Conservation Info >> Protected Areas > Annapurna Conservation Area

The area Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) has been a smash hit in the world of conservation. Perhaps this is the area that pioneered a successful conservation without armed personnel. With the help of the local people, this highland could be well protected. The area contains some of the world’s highest peaks the world’s deepest valley-the Kali Gandaki River Valley. It is the Nepal’s largest protected area of 7629 sq. km. It was established in 1992. The proposed conservation area encompasses the Annapurna range in Western Nepal.

It 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 Marsyangdi Valley and to the south by valleys and foothills north of Pokhara (Sherpa et. al., 1986). The nearest town is Pokhara, some 30 km to the south. Access is by road from Pokhara Nandanda and from then onwards by foot. Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) has been running it's programs in the area with an aim to conserve nature and it's local community. In 1986 ACAP was implemented by KMTNC in Ghandruk as a pilot project covering one VDC with area of 200 sq. km. In 1990, its work area had expanded to 16 VDCs with an area of 1500 km2. Officially gazetted in 1992 covering 55 VDCs with present area.

Heritage Significance

It has some of the world’s highest peaks (Annapurna I: 8,091m, Machhapuchhere: 6,993), world’s deepest gorge: Kali Gandaki and one of the world's highest altitude lake Tilicho. It is gifted from most popular trekking destination, two distinct climatic regions (3000mm annual rainfall in south cis Himalayas) and <500mm annual rainfall in north (Trans Himalayas) within a span of 120 km and altitude of 1000-8000m.

ACA has been enriched with 22 different forest types, a total of 1226 species of plants (1140 species in the cis Himalayas) including 38 Orchid species and 9 Rhododendron species, 101 species of mammals including snow leopard, Musk deer, Tibetan Argali, Tibetan wolf, Tibetan fox, 474 species of birds including 38 breeding species of birds at risk in Nepal, all six Himalayan pheasants found in Nepal, 39 species of reptiles and 22 species of amphibians.

It is also the Nepal’s largest protected area and first conservation area with the entire habitat gradient from sub tropical sal forest to perennial snow.