In 2020, the city of Mumbai joined the C40 Cities Network, a collective of 97 cities around the world taking climate action at the sub-national level. Subsequently, the city launched the Mumbai Climate Action Plan in 2022, becoming India’s first climate action plan to set net-zero targets for 2050. Conversation on international climate policy is often dominated by federal policies and international negotiations with representations most often from national governments. Yet, cities play a critical role to reach the Paris Agreement targets.&nbsp; More than half of the world's population, or around 4.4 billion inhabitants, currently live in cities, and this trend is only expected to continue moving forward. By 2050, cities will be home to more than 70% of the world´s population and the majority of its industry. Although cities make up only 2% of our world, they consume the majority of global energy and produce <a href="https://unfccc.int/blog/seven-ways-cities-can-take-climate-action#:~:text=Cities%20only%20cover%202%25%20of,the%20way%20our%20cities%20function.">approximately 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions</a>, primarily through the transport and building sectors. Increasing urbanisation strains infrastructure and services, and eventually impacts sustainability and people´s livelihood. With most of the absolute growth in population taking place in Asia, urban low-lying coastal areas are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Rising temperatures, sea level rise, and extreme weather events like floods or droughts disrupt the complex infrastructures of cities. High levels of air pollution and waste management burden the livelihood of millions of urban dwellers and exacerbate their existing vulnerability to climate impacts.&nbsp; Cities are where most people live and work, where they host businesses and industries and have the best ground-level understanding of the need to balance development and urbanisation hand in hand with tackling climate change. This means cities can also be and need to be, a part of the solution. With cities being policy laboratories and incubators for climate actions, it is vital to change the way cities function while nurturing the narrative that cities can take the initiative to tackle climate change. The decisions cities take to combat climate change today will shape the future.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230606060640_443a8816857ea122311cdd4d77d91227aa7a6a72982b3b2ce846b099fd4ada6b.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20230606060640_443a8816857ea122311cdd4d77d91227aa7a6a72982b3b2ce846b099fd4ada6b" data-rendition-name="original" width="513" height="389" loading="lazy" alt="Climate action in cities"> <figcaption>Sizing Up the Carbon Footprint of Cities (Source: NASA)</figcaption> </figure>  Kruti Munot, Project Manager at GIZ in Brussels who works with city governments on climate action says, “Cities play a key role in tackling climate change, and there is a continuous need to integrate climate into city planning, scale climate finance for urban infrastructure, and build capacities for local-level leadership to meet the Paris Agreement targets.”&nbsp; While the conversation around city-level action on climate change may not yet be mainstreamed, it is happening with efforts undergoing at various levels. According to the Global Covenant of Mayors, there are more than 12,700 cities <a href="https://www.globalcovenantofmayors.org/our-cities/">committed to reducing emissions</a> by 2050, and both the G7 and G20 now have specific high-level meetings on urban topics.&nbsp; The Mumbai climate action plan, for example, envisions a climate-resilient Mumbai by 2050 with a focus on mitigation and adaptation strategies in sustainable waste management, urban greening and biodiversity, urban flooding and water resource management, energy and buildings, air quality, and sustainable mobility.&nbsp; Mumbai is one of eight South Asian cities that are part of C40 Cities, <a href="https://www.c40.org">a global collaboration platform</a> of about 100 mayors from the world´s leading cities, committed collectively to city-level climate actions. Mayors of C40 Cities use a collaborative approach to cut their cities’ emissions in half by 2030, share best practices and facilitate access to finance to improve urban resilience and foster green jobs in cities.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230606060640_a79b2b70e3bad0d7509e1c2ff3ccea451e540e98504d1d1815aa8e0d0fc7dcc5.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20230606060640_a79b2b70e3bad0d7509e1c2ff3ccea451e540e98504d1d1815aa8e0d0fc7dcc5" data-rendition-name="original" width="626" height="353" loading="lazy" alt="Mumbai climate action"> <figcaption>Climate Action Plan 2022 (Source: Mumbai Government)</figcaption> </figure>  A traveler visiting Portugal´s C40 Cities member Lisbon might nowadays enjoy an unusual sight during their stopover: Flocks of sheep graze on the city´s meadows. Lisbon faced diverse environmental challenges ranging from droughts to flooding and extreme urban heat and water scarcity. In 2019 the city rolled out a project called life lungs, a <a href="https://life-lungs.lisboa.pt/en/">city-level climate initiative</a> that aims to make Lisbon greener and “cooler” by accelerating three simple tools: trees and biodiverse meadows, a water management system, and flocks of sheep.&nbsp; While a water management plan balances Lisbon´s heavy precipitation and water scarcity, biodiverse meadows and trees were planted to provide more green urban space, shade, and overall combat urban heat islands within the city. On these, meadows flocks of sheep are used as a traditional method to control vegetation and help with soil conservation.&nbsp; Cape Town in South Africa tries to connect the dots between city-level climate action, a circular economy, and private-sector engagement. The city runs a local initiative that supports the private sector in identifying and classifying its waste before trying to find ways to reuse it. The initiative has already diverted 100,000 tonnes of waste from landfills while avoiding more than 300,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.&nbsp; Nur Sultan in Kazakhstan counts on its fleet of electric busses while Peshawar in Pakistan has added a 26km bus corridor with park-and-ride facilities, green areas, and bicycle lanes to ease traffic and congestion. Car-free Sundays are another example of city-level climate action all around the world. Jarkata designates every Sunday in one area to be car-free, while Kigali´s car-free day twice a month is part of its efforts to make Kigali a greener city. Initiatives to tackle climate change at the sub-national level are not new and there are <a href="https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/705086/100-climate-actions-cities-asia-pacific.pdf">many more examples</a>, including from developing Asia, that can be utilised as part of a coherent and inclusive city-level climate action plan and strategy.&nbsp; Alongside the focus on reducing emissions by decarbonising the energy sector, advancing waste management, and promoting low-carbon transportation solutions, it is equally important to ensure such action plans incorporate climate resilience and support both climate adaptation as well as loss and damage.&nbsp; Global collaborations play an important role in transferring knowledge, and success stories on climate action to build urban resilience through a global network. Platforms such as<a href="https://www.c40.org"> C40 cities</a>, city-level disclosures through the <a href="https://www.cdp.net/en">Climate Disclosure Project</a>, and the <a href="https://www.globalcovenantofmayors.org">Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy</a> are important to set up frameworks for cities to follow and facilitate city exchanges.