The Nepali Army has completed five decades of service to the conservation of nature and environment across Nepal, marking a milestone in the country’s fight to protect its fragile biodiversity and natural heritage. Over the years, the Army has played a critical role in safeguarding national parks, wildlife, forests, and Himalayan ecosystems.

Nepal’s formal conservation journey took a major step in 1961 when the Army began rhino patrols in response to the declining population of the endangered one-horned rhinoceros, which had dropped from 800 to around 100. In 1973, Chitwan was declared the country’s first national park, and two years later, the government officially tasked the Nepali Army with park security.

Today, around 8,000 army personnel are deployed across 14 protected areas—including 12 national parks, one wildlife reserve, and one hunting reserve—through eight battalions, seven independent units, and one dedicated conservation training school.

Operating under National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act (1973) and the ‘Permanent Operating Procedure’ endorsed by the Council of Ministers in 2010, the Army has worked closely with government bodies, local communities, and international partners to implement large-scale operations like ‘Operation Conservation’, now in its 11th edition, says the Nepali Army Spokesperson Brigadier General Raja Ram Basnet who also is the director of Directorate of National Park and Wildlife Reserve.

The Army’s protection duties include patrolling inside national parks and wildlife reserves, preventing encroachment, combating illegal poaching, and controlling deforestation. In support of nature conservation research, the Army provides human resources for wildlife censuses, offers essential information related to conservation efforts, and assists in the rehabilitation of wild species.

As part of its social services, the Army aims to raise awareness about environmental protection. These efforts include large-scale afforestation programs, repairing and renovating schools and shrines, supporting health centers in buffer zones and protected areas, providing medical care and water supply, and contributing to the construction of bridges and short stretches of road.

According to the Army website, in disaster management, the Army’s strategic locations and organizational structure enable it to respond swiftly to natural calamities and assist victims effectively. Furthermore, the Army contributes to human resource development by preparing and providing trained personnel for conservation education and training programs within buffer zones, national parks, and wildlife reserves.

Forests occupy 25.4 percent of the land area of Nepal, but deforestation is rampant. FAO estimates that Nepal lost about 2,640 sq km of forest cover between 2000 and 2005. In this bleak scenario, the protection of forests and their biodiversity is a great challenge to Nepal. The Army’s 12 battalions and independent companies protect forest areas measuring some 9,767 sq km.

This effort has yielded remarkable results. The number of Bengal tigers in Nepal increased from 121 in 2009 to 355 in 2022, making Nepal the first country to more than double its tiger population ahead of the 2022 global commitment timeline. Similarly, the one-horned rhino population, once near extinction, rose to 752 as of the 2021 census.

In 2019, the Army launched the ‘Clean Himalaya Campaign’ in coordination with various stakeholders to address rising pollution in the mountain regions. So far, the campaign has collected over 119 tons of waste, recovered 12 dead bodies, and managed four human skeletons from Sagarmatha and other peaks.

Despite budgetary constraints halting this year’s campaign, the Army carried out the ‘Exercise Shikhar Yatra’ to collect 500 kilograms of waste from Pangboche and Dingboche under the Sagarmatha National Park and raised awareness among locals and trekkers, says Basnet.

Deployed across the country’s diverse geography—from the +42°C heat of the Tarai to the -20°C cold of the Himalayas—the Army conducts daily patrols on foot, bicycles, vehicles, boats, and even elephants to prevent illegal activities like poaching and encroachment. “The Army also runs awareness campaigns in local communities and schools to ensure people are part of the solution.

Technological advancements such as drones, CCTV surveillance, Smart Eye, Vehicle Tracking, and the Real-Time Patrol Monitoring System have been incorporated to modernize conservation efforts,” says Basnet. However, the Army emphasizes the need for further technological upgrades to meet evolving challenges.

The Army notes that despite strong efforts, numerous challenges persist. These include climate change impacts, illegal wildlife trade, human-wildlife conflict, habitat encroachment, and limited access to cutting-edge technology. Nepal also faces external pressures, such as international demand for wildlife products and its role as a transit country in global trafficking networks.

Nonetheless, Nepal’s integrated conservation model—combining military deployment, community involvement, and governmental cooperation—has earned international acclaim. Nepal celebrated several years (2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019) as ‘Zero Poaching Years’. Multiple army units have received the Abraham Conservation Award, and Bardiya National Park won the prestigious Tx2 Award for tiger conservation.

According to Basnet, the Army’s 50-year conservation journey is not just about protection, but also about ensuring sustainable development and responsible tourism. The preservation of Nepal’s unique biodiversity contributes significantly to global climate goals, especially in light of the Paris Agreement’s Article 6 and 9 provisions for climate finance.

Moreover, the Himalayas, which are crucial to the water supply for nearly 1.5bn people, are under increasing threat due to global warming and tourism-related pollution. “The Army’s clean-up campaigns and high-altitude patrols aim to safeguard these ecosystems for future generations,” says the Army.

Lieutenant Colonel Gajendra Rawal, operation officer at the Directorate of National Park and Wildlife Reserve, says that the Army is continuously enhancing its efforts through School of Nature Conversation. The school, operated by the Army for about a decade now, trains security personnel in nature conservation practices, particularly for those deployed within the park. The school also functions as a joint conservation institution, involving park officials, conservation partners, and other stakeholders.  

There are 12 different regulations related to national parks and wildlife conservation. The government is currently working to consolidate them into a single umbrella regulation, which is expected to address the existing gaps and community concerns.