October 23, 2009
Nepal to prepare work plan
A five-year planning will be brought in to maintain environmental equilibrium in coordination with the stakeholders, a member of the National Planning Commission (NPC) said. NPC member Dr. Dinesh Chandra Devkota said this here on Thursday while speaking at a two-day workshop organised by National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA), an initiative of the Ministry of Environment (MoE) undertaken to prepare a work plan to mitigate the negative effects of climate change and its erosion. He proposed that the work plan should be put in order targeting 70 percent of rural population who depend on agriculture.
Responding to the call of the United Nations for 43 underdeveloped countries to tackle the effects of climate change, Nepal has also established NAPA under the Environment Ministry comprising a group of experts. Five countries including Nepal have not prepared work plans yet to mitigate the effects of climate change. The workshop was organised to prepare the document.
At the programme, Secretary of MoE Dr. Udaya Raj Sharma said the crucial document will be prepared in coordination and cooperation with the agriculture, forest, health and home ministries. “Fourteen donor agencies have been urging us to make the work plan ready at the earliest and they are ready to support. But in absence of the work plan, we are unable to receive their cooperation,” he said.
During the workshop, experts will come up with a joint concept to prepare a report identifying the areas affected by climate change in Nepal, the ways to tackle climate change, the effects on environment due to development activities and new models of development.Environment expert Batu Krishna Upreti, a participant, said they will study the technical side and prepare a report for the work plan by exchanging experiences
Source: The Kathmandu Post
October 22, 2009
Global meet to discuss tiger’s future
Experts from 14 countries where the tiger is found will jointly discuss initiatives to control the dwindling population of tigers at the Global Tiger Forum (GTF), which is scheduled to be held from Oct. 26 to 30 in Kathmandu. Besides tiger-experts, conservationists and representatives from both national and international organisations, and members from donor agencies will take part in the regional workshop, officials at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) said. Shiv Raj Bhatt, an official at DNPWC, said that the upcoming regional forum would focus primarily on strengthening regional cooperation among the countries in an effort to curb the illegal trade in tiger parts and their derivatives in the international black market. “The forum will seek a higher level of political commitment to deal with the illegal trade and habitat encroachment of tigers which, till date, is lacking,” Bhatt said. The tiger population has significantly decreased in the last four decades due to the international illegal trade in tiger parts as well as habitat disturbance in all the 14 countries. The iger population today has dropped from an estimated 40,000 some 40 years ago to 4,000 today. Meanwhile, discussing the tiger’s status in Nepal, experts claim that despite increased poaching in most protected areas inside the country in the past decades, the habitat remains satisfactory for the endangered species. “We have been able to manage corridor areas for the free movement of tigers and also maintain good breeding sites,” said Bhatt.A recent tiger census conducted concurrently in 2009 in all the four protected areas with tiger populations showed that there are 121 breeding tigers in Nepal. Likewise, the report further stated that despite political upheaval and poaching, Chitwan National Park, the largest reserve, is still the stronghold for tigers with an estimated population of 91. The tiger population of Nepal was estimated to be 122 in 2005. “The present number of tigers found inside the country suggests that the tiger status in our country is satisfactory, despite the current state of political transition and subsequent lack of adequate government support for conservation efforts,” said Ghanashyam Gurung, country conservation representative at World Wildlife Fund. “The existing tiger population in Nepal, despite the soaring market demand for its parts, has given a ray of hope for conservationists,” Gurung said. He also noted, however, that when talking about other major protected tiger habitats, such as Bardiya National Park and Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve, the numbers were still found to be dwindling due to ongoing poaching. Source: www.ekantipur.com
October 1, 2009
Nepal Army gears up for anti-poaching drive
In its bid to put in place an effective control mechanism against rising poaching of wildlife animals and other illegal activities at several national parks, Nepal Army (NA) has proposed a high-level Wildlife Crime Control Bureau with prime minister as the chairman and forest minister, chiefs of security agencies and secretaries at home, defense and forest ministries as members.
In addition, the army, which has been assigned with park security, is also set to introduce a highly-technical ´smart patrolling´ in 11 buffer zones through the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) and other equipment and to form a Professional Jungle Formation (PJF) force within three months.
As per the proposal incorporated in the reviewed SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) to be endorsed by the cabinet soon, the NA would be allowed to patrol inside the buffer zone areas where poaching is highest. Through "small team operations," the NA intends to intensify the intelligence and lead operations in the most dangerous poaching sites.
"Since GPS is a database system, we will no longer have to rely on traditional verbal method to detect poaching sites," an NA officer told Republica. "Since our presence will have a good psychological impact on the entire network of illegal traders, we believe that with the local support poaching will be controlled at least by 50 percent to begin with," the source added.
GPS is a radio-navigation system that provides reliable positioning, navigation and timing services to the users. It provides accurate location and time information for an unlimited number of people round the clock.