&nbsp; This conversation is particularly important for Nepal as it has ambitious climate policies such as the <a href="https://climate.mohp.gov.np/attachments/article/167/Second%20Nationally%20Determined%20Contribution%20(NDC)%20-%202020.pdf">nationally determined contribution</a> (NDC) to the Paris Agreement and the <a href="https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/NAP_Nepal.pdf">long-term strategy</a> for net-zero emissions by 2045. At the same time, Nepal also <a href="https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/climate/analysis-how-decentralisation-in-nepal-is-undermining-climate-action/">recognises the importance of local governments</a> to integrate disaster risk management and climate actions, including both climate adaptation and mitigation, under the Local Disaster and Climate Resilient Planning (<a href="https://www.opml.co.uk/files/Publications/a1594-strengthening-the-disaster-risk-response-in-nepal/harmonising-climate-adapatation-and-disaster-risk-reduction-initiatives.pdf">LDCRP</a>) framework. Nepal’s Waling municipality has developed a resilience roadmap aligned to Paris agreements and SDGs with an aim to transform the town into a resilient city by 2030 with focus on waste management, creation of green jobs and businesses, saving lives and critical infrastructure from disaster risks and decongesting the core area for more open space and greenery. The municipality is currently managing more than 11 tons of solid waste on daily basis. The work of SDG-sub platform on Sustainable Cities supported by UNDP has recognised sensitivity of functional attributes of cites to externalities and shocks as a determining factor of city resilience.&nbsp; However, despite the good intentions behind local-level climate action, there are <a href="https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/climate/analysis-how-decentralisation-in-nepal-is-undermining-climate-action/">several bottlenecks</a> that have hindered progress. Some of these include a lack of coordination between central and local government, overlaps and differences between central and local policies, challenges with climate budget allocation, and a lack of technical capacity at the local level to drive climate action.&nbsp; Climate policies in the local level are also primarily focused on adaptation and climate resilience, as opposed to climate mitigation. While this makes sense for the majority of local governments in Nepal, Kathmandu Valley’s urban population is growing at <a href="https://tomorrowscities.org/sites/default/files/resources/2020-11/Tomorrow%27s%20Cities%20Working%20Paper%20%231.pdf">around 6.5% annually</a>, indicating one of the fastest-growing urban areas in South Asia. With rising population and emissions, cities and urban areas also need a strong focus on climate mitigation.&nbsp; Nepal’s ambitious climate goals and impressive 43% of forest cover means little to the 80% of population who reside in urban areas that are rampant with unmanaged urbanisation and high pollution. City-level climate action is necessary to bring change in urbanised areas that are most in need of climate action.&nbsp; Vijaya Singh, Assistant Resident Representative at UNDP Nepal agrees and affirms that “cities and urban centers in Nepal play a critical role in tackling climate change and it is right time for the municipal governments to think of resilient city planning to contribute to emission reduction targets, addressing challenges such as air and water pollution, and provide a host of other co-benefits.” Cities in Nepal, such as Kathmandu, even have a unique opportunity to support the country's access to much important climate finance which is a key condition for Nepal to meet its climate targets and be resilient to the climate crisis. A clear roadmap and strategy on climate action can help mobilise financing not just through the generation of a bankable pipeline to attract climate finance but also through a <a href="https://cff-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/storage/files/EDsd35B78syp19aUcji1Rz37HKMHpsVaNrMODbgy.pdf">variety of financing options</a> ranging from public to private sources of finance.&nbsp; Such a strategy can come from the national level as national approaches can be more efficient than city-level actions but needs to be complemented with implementation plans and roadmaps in the city level, tailored to the unique circumstances of each city, to ensure the centralised approach is executed, individualised and taken forward in the local level.&nbsp; Suman Basnyat, Infrastructure Finance Specialist and an advisor to a former Minister of Energy, Water Resource and Irrigation, flags that “city-level governments in Nepal still depend on national funding and therefore are spared the fiscal space for large-scale local climate actions. It holds true for all layers of government in Nepal. This fact opens up a huge investment potential for the private sector on city-level climate action but this also needs to be based on reasonable reciprocity of risk and return.”&nbsp; Green bonds have emerged as key debt instrument to mobilise climate finance globally, and this conversation is picking up at the national level in Nepal. A green municipal bond is a <a href="https://oneplace.fbk.eu/financing-energy-efficiency/financing-energy-efficiency/transnational-methodological-framework/financing-models-for-energy-efficiency/green-municipal-bonds/">fixed-income financial instrument</a> for raising capital through the debt capital market. The Green City Bonds Coalition has developed a guidebook on <a href="https://www.climatebonds.net/files/files/How-to-Issue-Green-City-Bonds.pdf">how cities can issue a green municipal bond</a> which can be issued to fund green projects in cities for a range of projects including climate-friendly urban infrastructure, such as low-carbon buildings, metro rail systems, wastewater treatment plants and renewable energy.&nbsp; China provides an example of green bonds. With China being the world´s second-largest green bond market, local governments can make use of a <a href="https://www.climatebonds.net/files/reports/cbi_gfo_china_05b.pdf">green “municipal special purpose bond”</a> to raise money for climate action. These green bonds are not directly issued through the municipality itself but through companies capitalised and owned by the local government such as state-owned enterprises.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230606060640_f9b1360686c4ffa06ed369b2cf87040ff93d170c2d544d2280b3562e8f996fac.jpg" data-media-id="editor_20" data-image-id="20230606060640_f9b1360686c4ffa06ed369b2cf87040ff93d170c2d544d2280b3562e8f996fac" data-rendition-name="original" width="780" height="355" loading="lazy" alt="Green bonds"> <figcaption>Green Bond Issuances by Entities (Source: Climate Bonds Initiative)</figcaption> </figure>  Mathias Lund Larsen, a Senior Research Consultant at the International Institute of Green Finance in Beijing, notes that “growth in the green bond market has been an important contributor to financing China’s infrastructure gap through green financing. At the local level, state-owned enterprises owned by local governments typically are the ones issuing green bonds.”&nbsp; Although<a href="https://www.undp.org/nepal/publications/background-policy-paper-green-financing-nepal"> far-fetched at this stage</a> for a country with a shallow capital market, poor credit culture, and debt-management practice, a clear roadmap can also pave the way for Nepali cities with adequate fiscal capacity to eventually attract financing for climate mitigation actions through municipal climate and green bonds, although a bond is just one instrument as part of the broader financing toolbox.&nbsp; Mathias adds, “while ambitious, it is important for city governments in developing economies to understand and ideate the role it can play in tackling climate change and ways to mobilise finance towards that endeavor.” The opportunities are plentiful for cities in Nepal to drive climate action at the heart of where it is most needed and enable the inflow of critical climate finance to turn Nepal’s ambitious climate policies into a reality. This needs to be complemented by clear recognition of city-level action in national climate policies, with due harmonisation to ensure effective implementation, and tailored roadmaps in the city-level to take this forward. Starting a conversation is the first step that needs to be followed by significant capacity building efforts to ensure sub-national and city level climate action planning scales up in Nepal and urban residents can benefit from improved climate mitigation and resilience. Rastraraj Bhandari works on climate finance and carbon markets, and contributes regularly to Nepali Times on issues related to climate change. Simone Weichenrieder works on the intersection between climate resilience, private sector engagement and conservation finance.

