Editing Geography of Nepal (section)

== Land cover ==
[[File:Land cover map of Nepal using Landsat 30 m (2010) data.jpg|alt=Land cover map of 2010|thumb|450px|A land cover map of Nepal using Landsat 30 m (2010) data.]]
[[International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development|ICIMOD]]’s first and most complete national land cover<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Development of 2010 national land cover database for the Nepal|journal = Journal of Environmental Management|date = 2015-01-15|pages = 82–90|volume = 148|series = Land Cover/Land Use Change (LC/LUC) and Environmental Impacts in South Asia|doi = 10.1016/j.jenvman.2014.07.047|pmid = 25181944|first1 = Kabir|last1 = Uddin|first2 = Him Lal|last2 = Shrestha|first3 = M. S. R.|last3 = Murthy|first4 = Birendra|last4 = Bajracharya|first5 = Basanta|last5 = Shrestha|first6 = Hammad|last6 = Gilani|first7 = Sudip|last7 = Pradhan|first8 = Bikash|last8 = Dangol}}</ref> database of Nepal prepared using public domain [[Landsat program|Landsat]] [[Thematic Mapper|TM]] data of 2010 shows that show that forest is the dominant form of land cover in Nepal covering 57,538&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> with a contribution of 39.09% to the total geographical area of the country. Most of this [[forest cover]] is broadleaved closed and open forest, which covers 21,200&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> or 14.4% of the geographical area.

Needleleaved open forest is the least common of the forest areas covering 8267&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (5.62%). Agriculture area is significant extending over 43,910&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (29.83%). As would be expected, the high mountain area is largely covered by snow and glaciers and barren land.

[[File:Agriculture land of Nepal.jpg|alt=Terrance agriculture land of Nepal|thumb|300px|Terraced farmland in Nepal.]]
The Hill region constitutes the largest portion of [[Nepal]], covering 29.5% of the geographical area, and has a large area (19,783&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of cultivated or managed lands, natural and semi natural vegetation (22,621&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) and artificial surfaces (200&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>). The Tarai region has more cultivated or managed land (14,104&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) and comparatively less natural and semi natural vegetation (4280&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>). The Tarai has only 267&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of natural water bodies. The High mountain region has 12,062&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of natural water bodies, snow/glaciers and 13,105&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> barren areas.

=== Forests ===
25.4% of Nepal's land area, or about {{convert|36360|km2|mi2|0|abbr=on}} is covered with forest according to [[FAO]] figures from 2005. FAO estimates that around 9.6% of Nepal's forest cover consists of ''primary forest'' which is relatively intact. About 12.1% Nepal's forest is classified as ''protected'' while about 21.4% is ''conserved'' according to FAO. About 5.1% Nepal's forests are classified as ''production forest''. Between 2000 and 2005, Nepal lost about {{convert|2640|km2|mi2|0|abbr=on}} of forest. Nepal's 2000–2005 total deforestation rate was about 1.4% per year meaning it lost an average of {{convert|530|km2|mi2|0|abbr=on}} of forest annually. Nepal's total deforestation rate from 1990 to 2000 was {{convert|920|km2|mi2|0|abbr=on}} or 2.1% per year. The 2000–2005 true deforestation rate in Nepal, defined as the loss of primary forest, is −0.4% or {{convert|70|km2|mi2|0|abbr=on}} per year. Forest is not changing in the plan land of Nepal, forest fragmenting on the "Roof of the World".<ref>{{Cite journal|title = The changing land cover and fragmenting forest on the Roof of the World: A case study in Nepal's Kailash Sacred Landscape|journal = Landscape and Urban Planning|date = September 2015|pages = 1–10|volume = 141|doi = 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2015.04.003|first1 = Kabir|last1 = Uddin|first2 = Sunita|last2 = Chaudhary|first3 = Nakul|last3 = Chettri|first4 = Rajan|last4 = Kotru|first5 = Manchiraju|last5 = Murthy|first6 = Ram Prasad|last6 = Chaudhary|first7 = Wu|last7 = Ning|first8 = Sahas Man|last8 = Shrestha|first9 = Shree Krishna|last9 = Gautam|doi-access = free}}</ref>

