Local governments in Dang-Deukhuri have formally endorsed several of their wards as important bird habitats, marking a significant step toward strengthening conservation and the protection of bird species in western Nepal. The endorsement letters were issued by Rajpur Rural Municipality, Gadhawa Rural Municipality, Rapti Rural Municipality, and Lamahi Municipality in support to conserve ecologically significant wetlands, lakes, river systems, and associated habitats that provide critical refuge for both resident and migratory bird species.

The endorsements reflect growing recognition among local governments of the ecological, environmental, and socio-economic importance of wetlands and avian biodiversity. These habitats play a crucial role in sustaining migratory flyways and maintaining broader ecosystem health.

The wetlands and riverine ecosystems of the Dang-Deukhuri landscape, particularly within the West Rapti River system, are recognized for their high ecological significance and their importance for migratory water birds. The West Rapti River forms one of the region’s major wetland corridors, flowing through the Deukhuri Valley in the inner terai after emerging from a gorge through the Mahabharat hills at Bhalubang. Numerous tributaries, oxbow lakes, floodplains, and associated wetlands along the river corridor provide essential habitats for a wide diversity of bird species.

The Dang-Deukhuri Forests and West Rapti Wetland Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) lies within the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) Programme of the Government of Nepal and supports approximately 256 bird species,  as mentioned in Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas in Nepal published by Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN) in 2024. This IBA serves as an important feeding, nesting, breeding, and stopover site for a wide range of forest and wetland-dependent and migratory birds, such as critically endangered White-rumped Vulture, Bar-headed Goose, among many others. Underlining its significance for both national and regional biodiversity conservation.

Despite their ecological importance, many wetland systems within the landscape are increasingly threatened by habitat encroachment, pollution, unsustainable extraction of natural resources, and declining water quality. Illegal hunting, trapping, gun shots and other anthropogenic pressures have also been documented in several these areas, posing additional risks to bird populations and fragile ecosystems.

In this context, the formal endorsements issued by local governments represent an important milestone in strengthening conservation governance at the local level. The initiative is expected to enhance regulatory support, improve habitat protection measures, and contribute to the long-term safety and conservation of bird populations and wetland ecosystems.

Nepal lies along the Central Asian Flyway, one of the world’s major migratory bird routes, and hosts numerous wetlands that serve as seasonal resting, feeding, and breeding grounds for migratory species. The formal recognition and endorsement of priority bird habitats by local governments, therefore, contribute significantly to broader national and international efforts aimed at safeguarding biodiversity and strengthening conservation action at the grassroots level.

The initiative also creates opportunities for stronger collaboration among local governments, conservation organizations, researchers, and local communities to support habitat protection, ecological monitoring, awareness-raising, and community-based conservation initiatives. Such collaborative approaches are increasingly recognized as essential for ensuring the sustainable management of these ecologically sensitive IBAs.

The endorsement of priority bird habitats in Dang-Deukhuri marks an encouraging step toward integrating biodiversity conservation into local governance and development planning. It also represents an important achievement in policy advocacy and conservation outreach led by BCN under its project “Engaging local government and communities to conserve migratory birds in Dang-Deukhuri Foothill Forests and West Rapti Wetlands IBA, Nepal”. The project’s main objective is Advocacy for conservation of migratory bird species and awareneness building.

Nevertheless, continued coordination, institutional commitment, and long-term collaboration among stakeholders will be essential to ensure the effective protection, restoration, and sustainable management of these ecologically important sites for the benefit of both biodiversity and local communities.