original

674x448

610x380

500x500

400x266

400x240

400x203

301x200

1250x600

1084x550

Nepali cities must champion climate action

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b917d9c7e80680e06f0f1jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="1050"/>It is crucial to stay connected with loved ones during times like this to keep our morale up. We must eat well and exercise to keep our minds and bodies healthy. What else can we do to keep our spirits from being dragged down?Turn to nature.As we continue on month two of the second lockdown in Nepal, when the rest of the world seems to be moving on, it can be difficult to stay upbeat. Some find it difficult to keep spirits up because of the lack of social interaction, others are frustrated with spending too much time with the same people.It is natural to feel ill-tempered and irritated with family members when you spend much time with them. Our routines have been disrupted, and some of us will take the frustration out on the closest people.Many of us are not aware of the positive impact nature has on us. Living in busy cities, we tend to overlook the benefits of regular exposure to nature on our mental wellbeing. We  have heard of the benefits of gardening, and if you have not shown interest in plants before, this can be a time for you to start a new hobby that will be good for your soul.Last year was challenging for the world with the global pandemic and lockdown. We were hopeful that vaccines would put an end to the isolation and mask-wearing, and looked forward to 2021 because we thought life would start to become more normal, but that has not been the case for Nepal.It can feel suffocating to be locked inside the walls all day, so this is a time to remind yourself of the calming effects nature can have on your mind. It is important to spend time in the roof garden or the lawn to reduce stress and mental exhaustion.Our busy pre-Covid lives disconnected us from the beauty of nature around us. It is not possible to go on a hill hike or visit a park, but just walking barefoot on the grass and watching the seeds you plant grow in a pot can be therapeutic. Looking up at the trees and listening to the birds can lift the spirit.Even this can reduce anxiety and depression, which in turn strengthens the immune system.  If you do not have a garden, get some houseplants, give it time, nurture it and watch it grow.Being outside and looking at the world will promote mindfulness and feelings of gratitude. It will make you realise that miracles do happen. Taking a break from the monitor and sitting outside, listening to the rustle of wind in the leaves, the sound of rain or just watching the clouds go by will help clear your mind and reduce feelings of irritability and frustration.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b91809c7e80680e06f0f2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="535" height="279">Many therapists encourage people with depression to spend time outdoors because it increases their energy levels, and makes them happier. It helps the body produce endorphins that have mood-boosting effects. Spending time with the trees and plants can help address your emotional, mental and physical needs.The increased stress and concern about Covid have resulted in sleeping issues and insomnia for many. Spending time outside in your garden or terrace can expose you to natural light, thus resetting your circadian rhythm, improving sleeping patterns and rejuvenating body and mind. We may not have had the time before, but use this time at home to connect with nature and appreciate it.Growing plants or vegetables can positively impact your mood because nurturing something else in life helps you take care of yourself more. It will strengthen you mentally so that you can support others. Gardening has been considered one of the most de-stressing activities because it lets you form a deep connection with the earth. It helps you bond with this intricate web of life.It is hard to explain the calming powers of nature till you experience it for yourself. But the quiet calm around you will help you calm your mind if you give it a chance. Our mental health influences our overall wellbeing.You may have noticed that people who spend time outdoors or garden regularly are calmer and more relaxed than those who do not. They also tend to be in better physical health. The healing power of nature can reduce feelings of anger and fear and promote happiness. You owe it to yourself to take care of your health during a time like this.Stress and anxiety can affect your physical health with high blood pressure, muscle tension and excess release of cortisol. Being in nature reduces those symptoms, nature can soothe and has healing powers.Nature can restore your sense of being because looking at greenery improves your ability to pay attention to details. It provides comfort to hyperactive minds constantly worried about yourself, and the wellbeing of your relatives and friends.The lockdown makes many spend too much time in front of TV, PC or mobile monitors. Even before Covid, too much screen time was associated with depression. Disconnecting from these distractions can increase your sense of altruism and make you want to help others. We tend to compare ourselves with others who have more when hooked to the internet and social media, which leaves most of us feeling down. The news feeds are also full of news of the scourge, which keeps us down.Reconnecting with nature allows us to rise above all this, and appreciate life. It makes us want to do more for others. It gives us a sense of purpose. It teaches us patience. We have been disconnected from society for too long, so it is necessary to bond with the natural powers of the world around us.Start small and notice the mental, emotional and physical benefits you begin to experience. We are all in this together, and we need to help those who have less than us. If we can take care of our minds, we will be able to change our surroundings.