The PJF, on the other hand, would be a professional force trained exclusively for jungle duties. "The PJF will assume protection duties rather than being a multi-role infantry like in the past. This is in our priority and is currently under consideration," the source added. The PJF will have 10-12 personnel and will function in coordination with the warden office of the parks.
For this, the NA is also looking at making the commanders more accountable. "To bring positive change, the NA will put in place a mechanism to replace the unit itself if found to be either weak in operation or taking part in any other malpractices," the NA source said.
The proposed bureau, on the other hand, is planned to have a monitoring role, which is perceived to be crucial for curbing regional network of this crime.
"Since Nepal is a member of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), it has to ensure implementation of relevant laws against the crime," Dr Ravi Aryal, a CITES expert, said. He added that since CITES in itself has jurisdiction only on trans-national trading, it will be appropriate to have such a bureau in the country in line with the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau of India. He added that a "regional agreement" like the Lusaka Agreement of the African nations is also "a must" in South Asia now. Although Nepal is considered not among the top countries involved in the wildlife trade racket, Nepal is a route for storing, transportation and transfer of illegal animal parts.
"Both the setting up of a high-level mechanism and passing of the CITIES draft is now crucial," Shiva Raj Bhatta, the spokesperson for the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, said pointing at the delay in passing the CITES draft since it was drafted in 2000.
There are five battalions and seven independent companies (a total of 5,900 army personnel) currently deployed at 93 army posts in various parks.
Source : Republica
September 23, 2009
Dozen arrested in connection with rhino poaching
Chitwan National Park (CNP) has arrested a dozen persons with arms in a span of two weeks in connection with recent incidents of rhino killings from various places in Chitwan, Makwanpur and Nawalparasi, Kantipur daily reported.The arrested are kept at the detention centre in CNP headquarters, Kasara for investigation, according to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation.
Among those arrested, Hira Lal Mardaniya, 22, and Mukti Prasad Gurau, both residents of Kawasoti, Nawalparasi have confessed they were involved in the killing of rhinos found dead on September 18 and 14. They were arrested on September 18.
Three rhinos were found dead in and around CNP recently.The other arrested include Ashish Praja, 18, Man Singh Praja, 90, Kamal Bahadur Praja, 40, and Krishna Bahadur Praja, 18, arrested on September 5; Amar Bahadur Gurau, 55, Bhoj Bir Rana Magar,70, Bishnu Prasad Gurau, 36, arrested on September 20 and Chandra Bahadur Shrestha, 48, Bhim Bahadur Kumal, 45, and Khadag Narayan Mahato, 50.
Various kind of weapons, Rs 156,000 in cash and two motorcycles were also confiscated from the residences of the arrested. Most of them have confessed their involvement in rhino poaching, said Shiva Raj Bhatta of the department. There is a possibility of busting a larger group, he added.
Source: www.nepalnews.com
September 23, 2009
National Conservation Day Celebrated
The second national conservation day was observed in Kathmandu amidst a huge crowd of conservationist, environmentalist, media personalities and government officials on September 23, 2009.The program was organized in the memory of conservation heroes who lost their lives at a helicopter crash on September 23, 2007 at Ghunsa. Last year the Government of Nepal declared Asoj 7 (nepali calendar; September 23) as National conservation day.
The function was inaugurated by the Rt. Honorable President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav who also unveiled a book on Dr Chandra Gurung , “A Boy from Siklis – the life and times of Chandra Gurung” written by an eminent author Ms. Manjushree Thapa. Prof Tej Bahadur Singh Mahat was conferred with the lifetime achievement award by the Government of Nepal for introducing the concept of community forestry in Nepal. Similarly, four individuals Sonam Gyalzen Sherpa,Ramesh Bahadur Chand, Gokarna Devkota and Youba Raj Pokhrel and an organization, Ghunsa Snow Leopard Conservation Sub –Committee were awareded with Abraham Conservation Awards. Two young individuals Hari Adhikari and Deepti Khakurel were awarded with Matthew Preece and Yeshi Lama Young Conservation Leaders Awards for their contribution to conservation. WWF Media in Conservation Award was awarded to Abdullah Miya, Kantipur daily, who has been covering issues of conservation.Nepal Conservation Memorial Scholarships and Mingma Sherpa Memorial Scholarships were awarded to Anita Gurung and Chungla Sherpa respectively.
This year the conservation day was celebrated under the leadership of the Government of Nepal and was jointly organized by the conservation consortium – Wildlife Conservation Nepal (WCN), WWF Nepal, Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN), Environmental Camps for Conservation Awareness (ECCA), International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), IUCN – The world Conservation Union, Nepal Forum of Environmental Justice (NEFEJ), National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), The Mountain Institute (TMI) and Wildlife Watch Group (WWG).
Source: WCN
