Nepal: Forest Cover, 2005
| Total Land Area (ha) | 14,300,000 | | Total Forest Area (ha) | 3,636,000 | | Percent Forest Cover | 25.43% | | Primary Forest Cover (ha) | 349,000 | | Primary Forest, % total forest | 9.60% | | Primary Forest, % total land | 2.44% | | Other wooded land (ha) | 1,897,000 |
Nepal : Forest types
| Tropical (% forest area) | 58% | | Subtropical (% forest area) | 42% | | Temperate (% forest area) | 0% | | Boreal/polar (% forest area) | 0% |
Nepal: Breakdown of forest types, 2005
| Primary forest (ha | %) | 349,000 | 9.6% | | Modified natural (ha | %) | 384,000 | 10.6% | | Semi-natural (ha | %) | 2,850,000 | 78.4% | | Production plantation (ha | %) | 43,000 | 1.2% | | Production plantation (ha | %) | 10,000 | 0.3% |
Nepal: Change in Forest Cover
| TOTAL FOREST COVER | | Forest 1990 (ha) | 4,817,000 | | Forest 2000 (ha) | 3,900,000 | | Forest 2005 (ha) | 3,636,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | (91,700) | -1.90% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | (52,800) | -1.35% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | (1,181,000) | -24.52% | | Change in rate (%) | -28.88% | | PRIMARY FOREST COVER | | Primary 1990 (ha) | 391,000 | | Primary 2000 (ha) | 384,000 | | Primary 2005 (ha) | 349,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | (700) | -0.18% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | (7,000) | -1.82% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | (42,000) | -10.74% | | Change in rate (%) | 918.23% | | OTHER WOODED LAND | | Other 1990 (ha) | 1,180,000 | | Other 2000 (ha) | 1,753,000 | | Other 2005 (ha) | 1,897,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | 57,300 | 4.86% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | 28,800 | 1.64% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | 717,000 | 60.76% | | Change in rate (%) | -66.17% | | PLANTATIONS | | Other 1990 (ha) | 49,000 | | Other 2000 (ha) | 52,000 | | Other 2005 (ha) | 53,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | 300 | 0.61% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | 200 | 0.38% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | 4,000 | 8.16% | | Change in rate (%) | -37.18% | TOTAL DEGRADATION/CONSERVSION
Forest area+Wooded Area-Plantations | | Other 1990 (ha) | 5,948,000 | | Other 2000 (ha) | 5,601,000 | | Other 2005 (ha) | 5,480,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | (34,700) | -0.58% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | (24,200) | -0.43% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | (468,000) | -7.87% | | Change in rate (%) | -25.94% |
Nepal: Primary
| Primary or "old-growth" vegetation | | Primary Forest 2005 (ha) | 349,000 | | Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) | - | | Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) | 349,000 | | Undisturbed vegetation 2005 (% land area) | 2.44% |
Nepal: Forest designation
| Ownership of forest land, 2000 | | Public (%) | 99.9% | | Private (%) | 0.1% | | Other (%) | - | | Ownership of other wooded land, 2000 | | Public (%) | 100.0% | | Private (%) | - | | Other (%) | - | | Designated functions of forest � primary function 2005 | | Production (%) | 5.1% | | Protection (%) | 12.1% | | Conservation (%) | 21.4% | | Social Services (%) | - | | Multiple Services (%) | 14.7% | | None of Unknown (%) | 46.8% |
Nepal: Disturbances affecting forest land 2000
| Forest Area annually affected by | | Fire (%) | 10.26% | | Insects (ha) | - | | Diseases (ha) | 0.00% | | Other (ha) | - |
Nepal: Protected areas
| Protected areas | | Biosphere reserves, 2005 | | Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites), 2005 | 4 | | World Heritage sites, 2004 | 4 | | Protected Areas: IUCN categories I-V, percent of total land | 7.6% | | Protected Areas: IUCN categories Ia, Ib, and II, extent, percent of total land | 6.99% | | Protected Areas: IUCN categories III, IV, and V, percent of total land, 2004 | 0.67% | | Protected Areas: IUCN categories VI and other, percent of total land, 2004 | 10.44% |
Nepal: Biodiversity - Wildlife
| Amphibians | | total species | 50 | | endemic species | 13 | | threatened species | 3 | | Birds | | total species | 864 | | endemic species | 8 | | threatened species | 31 | | Mammals | | total species | 203 | | endemic species | 4 | | threatened species | 29 | | Reptiles | | total species | 123 | | endemic species | 11 | | threatened species | 6 | | Wildlife diversity | | total species | 1240 | | endemic species | 36 | | threatened species | 69 |
Nepal: Biodiversity - Plants
| Growing stock composition | 3 most common species
% of total growing stock | 45.10% | | Growing stock composition | 3 most common species
% of total growing stock | 68.70% | | Number of Native tree species | | | Native tree species | 225 | | Number of tree species in IUCN red list | | Critically Endangered | | 0 | | Endangered | 0 | | Vulnerable | 3 | | Vascular Plant Species, 2004 | | Total | 6973 | | Number endemic | 315 | | Number of Threatened Plant Species, 2004 | | Species threatened | 7 |
Nepal: Value of forests