Anjana Rajbhandary

The healing power of nature

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b91829c7e80680e06f0f3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1109"/><figcaption>Photo: JANA ASENBRENNEROVA</figcaption></figure>This year’s World Environment Day theme ‘Ecosystem Restoration’ highlights the importance of protecting and reviving the natural habitats of living beings to restore our ecosystems.This year, 5 June also marks the formal start of the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration which aims to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of nature on every continent and every ocean. <a href="https://www.iucn.org/sites/dev/files/import/downloads/payment_for_ecosystem_services_in_nepal__prospect__practice_and_process.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ecosystem restoration</a> is important to combat climate change, end poverty and prevent mass extinction of species.Food, climate regulation, soil conservation, landscape conservation are some of the 24 categories of ecosystem services that play a vital role in global and national economies which have been <a href="https://www.iucn.org/sites/dev/files/import/downloads/payment_for_ecosystem_services_in_nepal__prospect__practice_and_process.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">identified</a> by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA).Some of the main <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321185248_OVERVIEW_OF_ECOSYSTEM_SERVICES_IN_NEPAL" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">benefits</a> of the <a href="https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/np/np-nr-05-en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">118</a> ecosystems categorised in Nepal include maintaining air quality from forest ecosystems, climate regulation through absorption of greenhouse gases, recharging groundwater, assisting in agroforestry by heling natural pollination, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/between-existence-and-extinction-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">biodiversity protection</a>, providing food, firewood, biomass and medicinal herbs for local communities.Ecosystems also play a significant role in cultural services such as recreation and religious pilgrimage, and eco-tourism in Nepal. Such services provide livelihood and an increase in quality of life for millions of Nepalis.Nepal is part of the ratified Paris Agreement and has submitted its second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) that aims to keep the global temperature to limit the global temperature to 1.5°C above industrial-era and zero greenhouse emission by 2050. Nepal has also signed the Kyoto Protocol, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).Climate change exacerbates all the other problems that Nepalis face with their natural-resource based livelihoods, agriculture-based economy and poverty, illiteracy and social exclusion.  Despite having negligible contribution to the global greenhouse emission, Nepal is the fourth most vulnerable country to climate change.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b91859c7e80680e06f0f4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="535" height="279">Overexploitation, illegal and unsustainable harvesting practices, encroachment, unplanned infrastructure development are some causes leading to the loss and degradation of forests. The <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/business-bureaucracy-and-politicians-all-plundering-the-chure/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chure Hills</a> are already over-exploited, resulting in increasing water scarcity in Tarai.On top of all this, the climate crisis has complicated ecosystem management. An increase in temperature and precipitation patterns means vegetation and the species range are moving to higher altitudes.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b91869c7e80680e06f0f5jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1328" height="1094">There are ways to address this. Terrace farming, plantations, controlled grazing, improved forest management practices, adoption of bio-gas, and the ban on hunting and fishing in protected areas.“Nepal has established an impressive system of conservation of biodiversity, focusing on species, ecosystems, habitats, and biomes over four decades,” says Pem Kandel, Secretary at the Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE). “Local communities outside of the protected areas are also conserving the ecological integrity of Nepal’s ecosystems.”Globally as well as locally, <a href="https://www.iied.org/eba-evidence-policy-nepal" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA</a>) is the key to addressing the impact of the climate crisis by using biodiversity and ecosystem protection as a way to live with changes in climate and weather.One example of EbA in Nepal is the Panchase Protected Forest Area near Pokhara where local communities have <a href="https://panorama.solutions/en/solution/using-local-knowledge-improve-water-availability-panchase-nepal" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">revived ponds</a> for rainwater harvesting and recharging groundwater. Using locally available soil and stone, the community restored natural ponds and protected them from encroachment.“Just reviving a pond can bring back traditional conservation knowledge, restore the ecosystem and provide downstream benefits,” says Dil Bahadur Bhattarai of the Panchase Protected Forest.Pokhara Valley is also a pioneer in another innovative scheme called <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18437#.YLmM9C8RoWo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Payment for Ecosystem Services</a> which makes nature-friendly practices economically sustainable. Essentially it means downstream communities pay those up the mountain for the benefits they accrue from the protection of the ecosystem.For example, villages that have protected their forests have helped communities that depend on fishing on one of Pokhara’s lakes, Rupa<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242079996_Towards_an_innovative_approach_to_integrated_wetland_management_in_Rupa_Lake_Area_of_Nepal" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Tal</a> by reducing sedimentation, pollution and conserving groundwater. The cooperative pays a percentage of the revenue it earns from aquaculture on the lake to communities upstream for protecting the forest.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b918a9c7e80680e06f0f6jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="605"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b918b9c7e80680e06f0f7jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="641" height="424">Photos: LI-BIRDThe Rupa Tal initiative was designed by LI-BIRD (Local Initiatives for Biodiversity Research and Development) a Pokhara-based non-profit that has done extensive work on agrobiodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration to improve local livelihoods."The increase in fish productivity, the yearly increase in net profits for the Rupa Lake Restoration and Fishery Cooperative and other lakes in Pokhara’s Lake Cluster such as the Begnas, Khaste, Maidi, Dipang are replicating Rupa’s successes with its Payment for Ecosystem Service,” says LI-BIRD’s Balaram Thapa.<a href="https://cdafn.org.np/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/CDAFN-CG-Best-Practices-Publication.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Riverbank farming</a> in Mohattori is another of Nepal’s best practices in ecosystem services. Upstream conservation through reforestation, water conservation, and flood control, communities downstream were able to re-cultivate on floodplains not only providing economic welfare but also conserving the riverine ecosystem.With limited resources, Nepal has conflicting and competing priorities such as food security, livelihoods, development, infrastructure, and protecting land and livestock. Ecosystem protection is not high on the list of priorities.Nepal is now working with its international partners on a green post-Covid recovery framework that addresses climate impact, improve livelihoods, and build resilience.“This support framework aims to accelerate low-carbon, climate-resilient development by prioritising green job creation and investment to maximise Nepal’s growth, reduce emissions and vulnerability, and is sustainable,” says Simon Lucas of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in Kathmandu.Every dollar spent on ecosystem restoration can create up to <a href="https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/about/ecosystem-restoration" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">30 dollars</a> in economic benefit. The use of nature-based solutions not only protects the environment, but provides economic benefit to local communities.As the experience of Pokhara and Mahottari have shown, protecting the ecosystem preserves biodiversity, conserves natural resources, strengthens local economies and allows local people to adapt to the climate crisis.Diya Rijal is a communication consultant for the UK Government-funded Policy and Institutions Facility.

