In-situ conservation of Platanista gangetica in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve Buffer Zone Area

Ganges river Dolphin (Platanista gangetica) is categorized an endangered species in IUCN red list, and critically endangered in national red list of mammals. The legal status in Nepal is Protected (Appendix I) under the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1973 and Appendix I in CITES law.

Koshi barrage is the main habitat in Koshi river, which is the border of Nepal and India. Koshi Tappu was declared a Ramsar site, a wetland of international significance. There are about 20 population in Nepal about 5 in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve.

The project aims to protect and conserve of this critically endangered species and ecosystem through balancing of livelihood of fisherman including community people and conservation of natural habitat.
Conserving river dolphin is important not only because they are globally endangered, but perhaps more so because they are at the apex of the food chain in fresh water ecosystem and their conservation benefits other endangered aquatic fauna and provisions myriad of freshwater ecosystem services for human wellbeing.

Project site is the Koshi river including Koshi Barrage which is about 28 km long.

This project will be implemented August 2022 to November 2023 (16 months). This main partner organizations are National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) and Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve.