In Nepal, controversial dam threatens endangered pangolins: Study
A proposed dam in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, threatens endangered pangolins and other wildlife by flooding their habitat, according to a new study. The dam's environmental impact assessment is criticized for failing to properly evaluate the risks to these threatened species.
A proposed dam in Kathmandu's northeastern ridge aims to revive the sewage-choked Bagmati River and ease the valley's chronic water shortage. However, conservationists warn that the project could harm critically endangered wildlife within the Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. The Nagmati Dam will inundate large parts of potential prime pangolin habitat and foraging areas, threatening Chinese and Indian pangolins. The dam's environmental impact assessment is criticized for overlooking this threat. The national park is a biodiversity hotspot, sheltering hundreds of species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and butterflies. The project may also displace other threatened wildlife, including leopards and Himalayan black bears.
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