Economic benefits of saving the ecology

<img width="1500" height="1000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b918d9c7e80680e06f0f8jpeg.jpg" alt=""/>The sight of children lugging large heavy bags while sprinting to school reveals how their schedules are dictated by aptitudes considered important by the modern world: tight class schedules, sports and exercise, homework, and chores. But not the natural world. These school activities overlook the human body’s need for natural surroundings and undermine the importance of time spent outdoors. World Environment Day on 5 June is a time to consider teaching our children the importance of creating and protecting green spaces, to support their learning abilities and emotional manageability. It is never too early to start. The human brain is at its most fertile as a child, and is capable of adapting and absorbing knowledge at an exceptional pace. It is also true that this stage of development is the most defining time for growing children. The quality of a child’s experience (positive or negative) helps shape how their brains develop. Just as negative experiences such as being exposed to traumatic life events define a child’s perspective and personality, positive experiences like spending quality time outdoors can help boost brain development. Green spaces not only benefit the brain, but studies show that they can also impact physical ailments by building microbes and antibodies in our system which would be otherwise absent in a child confined indoors. Psychologically, spending time in nature also releases serotonin in the brain, almost immediately lifting up our spirits.   <img width="535" height="279" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121140/636b91909c7e80680e06f0f9jpeg.jpg" alt="">The same <a href="http://faculty.une.edu/cas/szeeman/GK-12/articles/FaberTaylorKuo2006.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">study</a> also demonstrates the positive benefits of spending time in nature for children with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Even a simple walk in nature spurs concentration levels in children. Besides playing a key role in cognitive development, exposure to nature also has wide-ranging emotional, physical, and physiological benefits for children which is the reason outdoor learning education programs have started gaining popularity in recent years.Physical activity and unstructured play are also important factors contributing to a child’s growth and development. While one fulfils the body’s physical needs, unstructured play triggers the creative side of the brain. ‘Forest Floors’, a Scandinavian concept, spurs early childhood development by recreating small patches of ‘forest’ in the playground. Just a little grass and some mud expose children to good microbes. If a small patch of transplanted forest floor can have this impact, imagine what consistent exposure to our natural surroundings could do.There is a strong connection between nature and the overall growth process of children, which is why incorporating environmental education and psychology into the national curriculum as a primary subject has a compelling justification.  <img width="1333" height="1000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121140/636b91929c7e80680e06f0fajpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="1500" height="1000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121140/636b91969c7e80680e06f0fbjpeg.jpg" alt="">While there may be a growing consensus among parents that children can gain knowledge from watching nature documentaries and working on conservation through the classroom, these second-hand adventures will never hold the same sensory and emotional impact as childhood discoveries beneath a moss-covered brick, or a pile of dried leaves.   According to Wilson’s (1984) well-regarded ‘<a href="https://books.google.com.np/books/about/The_Biophilia_Hypothesis.html?id=GAO8BwAAQBAJ&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;source=kp_read_button&amp;redir_esc=y#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">biophilia hypothesis</a>,’ humans are born with an innate affinity for nature. It asserts that human dependence on nature is not limited to material and physical sustenance but also intellectual, cognitive and spiritual needs.  Since children develop habits, personalities, and interests when young, this affinity for nature needs to be encouraged at the right age. If children’s natural attraction to nature is not given opportunities to flourish during the early years, or left unencouraged, children may even develop biophobia: an aversion to nature.  Schools must incorporate conservation/environmental education to facilitate early childhood development. This could include rich and challenging environments and multisensory based activities such as storytelling, communication, and other outdoor learning activities, to tap into a child’s full potential and inculcate pro-environment values among young children.  In Nepal, Environment Education is part of the larger science subject in the curriculum, however, due to easy access to nature throughout the country, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/starting-nepals-green-school-movement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">many schools have incorporated</a> elements of the ‘<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/catching-children-young-in-green-schools/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Green School</a>’ concept. The Ministry of Education (MoE) supported by WWF Nepal, launched a Green School Guideline in 2018, with the objective of helping schools create an enabling environment for children and with a vision to transform spaces in schools into ‘Living Libraries’.  This teaches children patience, creativity, stress control while inculcating a strong connection to nature with the ‘One School, One Garden’ idea. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/starting-nepals-green-school-movement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kopila Valley School in Surkhet</a> has taken the concept a step further to be completely eco-friendly, built with earth materials, and fitted with solar energy and rainwater harvesting.  The Green School Guideline, implemented through ‘eco clubs’ in schools, is geared towards encouraging children to become environmentally responsible citizens. It encourages children to plant medicinal herbs, fruits, fast-growing crops and bio fences within the school premises to promote permaculture and agro-forestry as an alternative to traditional agricultural systems.  These ‘green schools’ teach principles of conservation and the importance of protecting nature to the children and the community. Nepal faces multiple challenges from being highly climate-vulnerable despite negligible emissions, to having an economy that is heavily reliant on foreign aid, which is why it is pertinent that we create a far-sighted curriculum for our children that addresses immediate challenges, innovative solutions and works towards building a sustainable tomorrow for ourselves and our planet.  <img width="84" height="109" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121140/636b91999c7e80680e06f0fcjpeg.jpg" alt="">Shristi KC is the Campaigns and Education Officer at WWF Nepal

