Dragonfly biodiversity: Important Management Tool for Providing Safe Drinking Water to Kathmanduites, Nepal

Prem Bahadur Budha
Central Department of Zoology
Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
Email: prembudha@yahoo.com

Abstract

Nepal is located in the center of the Himalayas that makes it a transitional zone between the palaerctic and Indo-Malayan biogeographical regions creating a unique and rich biodiversity. In view of species diversity, Nepal occupies the 25th global position however proper estimation of the most diverse insects has yet to be done at the national level. Dragonfly biodiversity of Nepal includes about 210 reported dragonfly species from different altitudinal range from 130m to the highest elevation 6300m. Nevertheless, intensive studies in several unexplored locations of the county can produce many new records to science. Three species of dragonflies Epiophlebia laidlawi, Caliphaea confusa and Philoganga montana, which are included in priority species of Oriental Biodiversity, and IUCN/SCC-Dragonfly Action Plan, are found in Nepal. A relict dragonfly E. laidlawi is rare and listed as a ‘threatened’ species in the Red Data List of IUCN but it’s conservation strategies are not yet developed. Furthermore, distribution of this indicator species for healthy environment and rivers of the Himalayas, is restricted to Shivapuri National Park, the nearest National Park from capital city, Kathmandu. Shivapuri is the most important watershed area in Nepal and it supplies more than 40 percent drinking water to the people of the capital. But it is always in pressure because of increasing activities for recreation, hiking and trekking by the foreigners and Kathmanduites. Pollutants may rise from a wide range of deliberate waste disposal loaded with sediments, nutrients and toxins that are flushed in from the altered watersheds. In situ conservation of E. laidlawi including other dragonflies is an important tool for watershed management and its monitoring as well as implies for safe drinking water supply initiatives to the Kathmanduites.

Key Words: Dragonflies, Epiophlebia, Biodiversity, National Park, Watershed, Indicator Species, Pollution.