| Biomass stock in forest, 2005 | | Above-ground biomass (M t) | 718 | | Below-ground biomass (M t) | 251 | | Dead wood (M t) | 145 | | Total (M t) | 1,114 | | Carbon stock in forest, 2005 | | Carbon in above-ground biomass (M t) | 359 | | Carbon in below-ground biomass (M t) | 126 | | Carbon in dead wood (M t) | 73 | | Carbon in litter (M t) | 13 | | Soil carbon (M t) | 326 | | Change in growing stock 1990 - 2005 | | Annual change rate (1000 cubic m/yr) | | 1990-2000 | 23,000 | | 2000-2005 | -9,400 | | Growing stock per hectare 1990 - 2005 | | Annual change rate ( cubic m/ha per yr) | | 1990-2000 | 8.16 | | 2000-2005 | n.s. | | Wood removal 2005 | | Industrial roundwood (1000 cubic m) | 67 | | Wood fuel (1000 cubic m) | 52 | | Total wood removal 2005 (1000 cubic m) | 119 | | Total wood removal 2005 (% of growing stock) | n.s. | | Plant products 2005 | | Food (t) | - | | Fodder (t) | - | | Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) | - | | Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) | - | | Raw material for utensils, handicrafts & construction (t) | - | | Ornamental plants (t) | - | | Exudates (t) | - | | Other plant products (t) | - | | Animal products 2005 | | Living animals (units) | - | | Hides, skins and trophies (units) | - | | Wild honey and bee-wax (t) | - | | Bush meat (t) | - | | Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) | - | | Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) | - | | Other edible animal products (t) | - | | Other non-edible animal products (t) | - | | Value of wood and non-wood forest product removal 2005 | | Industrial roundwood (US$) | $5,610,000 | | Wood fuel (US$) | - | | Non-wood forest products (US$) | - | | Total value (US$) | $5,610,000 | | Total value ($USD/ha) | $2 | | Employment in forestry 2000 | | Total people employed | 110,000 |
Nepal : Production, trade and consumption of forest products, 2002
| Woodfuel ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 12,728 | | Imports | - | | Exports | - | | Consumption | 12,728 | | Industrial roundwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 1,260 | | Imports | 0 | | Exports | 0 | | Consumption | 1,260 | | Sawnwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 630 | | Imports | 0 | | Exports | 0 | | Consumption | 630 | | Wood-based panels ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 5 | | Imports | 4 | | Exports | 0 | | Consumption | 9 | | Pulp for paper ('000 metric tons), 2002 | | Production | 15 | | Imports | 0 | | Exports | 0 | | Consumption | 15 | | Paper and paperboard ('000 metric tons), 2002 | | Production | 13 | | Imports | 2 | | Exports | 0 | | Consumption | 15 |
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Nepal: Environment
| Environment - current issues | deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives); contaminated water (with human and animal wastes, agricultural runoff, and industrial effluents); wildlife conservation; vehicular emissions | | Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation | | Natural hazards | severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons |
Nepal: Land use / Resources
| Land use (%) | arable land: 21.68%
permanent crops: 0.64%
other: 77.68% (2001) | | Natural resources | quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore |
Nepal: Economy
| Economy - overview: | Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with 40% of its population living below the poverty line. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over 80% of the population and accounting for 40% of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Security concerns in the wake of the Maoist conflict have led to a decrease in tourism, a key source of foreign exchange. Nepal has considerable scope for exploiting its potential in hydropower and tourism, areas of recent foreign investment interest. Prospects for foreign trade or investment in other sectors will remain poor, however, because of the small size of the economy, its technological backwardness, its remoteness, its landlocked geographic location, its civil strife, and its susceptibility to natural disaster. | | GDP - per capita | $1,500 (2005 est.) | | GDP - real growth rate (%) | 2.5% (2005 est.) | | Agriculture - products | rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat | | GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 40%, industry: 20%, services: 40% (2002 est.) | | Industries | tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette; cement and brick production | | Economic aid - recipient | $424 million (FY00/01) | | Debt - external | $2.7 billion (2001) | | Population below poverty line (%) | 42% (1995-96) | | Labor force - by occupation (%) | agriculture 81%, industry 3%, services 16% |
Nepal: Population / Demographics
| Population (July 2005) | 27,676,547 | | Population growth rate (%) (2005) | 2.20% | | Population density (people/sq km) (2005) | 202.3 | | Percent rural (2003) | 85.0% | | Median age (years) | total: 20.07 years | | Total fertility rate (children born/woman) | 4.19 (2005 est.) | | Ethnic groups (%) | Chhettri 15.5%, Brahman-Hill 12.5%, Magar 7%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang 5.5%, Newar 5.4%, Muslim 4.2%, Kami 3.9%, Yadav 3.9%, other 32.7%, unspecified 2.8% (2001 census) |
Largest Cities in Nepal
Cities and urban areas in Nepal with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002.
| City | Country | City Population | Urban Area Population |
| Kathmandu | Nepal | 640500 | 1229000 |
| Biratnagar | Nepal | 212600 | 212600 |
| Pokhara | Nepal | 165800 | 165800 |
| Lalitpur | Nepal | 158200 | 158200 |
| Birganj | Nepal | 124800 | 124800 |
| Dharan | Nepal | 110400 | 110400 |
 Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005
Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005) and the State of the World�s Forests (2005, 2003, 2001)
Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas.
Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory.
RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.
World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site
The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund
With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com
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