Pokhara, February 1

The government of Nepal has recently listed nine more lakes in Kaski district under the Ramsar Convention. The lakes are located in Pokhara and Lekhnath.

Pokhara Valley Lake Protection Committee and District Development Committee of Kaski made the formal announcement of inclusion of basin areas of Phewa, Begnas, Rupa, Dipang, Maidi, Khaste, Nyureni, Kamaltal and Gude lakes on the Ramsar list at a press meet organised in Pokhara today.

So far, nine basin areas across the country have already made it to the list. Nine more lakes two in Pokhara and seven in Lekhnath were registered today on the occasion of World Simsar Day that falls on February 2. Decision to include the lakes on the list was taken on April 30, 2014.

The Ramsar Convention is formally the convention on the conservation of wetlands of international importance and it was signed on February 2, 1971 in the Ramsar city of Iran.

Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Gokya Lake of Solukhumbu, Gosaikunda of Rasuwa, Jagdishpur of Kapilvastu, Rara of Mugu, Ghodaghodi of Kailali, Maipokhari of Ilam and Bishajari Lake of Chitwan have been already included on the Ramsar list.

Wetlands considered as storage of biological diversities have an important role in the ecosystem. Nepal has been involved with the convention since 1987.

So far, 169 countries have been a part of this convention.