How to encourage a child’s biophilia

Four years ago, teenager Anish Magar heard about a pangolin being killed close to his home in Yangshila, in the forested Chure Hills of eastern Nepal.At the time the village community leaders and local organisations urged the youngsters to actively start to raise awareness so they would not poach the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/protecting-pangolins-from-being-eaten-to-extinction/">rare and elusive animals</a>, the most trafficked mammal in the world.The team then went from village to village showing videos of <a style="letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0i9HjbdcTM" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v%3DG0i9HjbdcTM&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1622828864806000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH7zmvRCyn7r4mLvk-mT51JapWD5A">Jackie Chan</a> and organising painting workshops developed by <a style="letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="http://onemoregeneration.org/louise-fletcherpangolin-conservation-expert/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://onemoregeneration.org/louise-fletcherpangolin-conservation-expert/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1622828864806000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFtYQvNSDYB2nVSIJfAEvZ3sSR3Yg">One More Generation and Louise Fletcher</a>.Pangolins are shy, nocturnal scaly mammals that look like reptiles. They quietly function as ecosystem engineers, burrowing under the soil, eating termites and other harmful insects. But pangolin scales and meat are prized in Chinese traditional cosmetics, and they are smuggled from Africa and South Asia to China by the tens of thousands.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131144/636cf21b9c7e80680e09d8e7jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="535" height="279"/><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131144/636cf21c9c7e80680e09d8e8jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000">Yangshila is located in the Chure Hills up to 1,950m elevation. Due to its topographic and climatic variation, it is home to rich biodiversity including over 500 plant species and three of the most endangered mammals, reptiles and trees — pangolins, the golden monitor lizard and rosewood.After Yangshila, the youth team with Ganga Limbu as the team leader and Shristy Thapa, Sushila Bishwakarma, Nishan Bista and Sabita Bhujel as the pangolin fellows.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131144/636cf21f9c7e80680e09d8e9jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1106"><figcaption>Ganga Limbu training youth activists in film-making to spread awareness about pangolins.</figcaption></figure>The members went from community to community conducting pangolin classes in local schools, where the most popular item was always the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0i9HjbdcTM" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v%3DG0i9HjbdcTM&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1622828864806000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH7zmvRCyn7r4mLvk-mT51JapWD5A">Jackie Chan Kung-fu Pangolin</a> video. The awareness had an immediate impact, it fired the imagination of students, including 13-year-old Khadga Bahadur Magar.The boy was returning home from school one day when he saw a family of pangolins scurrying towards the Budhikhola River. Worried that they would be poached, he quietly scooped them up and released them at a location where they could not be seen.The boy then guarded the pangolin burrow, spending precious time on conservation that could have been spent on earning to augment his family income.So, last year on <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/the-day-of-pangolins/">World Pangolin Day on 20 February</a> young Khadga Bahadur Magar received the ‘Young Pangolin Protector Award’ from the chief guest Province 1 Minister of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment Jagdish Kusayait.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131144/636cf2229c7e80680e09d8eajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="970"><figcaption>Young activists learn to fix a camera trap.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131144/636cf2259c7e80680e09d8ebjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="980"><figcaption>Youngsters take part in an exercise to depict pangolins in art.</figcaption></figure>Supported by experts and zoologists, the young group then got in touch with 16 community forest user groups and students in seven community schools. Using their multimedia campaign, they informed locals about the role of pangolins in nature, the condition of their habitat and the reason behind their decreasing numbers, and about poaching laws.“If you had done this workshop before, then we would’ve saved more pangolins, but I promise from now on to ensure that in our community forests pangolins will be protected,” Ghanshyam Paudel, Chairperson of Ekata Community Forest User Group told the young activists.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131144/636cf2289c7e80680e09d8ecjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption>The 'Scrappy News Reporting' team who interviewed local people about pangolins for a video.</figcaption></figure>This year, the group provided grants and awards to the community forests that had helped <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/lesser-known-endangered-species/">spread awareness about pangolin protection.</a> The activity did not just help in conservation, but its young members also learnt basic photography and filmmaking techniques. Called 'Scrappy News Reporting', they interviewed local people and edited the videos on indigenous knowledge about nature conservation in Kerabari of eastern Nepal.The role of biodiversity conservation is seen as the job for experts, PhD holders, or foreign consultants. This pangolin conservation initiative has shown that young local activists can be more persuasive in spreading the conservation message.

