The protected areas of Nepal cover mainly forested land and are located at various altitudes in the Terai, in the foothills of the Himalayas and in the mountains, thus encompassing a multitude of landscapes and preserving a vast biodiversity in the Palearctic and Indomalayan realms. Nepal covers in the central part of the Himalayas. Altitudes range from in the south-eastern Terai to at Mount Everest within a short horizontal span. This extreme altitudinal gradient has resulted in 11 bio-climatic zones ranging from lower tropical below to nival above in the High Himalayas, encompassing nine terrestrial ecoregions with 36 vegetation types.

Additionally, nine Ramsar sites were declared between 1988 and 2008. Two wildlife reserves were declared as national parks in 2017.

Botanical gardens National Botanical Garden, Godawari, Lalitpur Maipokhari Botanical Garden, Ilam Dhanushadham Botanical Garden, Dhanusha Mountain Botanical Garden, Daman, Makwanpur World Peace Biodiversity Garden, Pokhara Brindaban Botanical Garden, Makawanpur Dhakeri Botanical Garden, Banke Mulpani Botanical Garden, Salyan Dhitachaur Botanical Garden, Jumla Dewahariya Botanical Garden, Kailali National Herbarium and Plant Laboratories

Protected areas

NameImageDistrictsProvincesSizeDeclarationIUCN CategoryNotesNational parks Chitwan National Park Chitwan, Nawalpur, Makwanpur, ParsaBagmati, Madhesh, Gandaki 1973IIUNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984 Sagarmatha National Park SolukhumbuKoshi 19 July 1976 II UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979 Langtang National Park Nuwakot, Rasuwa, SindhupalchowkBagmati 1976 II Rara National Park Mugu, JumlaKarnali 1976 II Khaptad National Park Bajhang, Bajura, Achham, DotiSudurpaschim 1984 II Shey Phoksundo National Park Dolpa, MuguKarnali 1984 II Bardiya National Park Bardiya Lumbini 1988 II Makalu Barun National Park Solukhumbu, SankhuwasabhaKoshi 1992 II Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park Kathmandu. Nuwakot, SindhupalchowkBagmati 2002 II Banke National Park Banke, Salyan, DangLumbini 12 July 2010 II Shuklaphanta National Park KanchanpurSudurpaschim 1976 as Wildlife Reserve; 2017 as National Park II Parsa National Park Bara, Makwanpur, ParsaMadhesh, Bagmati 1984 as Wildlife Reserve, 2017 as National Park II Chhayanath National Park MuguKarnali 4 September 2025 II Newest national park of NepalConservation areas Annapurna Conservation Area Manang, Mustang, Kaski, Myagdi, Lamjung Gandaki 1992 VI Largest protected area in Nepal by land area Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Taplejung Koshi 1997 VI Manaslu Conservation Area Gorkha Gandaki 1998 VI Blackbuck Conservation Area Bardiya Lumbini March 2009 VI Smallest protected area in Nepal by land area Api Nampa Conservation Area Darchula Sudurpashchim 2010 VI Gaurishankar Conservation Area Ramechhap, Dolakha, Sindhupalchowk Bagmati 10 January 2010 VIBadimalika–Ramaroshan Forest Conservation AreaBajura District and Achham District Sudurpaschim12 August 2026VINewest conservation area of NepalWildlife reserve Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve Sunsari, Saptari, Udayapur Koshi, Madhesh 1976 IV Also a Ramsar Wetland since 1987Hunting reserve Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve Eastern Rukum, Myagdi, Baglung Gandaki, Lumbini 1987 Ramsar site Bishazari Tal Chitwan Bagmati 13 August 2003 Part of Chitwan National Park Ghodaghodi Tal Kailali Sudurpashchim 13 August 2003 Bird Sanctuary since March 2022 Gokyo Lake Complex Solukhumbu Koshi 13 September 2007 Part of Sagarmatha National Park Gosaikunda Rasuwa Bagmati 23 September 2007 Part of Langtang National Park Jagdishpur Reservoir Kapilvastu Lumbini 13 August 2003 Mai Pokhari Ilam Koshi 20 October 2008 Phoksundo Lake Dolpa Karnali 23 September 2007 Part of Shey Phoksundo National Park Rara Lake Mugu Karnali 23 September 2007 Part of Rara National Park Lake Cluster of Pokhara Valley Kaski Gandaki 2 February 2016

References

External links Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Nepal