Big Gains, Bigger Challenges

Around 23.39 percent of Nepal’s total land area falls within protected zones, playing a vital role in conserving the country’s rich biodiversity. These sustained efforts have enabled Nepal to make remarkable progress in protecting and restoring key species such as tigers, rhinos, elephants and gharials. At the 2010 “St. Petersburg Tiger Summit,” the international community pledged to double the global wild tiger population by 2022. Nepal, along with 12 other tiger-range countries, committed to this goal. In line with that pledge, Nepal increased its tiger population from just 121 in 2010 to 355 in 2022—nearly tripling the number. This achievement earned global recognition and became a source of national pride. Improvements in habitat quality, growth in prey species, expansion of protected areas, stronger anti-poaching measures, and robust community-level conservation efforts all contributed to this success. Close cooperation among the government, partner organizations, local communities and other stakeholders also played a crucial role. However, the rise in tiger numbers has made habitat management and the reduction of human–tiger conflict more urgent. Climate change in recent years has further posed a challenge in protecting biodiversity. As warming temperatures and erratic rainfall make traditional habitats unsuitable, it is natural for tigers and other wildlife to search for more favourable environments. Climate change affects hydrological and food cycles and disrupts ecological systems, creating additional challenges for conservation. Species that cannot adapt to these rapidly changing conditions face heightened risks of decline or extinction.