According to [[International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development|ICIMOD]] figures from 2010, forest is the dominant form of land cover in Nepal covering 57,538&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> with a contribution of 39.09% to the total geographical area of the country.<ref name="Uddin 82–90">{{Cite journal|title = Development of 2010 national land cover database for the Nepal|journal = Journal of Environmental Management|date = January 15, 2015|pages = 82–90|volume = 148|series = Land Cover/Land Use Change (LC/LUC) and Environmental Impacts in South Asia|doi = 10.1016/j.jenvman.2014.07.047|first1 = Kabir|last1 = Uddin|first2 = Him Lal|last2 = Shrestha|first3 = M. S. R.|last3 = Murthy|first4 = Birendra|last4 = Bajracharya|first5 = Basanta|last5 = Shrestha|first6 = Hammad|last6 = Gilani|first7 = Sudip|last7 = Pradhan|first8 = Bikash|last8 = Dangol|pmid = 25181944}}</ref> Most of this forest cover is broadleaved closed and open forest, which covers 21,200&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> or 14.4% of the geographical area. Needleleaved open forest is the least common of the forest areas covering 8,267&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (5.62%). At national level 64.8% area is covered by core forests of > 500 ha size and 23.8% forests belong to patch and edge category forests. The patch forest constituted 748&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> at national level, out of which 494&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of patch forests are present in hill regions. Middle mountains, Siwaliks and Terai regions have more than 70% of the forest area under core forest category > 500 ha size. The edge forests constituted around 30% of forest area of High Mountain and Hill regions.<ref name="Uddin 82–90"/>
Forest Resource Assessment (FRA) which was conducted between 2010 and 2014 by the Ministry of Forest and Soil conservation with the financial and technical help of the Government of Finland shows that 40.36% of the land of Nepal is forested. 4.40% of the land has shrubs and bushes.

Deforestation is driven by multiple processes.<ref>{{cite book |author=Kathmandu Forestry College |year=2013 |title=Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation |url=http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/chal_deforestation_report_final__15nov13.pdf |location=Kathmandu |publisher=World Wildlife Fund Nepal, Hariyo Ban Program |access-date=Dec 11, 2013 |archive-date=5 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305003731/http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/chal_deforestation_report_final__15nov13.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
Virtually throughout the nation, over-harvest of [[firewood]] remains problematic. Despite the availability of [[liquefied petroleum gas]] in towns and cities, firewood is sold more at energy-competitive prices because cutting and selling it is a fallback when better employment opportunities aren't forthcoming. Firewood still supplies 80% of Nepal's energy for heating and cooking. Harvesting construction timber and lopping branches for fodder for cattle and other farm animals are also deforestation/degradation drivers in all geographic zones.

[[Illegal logging]] is a problem in the Siwaliks, with sawlogs smuggled into India.<ref>{{cite news
 |last=Khadka
 |first=Navin Singh
 |date=September 28, 2010
 |title=Nepal's forests 'being stripped by Indian timber demand'
 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11430622
 |location=London
 |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation
 |access-date=December 11, 2013
 |archive-date=13 October 2018
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013044307/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11430622
 |url-status=live
 }}</ref> Clearing for resettlement and agriculture expansion also causes deforestation as does urban expansion, building infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, electric transmission lines, water tanks, police and army barracks, temples and picnic areas.

In the Middle Hills road construction, reservoirs, transmission lines and extractive manufacturing such as cement factories cause deforestation. In the mountains building hotels, monasteries and trekking trails cause deforestation while timber-smuggling into the [[Tibet Autonomous Region]] and over-grazing cause degradation.