Natural heritage

Nepal represents 118 ecosystems and 35 forest types. Its biological diversity ranging between Indo-Malayan and palaeoarctic fauna and flora includes 3 critically endangered, 14endangered and 42 vulnerable fauna species, and 2 endangered and 4 vulnerable flora species according to the 2000 IUCN Red list of threatened species. As per Nepal records, there are over 6,500 vascular plants including 252 endemic plants, 400 species of trees and 700 species of medicinal plants and over 844 birds, 181 mammals, 100 reptiles and 42 amphibians. It is also a fact that Nepal's hydro power potential is 84,000MW that would be a total hydro power potential of the North American continent.
Government of Nepal has declared two significant areas of the country as Gifts to the Earth in support of the WWF'S global campaign to save the earth. They are the Kanchenjunga region and the proposed extension of the Bardia National park. Similarly, WWF has identified four of the Global 200 Eco-regions in Nepal representing major biodiversity regions of the world that need special attention. They are Tarai-Duar savanna and Grassland and Himalayan Alpine Meadow. Eastern Himalayan Temperate forest, and western Himalayan Temperate forest.