The Karnali River in the semi-desert landscape of Humla district of Nepal, near Hilsa on the Tibet border. This area is home to the snow leopard [image by: Nabin Baral]

A view of Karnali River cutting through rising mountains before Yangar village in the Humla district of Nepal [image by: Nabin Baral]

The Karnali River below Shreenagar village in Humla, Nepal [image by: Nabin Baral]

At the altitude of 1,500 metres the river surprises with alpine forests and palm trees growing together on the river banks in Humla Nepal [image by: Nabin Baral]

Rice terraces on the flood plains of Karnali River below Shreenagar village, Humla [image by: Nabin Baral]

The first scientific expedition team on the Karnali River raft God’s House rapids, one of the world class rapids on the river on the border of Achham and Surkhet districts [image by: Nabin Baral]

The scientific expedition team camps by the side of Karnali River in the Kailali district of Nepal [image by: Nabin Baral]

An old castle like structure carved into the rock along the Karnali River in Surkhet district of Nepal [image by: Nabin Baral]

Two one horned rhinos in Bardia National Park of Nepal. The flood plains of the river are the source of water for  endangered tigers and rhinos. The park covers 968 square kilometres and is the largest and least disturbed national park in Nepal [image by: Nabin Baral]

The Karnali/Ghaghara River, a few metres before meeting the Ganga in India, and about 100 kilometres northwest of Patna. From India the Ganga then enters Bangladesh where it meets the Brahmaputra. Both rivers then reach the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean [image by: Nabin Baral]