the area are the Golden eagle, Demoiselle crane, and various pheasants. It is also a home to over 100,000 inhabitants from over 10 ethnic groups (Tibeto-Burmese: Gurung, Thakali, Bhotia, Ethnic Tibetan, and Magar; and Indo Aryan: Brahmin, Kshetri, Kami, Damai and Sarki).
About 3,430 species of flora have been recorded in the conservation area (BPP 1995). Out of which 56 species of flowering plants are endemic to the area (Shrestha and Joshi 1996), 456 vascular plants that includes 5 pteridophytes, 11 gymnosperms, 392 dicots, and 48 monocots. The ACA has an entire habitats gradient from sub tropical sal forest to perenial snow harboring 22 different forest types with 1226 plant species including 55 endemics, 30 mammals and 456 birds.
Challenges, Issues and problems in Annapurna Conservation Area
The objectives of the project are to conserve both natural and cultural resources for the benefit of the local people of both present and future generations by implementing rational management policies and programs. .Many of these biological sanctuaries is currently beset by a series of social, political, industrial, and institutional challenges. If these challenges are not addressed through appropriate management approaches and strategies, the world may lose all that the parks seek to protect (Terborgh and Peres 2002; Terborg 1999, Calhoun 1991). The conservation area is currently fraught with challenges that cut across, socio-economic, ecological, and political domains. Rising poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, and unequal distribution of tourism opportunities and income between villages widen existing social disparity that inhibits social integration for effective participatory conservation. The haphazard growth in tourism businesses has further deepened the area’s energy crisis as more hotels and lodges continue to crop up all along the trail (Baral and others 2007; Nepal and others 2002; Mehta and Heinen2001).
The traditional top–down approach to nature protection has been widely criticized for failing to include critical social elements in management practices, and is being gradually replaced by a slew of participatory strategies under the rubric of bottom-up conservation. External factors such as national and local politics have also posed serious challenges to conservation area and its participatory programs during the time of the field research. In one instance, local government in Mustang invoked the Local Self Governance Act 1999 to proceed with the construction of a controversial paved road in direct contravention of ACAP’s conservation laws and without any environmental impact assessment (KMTNC 2002). The road will certainly bring some economic prospects to the impoverished villages, but it will also bring a fair load of problems that will eventually erode the region’s pristine Shangri-la image. Ecological and cultural change, climate change are also the major issues.
ACAP has successfully implemented the participatory conservation strategy in the southern part of the conservation area. The extension of the strategy to the north is essentially aimed at replicating the successes from the south to create sustainable communities in the fragile environments of the Himalaya where a combination of rising population, unregulated tourism, deforestation, and the resultant land degradation and declining agricultural prospects have raised the specter of widespread social, economic and environmental ruins. However, there can be no comparisons between the two regions characterized by different geographic, cultural, and socio-economic dynamics. These distinctions could have affected ACAP’s implementation of participatory conservation and local response to it in the north. Reasonable adjustments in the programs and projects appropriate to local culture, social conditions and livelihood issues can make a difference in overall participation. Social disparity and its proponents present a challenge in the implementation of participatory programs in ACA (Damodar Khadka, 2009).

Mammal species in protected areas

Birds’ species in protected areas
These types of species are found in the area but some are going to be extinct. The the main challenge for us is to focus those wildlife and natural resources for the sustainability.

ACAP
The Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) operates under the guidance of the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation, Nepal's leading non-profit, non-governmental environmental organization. It is self-funded by entry user fees but receives additional support from the Worldwide Fund for Nature (USA) and the German Alpine Club. The project was set up in 1986 and has undertaken an innovative and successful approach to natural resource and tourism management in the Annapurna region. ACAP practices a multiple land use method of resource management, combining environmental protection with sustainable community development and tourism management. Income from tourism is used to integrate traditional subsistence activities into the framework of resource management and to develop small-scale conservation and alternative energy projects in order to raise the living standards of the local people. ACAP has a grassroots philosophy and approach that involves local communities in all aspects of the conservation and development process. ACAP's role is that of 'lami', or 'matchmaker', between local communities and sources of appropriate skills, knowledge and technical and financial assistance which enables these communities to improve the quality of their lives. Recognising that the breakdown of social structures contributes to environmental degradation, ACAP also strives to strengthen the cultural integrity of the area. At the heart of ACAP's program is conservation education. ACAP believes that without increasing the level of awareness of both villagers and visitors, lasting environmental protection and cultural diversity cannot be achieved. The principles of the project are people’s participation, catalytic role and sustainability. The Annapurna conservation Area has been divided into 7 Unit Conservation Offices (UCOs) for better and efficient administration and program implementation. Lomanthang(7 VDC), Jomsom(9),Manang(12), Gandruk(5), Lwang(7), Sikless(7), Bhujung(8) are the UCOs. ACAP has done works and conducted many programmes as agricultural development programme, livestock development programme, women development programe, tourism, health consultant development programme etc.
Environmental Policies
Environmental and biodiversity conservation policy development in nature and wildlife sector, has been impressive in Nepal. The wild life act was introduced in 1956. Following this, the conservation programs and policies on wild life and natural sectors took many developmental turns, finally promulgating the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act in 1973. “The development of conservation law (nature and wildlife sector) in Nepal proceeded at a very rapid pace, from a rather humble beginning in 1957 to the enactment of a very comprehensive piece of legislation by 1973” (Heinen and Kattel, 1992).Though the NPWC Act was promulgated two decades later than the AMP Act, it has evolved various conservation and management strategies. The idea of community participation and community based protected area management have been promoted by laws empowered by the 1973 act. There are many rules and regulations as National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act(1973), National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Regulations (1974), Mountaineering Expedition Regulations (1979), NTNC Act (1982), Conservation Area Regulations (1997), IUCN management category Conservation VI. This category has been done by the IUCN according to the management system. Annapurna conservation Area is in category VI .i.e. it was established mainly for the sustainable use and better management of the natural resources and the wildlife (Chapagain, 2008).
Conservation Critiques
Tourism development is becoming a spreading and enhancing programme in the area. It is clear that through the tourism development the country is getting benefit from different factors but due to over use of the development infrastructures like vehicles the resources as well as the wildlife is being threatened. This is causing a great problem especially in the case of conservation sectors. In addition to it, other thing that is making problem in conservation is the social disparity. There are a lot of people with different caste who are rich and some are poor. The rich people used to establish the hotels, café shop etc. but the poor people even don’t have economic support to do this type of work. So it makes them to ignore the programme.

Conclusion
Annapurna conservation Area is the largest and first conservation area of Nepal. The Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) is considered a model for conservation projects established by National Trust for Nature Conservation both within Nepal and throughout the world. ACAP’s Natural Resource Conservation Programme conducted a variety of activities, prepared 55 conservation area management committee (CAMC) operational plans. This conservation area is reach in natural resources as well as in the wildlife conservation but there are some challenges also. This area is also a good trekking destination that is making problem to enrolled people totally in the conservation.
Results and Recommendation
In the absence or lack of viable and affordable alternative sources of energy, the pressure has intensified on the area’s limited forest resources, raising the specter of widespread desertification. Formation of group-specific local committees and incentives appropriate to marginalized groups could be an effective antidote to existing social and cultural barriers in participation. Social divide and income disparities are formidable barriers in greater social mobilization for biodiversity conservation in the region. A more equitable distribution of tourism revenue can dismantle this barrier and usher in social equity and justice, a prerequisite in expanding participatory conservation.