The Upper Mustang Biodiversity Conservation Project (UMBCP) is a community based biodiversity conservation project executed by the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation (KMTNC) a national NGO devoted for conservation of nature and culture for sustainable development. The KMTNC’s Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), mandated by the government to support and manage natural and cultural heritages in upper Mustang, has been active in the region since the advent of controlled tourism in 1992 through it’s Lo Manthang Unit Conservation Office (LMUCO) stationed at Lo-Manthang.

The project is designed to remove threats to the biodiversity within the project area to achieve its long-term goal – "to conserve biodiversity of actual and potential value and preserve globally important habitats and species of upper Mustang". The project is designed to restore upper Mustang's ecology and economy, thereby preserving the high altitude biodiversity characteristic of the Trans-Himalayan plateau. The main threats to the biodiversity of upper Mustang are: i) Excessive livestock rearing which deteriorates the rangeland productivity, ii) Tourist flow lead to demand for fuel thereby degrading forest and shrub lands, iii) Over-exploitation of native medicinal plants, iv) Weakening of indigenous cultural and religious organizations and the authority of local institutions, and v) Impact of inadequately planned commercial activities. In addition, lack of a comprehensive and progressive biodiversity conservation strategy, and conservation-oriented management plan have also contributed to threatening biodiversity situation of Upper Mustang.

UMBCP Website