Sagarmatha National Park and Buffer Zone (14342)
Nepal, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2025
National site name: Sagarmatha National Park and Buffer Zone
Central coordinates: Latitude: 27.7667, Longitude: 86.5000
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 2845 to 8848
Area of KBA (km2): 1131.1948
Protected area coverage (%): 98.97
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The SNPBZ lies in the Solukhumbu District, Koshi Province in the northeastern Nepal. It includes the upper catchment areas of the Dudhkoshi and Bhotakoshi Rivers and is largely composed of rugged terrain. The park and its Buffer Zone (SNPBZ) are bordered by Makalu-Barun National Park (MBNP) on the east, the Rolwaling valley of Dolakha district on the west, and the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve (QNNP) of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: A total of 219 bird species has been recorded in SNPBZ (SNP 2016). Five globally threatened species have been recorded but are all very uncommon, very rare or vagrant species: Wood Snipe Gallinago nemoricola (very rare visitor), Common Pochard Aythya ferina and Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca (very rare passage migrants), Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis (very rare passage migrant), and Saker Falcon Falco cherrug (vagrant).<p>Non-bird biodiversity: A total of 43 mammal species has been recorded including the globally threatened Himalayan Black Bear Ursus thibetanus, Asiatic Wild Dog Cuon alpinus, Himalayan Musk Deer Moschus chrysogaster, Snow Leopard Panthera uncia, Red Panda Ailurus fulgens and Wild Dog Cuon alpinus, and near-threatened Himalayan Tahr Hemitragus jemlahicus, Himalayan Serow Capricornis thar and Himalayan Goral Naemorhedus goral. Six amphibian and seven reptiles are also known from the park. There are 1074 known flowering plant species (DNPWC 2014) including 21 endemic species (Bhuju et al. 2007). As many as 150 mushroom species belonging to 37 families were recorded from Lukla (2480 m) to Pangboche (4000 m) in the SNPBZ (Rana and Giri 2006). </p>
Manageability of the site: Site identified based on BirdLife International's Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, under which manageability is strongly recommended but not explicitly documented
Delineation rationale: Protected IBAs extended to include designated Buffer Zones
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: The park represents the following ecosystems: glaciers, snow, rock; alpine meadows; meadows; sparsely vegetated rocks and screes; meadows and common land; Juniperus shrubberies and forests comprising subalpine Betula utilis with Rhododendron campanulatum, R. campylocarpum forest and Abies spectabilis; open and dry montane Pinus wallichiana; and Juniperus forest (Bhuju et al. 2007). Only 10% of the park is forested and lies mainly in low valley gorges (DNPWC 2014).
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Scenic landscapes and open spaces adversely affected by increasing development activities posing threats to sustainability of tourism and biodiversity conservation;<br> Wildlife predation by feral dogs and cats increasing;<br> Habitat fragmentation increasing due to human encroachment and settlement development;<br> Problem of low percentage of forest cover and slow growth rates compounded by high firewood and timber demand;<br> Human pressure growing on temperate and alpine vegetation; some forests have been converted into shrubland. Shrublands also shrinking due to over-exploitation and climate change;<br> Transboundary and inter-park cooperation is weak in controlling poaching, illegal trade, forest fires, and promoting mutual benefits of the park, MBNP, GCA and QNNP.<div>The overall climate change vulnerability index for Nepal showed that because of its high altitude, Solukhumbu district is highly vulnerable due to the risk of flooding from glacial lake outburst, drought and landslides.</div>
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Gathering terrestrial plants | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Energy production & mining | Renewable energy | Ongoing | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: <div>Bhuju, UR, Shakya, PR, Basnet, TB and Shrestha S. (2007) Nepal biodiversity resource book. Earthprint. </div>Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (2014) Sagarmatha National Park Management Plan (draft). Kathmandu.<div>Rana, P and Giri, A (2006) Mushroom diversity in the Sagarmatha National Park and its Buffer Zone area. Banko Janakari 16(2):17-24.</div><div>SNP (2016) Birds of Sagarmathan National Park and its Buffer Zone. Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation/Sagarmatha National Park Office, Namche, Solukhumbu, Nepal.</div>
Contributors: Site identified based on Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas by the BirdLife International Partnership