introduction

HM Goverment of Nepal's Biodiversity Action Plan (2002) prioritises institutional strengthening and human resource development for the management of biodiversity in Nepal. The Darwin Initiative project addresses these needs for plant taxonomy in Nepal, focusing particularly on the staff and herbarium collections at DPR and CDB-TU. The main results will be enhancements of in-country reference collections of its rich flora and the necessary taxonomic expertise. to meet Nepal's needs in responding to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Specifically the project will assist Nepal in its implementation of the CBD by:

• enhancing national coordination and capacity building, through human resources, research and international cooperation
• increasing support for biodiversity research
• reflecting the state of biodiversity knowledge through identification and monitoring
• strengthening the national biodiversity database network and facilitating information exchange
• endorsing indigenous people's knowledge and innovations

During the project eighteen Nepalese scientists will be trained in advanced field techniques of data recording, plant specimen collection, and the assessment of conservation status (according to new IUCN categories). Training will be undertaken in modern herbarium techniques for collection management, documentation and utilisation. The aim is to provide the fundamental skills to enable Nepalese scientists to generate taxonomic information and to undertake conservation status assessments, including plant species and habitat action plans. Additionally, this will develop the human resources needed for Nepal to contribute to international collaborative efforts towards a Flora of Nepal (coordinated by RBGE and involving institutions in UK, USA, Japan and, Nepal). The project will further the aims of the Global Taxonomy Initiative (GTI) and the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) established under the CBD.

All of the Darwin Scholars will attend the three 2-week training workshops in Nepal, participate in one of the three 4-week field trips to less explored areas of Nepal, and finally participate on one of the two 2-week study visits to botanical institutes in Edinburgh and London. The timetable for these activities is outlined under main events, with futher details provided as arrangements are finalised in the run up to each event.

At the end of the project a Training Manual will be produced from the teaching materials developed for the workshops. This will be published in printed as well as electronic format, and be freely available for those who wish to train others. Staff involved in the workshops will primarily be drawn from DPR and CDB-TU, establishing a substantial group of trained staff, who will themselves be able to train others in the future.

For its area, the Kingdom of Nepal is one of the most biodiverse countries, however, unlike neighbouring countries, Nepal has no published Flora - a comprehensive account of its botanical resources. The earlier Darwin Inititative project Plant Information and Technology Transfer for Nepal, established an important taxonomic database. However, access to this is limited so during the current project this database will be extended and made available via Internet. This database will provide a platform for documenting the distribution and conservation status of Nepalese plantsand so aid establishing conservation priorities and action plans, and, ultimately, the preparation of the Flora.

The preserved plant collections, and their associated data, housed within the two main in-country herbaria (KATH at Godawari, and TUCH at Tribhuvan University) will play an important role in understanding the past and current status of Nepalese plants. These herbaria will be used during the project, and the present scope of the collections and the level of knowledge will be evaluated. Many hundereds of new plant specimens will be made on the three fieldwork expeditions. These will enhance representation of the Nepalese flora, and after the project these herbaria will be on track to create comprehensive reference collections.

Through the project a substantial number of Nepalese botanists will be trained in using herbarium resources and able to undertake plant identification, assessment of conservation status, preparation of taxonomic descriptions and floristic accounts. Alongside this the institutional base will be strengthened through provision of plant collection and data recording equipment, and enhancement to the herbarium collections. These will contribute significantly to overcome the 'taxonomic impediment' in Nepal, enabling applications of plant taxonomy in conservation and sustainable use of plant resources to proceed on firm ground. Furthermore, a strong group of Nepalese botanists will be developed who can prepare family and generic level treatments for the Flora of Nepal, reducing the dependence on international scientists to undertake this work.