STATUS OF PANGRE JHALAS WETLAND, MORANG DISTRICT, NEPAL

Pangre Jhalas is a small riparian wetlands formed after the damming of a perennial river the Bakraha in a process of river training in the Morang district of the Eastern Nepal. It is one of the neglected wetlands in view of management but important asset of local livelihoods of indigenous communities and others. The author conducted socio-ecological assessment of this wetlands to explore the physical status and resource use condition of this wetlands by applying direct observation and household survey (N=45) using questionnaire and focus group discussion. Pangre Jhalas is a degrading wetlands with decreased water discharge and higher turbidity in comparison with water quality condition before 2005. The Dhimal are the indigenous major communities living at the shoreline of wetlands. Pangre Jhalas though small is the full of floral and faunal diversities. Dhimal communities rely of these resources for their subsistence livelihoods. Among the resources available, fish and Ghungi are the major products of wetlands, and absolute majority of HHs prefer it as consumptive resources, whereas crab as the least preferred. Only 31 percent of HHs use wetlands resources daily, and the intensity of resource use is higher in rainy season. The resource availability has been drastically declined over the years due to many mal practices such as over harvest by using unfriendly tools and traps. KEY WORDS: Status of wetlands; diversity; flora; fauna