Risks of avian collision at the Pokhara Regional International Airport, Nepal

The recently inaugurated Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA) in western Nepal has raised concerns among conservationists regarding its environmental impact. To understand such concerns, this study reviews the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for PRIA using long-term bird monitoring data, evaluates the risk of bird strikes, and proposes mitigation strategies. Our analysis reveals that the EIA overlooks the presence of large, high-risk bird species, such as vultures, in the vicinity of the airport. We calculated collision risk using frequency of occurrence along with bird characteristics, including maximum mass (MM), flocking behavior (FB), foraging strategy (FS), and flight dynamics (FD). We identified significant collision risks involving several threatened species, including the Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris), Himalayan Vulture (Gyps himalayensis), White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus), and Red-headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus). Current management interventions may be inadequate to safeguard both birds and airplanes. Our study offers only a preliminary estimate of bird collision risk. We recommend that future research includes systematic surveys of bird populations and movement patterns in the vicinity of the airport. Additionally, we urge the relevant authorities to implement measures that improve the safety of PRIA for both aviation operations and the surrounding environment.