About Pokhara

Wel Come Lake City

The name of Pokhara is believed to be derived from “Pokhari”, which is means Pond in Nepali vernacular-one of the types of wetland. Therefore, Pokhara Valley is also known as “City of lakes”. The three most well-known lake clusters are Begnas Lake, Phewa Lake, and Rupa Lake. The lake area is documented as habitat to worldwide threatened and endemic flora and fauna. Studies found that there are 60 aquatic plant species in the Pokhara Lake clusters, including 16 submerged, four free floating, six rooted floating, and the remainder emergent plant species including 203 terrestrial plant species with a wide range of applications.
The lake clusters of Pokhara also have a list of threatened plants that includes Alstonia scholaris; Apostasia wallichii and Michelia champaca; Asparagus racemosus; Bulbophyllum plyrhiza; Cymbidium iridioides, Dendrobium densiflorum, D. fimbiatum and Cyathea spinosa; Dioscorea deltoidea; Oberonia nepalensis; O. iridifolia; Oroxylum indicum and Papilionantheteres sp.; Oryza rufipogon (wild gene pool of cultivated rice); Tinospora sinensis and monogeneric species like Ceratophyllum demersum, Trapa natans and Typha angustifolia.
It is also reported that 168 bird species in the Lake clusters, including endangered, endemic, and globally threatened species. Among these bird species, 10 species are included under CITES Appendix, while five are listed in the IUCN's various threat categories. Some of the endemic/threatened birds available in the clusters include Spiny Babbler (Turdoides nepalensis), Nepal Wren Babbler (Pnoepyga immaculate), Comb duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos), Baer’s Pochard (Aythya baeri), Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) etc. Also the lakes harbours 28 species of the fishes, 11 species of the frogs, 28 species of the reptiles and 36 species of the mammals.