The Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP): Towards a Success Story in Landscape Feature and Watershed Conservation Management

Abstract

The Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) was established in 1986; it is Nepal’s largest protected area covering 7629 km² in the districts of Manang, Mustang, Kaski, Myagdi, and Lamjung. It functions as a major watershed protection for millions of people downstream! The Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) operates under the guidance of the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC). ACA is the first initiative in the conservation history of Nepal where local communities – bottom up – were directly involved in the actual management of the protected area. ACAP is very much popular as it contains world’s deepest river gorge – Kali Gandaki, and perhaps world’s largest rhododendron forest in Ghorepani, The wold’s highest lake (Tilicho lake) is located in Manang, as well as the beautiful Annapurna mountains, 1226 flowering plants, 102 mammals including snow leopard, Pallas’s cat, 485 birds, 41 reptiles and 23 amphibians. Watersheds are another precious part of ACA as it is the main source of drinking water both for human and wildlife which directly flow from the Himalayas and its divide to form rivers down. The water of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas, its temples and stupas symbolise the religious belief and culture of people. The biological diversity of the Annapurna region is equally resembled by cultural diversity of its people, which include Gurung, Magar, Thakali, Manange, Loba, Brahmin, Kshetri, Kami, Newar etc. cultures, which is the leading attraction for tourists. In spite of these great natural assets, environmental problems exist in ACAP due to poverty, illiteracy and growing populations. ACAP believes that without increasing the level of awareness of both villagers and visitors, lasting environmental protection and cultural diversity cannot really be achieved. So it has been incorporating, planning, and monitoring the developmental programs by engaging with local communities which is a pioneer example of locally managed protected areas in the world.

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