Young Nepali activists protect pangolins

Four years ago, teenager Anish Magar heard about a pangolin being killed close to his home in Yangshila, in the forested Chure Hills of eastern Nepal.At the time the village community leaders and local organisations urged the youngsters to actively start to raise awareness so they would not poach the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/protecting-pangolins-from-being-eaten-to-extinction/">rare and elusive animals</a>, the most trafficked mammal in the world.The team then went from village to village showing videos of <a style="letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0i9HjbdcTM" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v%3DG0i9HjbdcTM&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1622828864806000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH7zmvRCyn7r4mLvk-mT51JapWD5A">Jackie Chan</a> and organising painting workshops developed by <a style="letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="http://onemoregeneration.org/louise-fletcherpangolin-conservation-expert/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://onemoregeneration.org/louise-fletcherpangolin-conservation-expert/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1622828864806000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFtYQvNSDYB2nVSIJfAEvZ3sSR3Yg">One More Generation and Louise Fletcher</a>.Pangolins are shy, nocturnal scaly mammals that look like reptiles. They quietly function as ecosystem engineers, burrowing under the soil, eating termites and other harmful insects. But pangolin scales and meat are prized in Chinese traditional cosmetics, and they are smuggled from Africa and South Asia to China by the tens of thousands.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b913d9c7e80680e06f0d8jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="535" height="279"/><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b913e9c7e80680e06f0d9jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000">Yangshila is located in the Chure Hills up to 1,950m elevation. Due to its topographic and climatic variation, it is home to rich biodiversity including over 500 plant species and three of the most endangered mammals, reptiles and trees — pangolins, the golden monitor lizard and rosewood.After Yangshila, the youth team with Ganga Limbu as the team leader and Shristy Thapa, Sushila Bishwakarma, Nishan Bista and Sabita Bhujel as the pangolin fellows.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b91419c7e80680e06f0dajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1106"><figcaption>Ganga Limbu training youth activists in film-making to spread awareness about pangolins.</figcaption></figure>The members went from community to community conducting pangolin classes in local schools, where the most popular item was always the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0i9HjbdcTM" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v%3DG0i9HjbdcTM&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1622828864806000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH7zmvRCyn7r4mLvk-mT51JapWD5A">Jackie Chan Kung-fu Pangolin</a> video. The awareness had an immediate impact, it fired the imagination of students, including 13-year-old Khadga Bahadur Magar.The boy was returning home from school one day when he saw a family of pangolins scurrying towards the Budhikhola River. Worried that they would be poached, he quietly scooped them up and released them at a location where they could not be seen.The boy then guarded the pangolin burrow, spending precious time on conservation that could have been spent on earning to augment his family income.So, last year on <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/the-day-of-pangolins/">World Pangolin Day on 20 February</a> young Khadga Bahadur Magar received the ‘Young Pangolin Protector Award’ from the chief guest Province 1 Minister of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment Jagdish Kusayait.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b91449c7e80680e06f0dbjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="970"><figcaption>Young activists learn to fix a camera trap.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b91489c7e80680e06f0dcjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="980"><figcaption>Youngsters take part in an exercise to depict pangolins in art.</figcaption></figure>Supported by experts and zoologists, the young group then got in touch with 16 community forest user groups and students in seven community schools. Using their multimedia campaign, they informed locals about the role of pangolins in nature, the condition of their habitat and the reason behind their decreasing numbers, and about poaching laws.“If you had done this workshop before, then we would’ve saved more pangolins, but I promise from now on to ensure that in our community forests pangolins will be protected,” Ghanshyam Paudel, Chairperson of Ekata Community Forest User Group told the young activists.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b914b9c7e80680e06f0ddjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption>The 'Scrappy News Reporting' team who interviewed local people about pangolins for a video.</figcaption></figure>This year, the group provided grants and awards to the community forests that had helped <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/lesser-known-endangered-species/">spread awareness about pangolin protection.</a> The activity did not just help in conservation, but its young members also learnt basic photography and filmmaking techniques. Called 'Scrappy News Reporting', they interviewed local people and edited the videos on indigenous knowledge about nature conservation in Kerabari of eastern Nepal.The role of biodiversity conservation is seen as the job for experts, PhD holders, or foreign consultants. This pangolin conservation initiative has shown that young local activists can be more persuasive in spreading the conservation message.

