A faunal biodiversity study is being conducted for the first time in the country starting in western Nepal, to assess the status of existing animal life, their habitats and identify the conservation challenges faced by the wildlife species along the Chure region that stretches from Ilam in the East and Kanchanpur in the West, covering 36 districts.

The two-year study on faunal biodiversity is being jointly carried out by the National Trust for Nature Conservation and President Chure-Tarai Madhes Conservation Development Committee. “The assessment is first of its kind in Nepal covering the biodiversity across one of the most vulnerable ecological regions in the country. This will find out the status of biodiversity in Chure and

recommend measures to improve the deteriorating habitats,” said Manish Raj Pandey, chief conservation officer with the NTNC.

The assessment will be carried out in four blocks across the Chure region—Eastern, Central, Western and Far-western.

“The assessment will be started on Friday in the far-western block, stretching from Kanchanpur, Dadeldhura to Karnali corridor, said Anil Prasain, chief of the NTNC office in Kanchanpur district. “It will take around two months to carry out study along the Karnali corridor,” he said.

The biodiversity assessment will study about animal life that exists in Chure region including various species like mammals, birds, reptiles, butterflies and fish, among others.

It is estimated that around 3.6 million people live in Chure region, which is 14 percent of the total population of the country. The increasing impact on biodiversity due to growing human settlements compounded with natural disasters and climate change are posing serious challenges to conservation in the region.