Annapurna Conservation Area
This conservation area is Nepal's most famous trekking destination. The Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) is the largest protected area in the country, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources. It is one of the most popular trekking destinations in Nepal, attracting thousands of visitors annually for Annapurna Conservation Area trekking.
It covers the Districts of Kaski, Lamjung, Myagdi, Mustang, and Manang in the Western Development Zone, the largest area protected in Nepal with an area of 7,629 sq km, and is managed by the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) with active participation of local people.
The Annapurna Conservation Area was established in 2043 BS. (1985 A.D.), and it was officially gazetted in 1992. Its main aim is to conserve the Annapurna range in western Nepal, promote sustainable social and economic development for the locals, and encourage tourism with minimum environmental impact. Originally established under the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation, today the organization is known as the National Trust for Nature Conservation.
It includes a few major highlights, such as Machhapuchhre, Annapurna Himal, Dhaulagiri, the Manang and Mustang valleys, and the Gurung and Thakali cultures that have international recognition for both natural and cultural diversity. With breathtaking scenery, it attracts most of the tourists in Nepal while traveling through its mountainous landscape. It houses many different species, such as the Kashmir musk deer, Himalayan musk deer, snow leopard, clouded leopard, red panda, and Himalayan black bear. This place also encompasses cultural features like the famous revered Muktinath Temple and Damodar Kund.
Pokhara is the nearest town, around about 30 kilometers to the south, known as the city of lakes. The ACA 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 the Marsyangdi Valley, and to the south by the valleys and foothills north of Pokhara. Elevation in the ACA varies from 790 m (2,590 ft) to the summit of Annapurna I at 8,091 m (26,545 ft). This is a very rich conservation area in terms of biodiversity.
The NTNC has successfully implemented various development programmes, such as resource conservation, community development, tourism management and conservation education for improving the living standards of the local people while preserving the natural environment. The Annapurna Conservation Area has become a role model in terms of public participation in conservation and has integrated wildlife protection with community development.
The survey reports also say that Annapurna Conservation Area presents some of the world's highest peaks: Annapurna I, 8,091 m and Machhapuchhre, 6,993 m; the world's deepest gorge, Kali Gandaki; and Tilicho Lake, one of the highest-altitude lakes in the world. It harbors 1,226 plant species, 101 mammal species, including the snow leopard, musk deer, Tibetan argali, and Tibetan wolf; 478 bird species; 38 orchid species; 39 reptile species; 22 amphibian species; 9 rhododendron species; and 38 species of colorful flowering plants add to its incomparable natural beauty.
This has improved the livelihoods through employment and foreign currency from tourism, hence making it the most visited trekking destination in Nepal. The Annapurna Conservation Area is one of the examples where the public can be involved in nature conservation with integrated conservation and community development programs. However, it still faces problems as a result of high demand for forest products and hydropower development, and its administration is concerned with how to balance conservation and development.
