The conservation area model in Nepal serves multiple purposes beyond simple wildlife protection:

Note: Some lists replace this with , but officially Nepal has 7 named CAs. Lalihani is a forest corridor linking Banke National Park to Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in India, managed under community conservation principles.

Less visited, wild, and rugged. Home to the Limbu and Rai communities.

Nepal 's diverse geography spans from the tropical lowlands of the Terai to the snow-capped summits of the high Himalayas. This profound altitudinal variation gives rise to 11 bio-climatic zones and 36 distinct vegetation types. To protect these precious ecosystems, the Government of Nepal has built a progressive network of protected areas covering .

The defining characteristic of a Conservation Area in Nepal is the legal handover of management responsibilities to local user groups. The National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1973 provided the legal framework, but it was the establishment of the Annapurna Conservation Area that revolutionized the concept.