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b914f9c7e80680e06f0dejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1333" height="1000"/><figcaption>Photo: THE STAR/THE PANGOLIN REPORTS</figcaption></figure>Over 172 million infections and nearly 4 million lives later, the exact origin of the Covid-19 pandemic is still a matter of debate. But scientists have a pretty good guess.Early studies pointed to bats as the source of the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/why-nepal-must-watch-about-coronavirus-but-not-panic/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/why-nepal-must-watch-about-coronavirus-but-not-panic/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1622851284763000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEHJ6TOsHS0_g69zkioRcZxJDNFig">2019 novel coronavirus</a> and epidemiologists say the virus could have jumped to an <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/protecting-pangolins-in-the-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">intermediary species like the pangolin</a>, which is a delicacy in certain parts of China, and on to humans.There is now a better understanding of how the rise of zoonotic diseases is associated with the destruction of nature and the flourishing illegal wildlife trade. This could be how the cross-species transmission of SARS-CoV-2 took place in late 2019, but there is little political will to stop the destruction of nature.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b91529c7e80680e06f0dfjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="535" height="279">“There will always be a risk of pandemics as long as there is demand for bush meat and the destruction of biodiversity,” says <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/the-day-of-pangolins/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tulshi Laxmi Suwal</a> of Nepal’s Small Mammal Conservation and Research Foundation who has been involved in pangolin research.Scientists are still debating the natural origin hypothesis for the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019 in Wuhan, but the absence of an intermediary host and lack of a chain of mutations in the SARS-2 is shifting attention to the lab-leak theory once again.Whatever the root cause, this is not the first pandemic and it will not be the last if the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/between-existence-and-extinction-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">planet’s current rate of biodiversity loss</a> continues. The link between the destruction of nature and the rise of new infectious diseases is now recognised, a trend exacerbated by the climate crisis.“The coronavirus pandemic is a much-needed wake-up call but people have short-term memory, they will soon forget the connection to habitat destruction,” says environmentalist Kumar Paudel of the Greenhood Nepal. “Politicians can’t keep destroying the ecology for the sake of economic growth.”Indeed, Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel’s <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/new-nepal-budget-sparks-electric-comeback/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new budget</a> announced this week places emphasis on infrastructure and development at the expense of nature preservation. It will allow further plunder of the fragile Chure Hills for quarrying to reduce the $10 billion trade deficit with India.This tendency has seeped down to local governments which are building poorly-designed roads, view towers and concrete monuments at breakneck speed.New highways, irrigation canals, transmission lines and now new rail tracks are <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/in-conservation-nepal-is-not-out-of-the-woods-yet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">slicing through national parks</a>.The most serious destruction is of the last tract of native forests in the eastern Tarai for the construction of the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-must-save-nijgad-forest-to-receive-climate-funds/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mammoth Nijgad project</a> for which Paudel set allocated money for infrastructure, international investor selection, land acquisition and site clearing.On the occasion of World Environment Day on 5 June, nine of Nepal’s development partners <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/importance-of-ecosystems-for-people-and-the-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">issued a statement cautioning the government</a> about the project.‘It is important to ensure that decisions ... for large projects such as Nijgad Airport, are based on sound economic, financial, climate, environmental and social impact analyses in line with Nepal’s established economic, environmental and social regulations, as well as climate and other commitments,’ the statement reads.It is signed by the embassies of Australia, Britain, EU, Finland, France, Germany in Nepal as well as the Kathmandu offices of the Asian Development Bank, United Nations and World Bank in Nepal.With the monsoon approaching, there is the threat of a repeat of last year’s deadly flash floods and landslides triggered by haphazard construction of roads and embankments. These are not ‘natural disasters’ but the result of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/dont-just-blame-god-for-floods-and-landslides/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bad engineering and unsustainable exploitation of nature</a>.“Covering everything with concrete is not development, and our development model is suicidal, the coronavirus pandemic is just the latest example of this,” explains naturalist Tirtha Bahadur Shrestha. “Even urban life needs to be integrated with natural elements like water bodies, trees, groundwater recharge.”Conservation need not be anti-development. Green policies actually boost the economy: in Nepal protecting charismatic big mammals promoted ecotourism and created jobs, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/tree-mendous/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">community forests</a> yielded ecosystem services by augmenting ground water recharge, a shift to renewable energy can reduce petroleum import.Switching to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-lockdown-proves-air-quality-can-be-improved/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">electric public transport and battery vehicles</a> to reduce the petroleum import bill by just 10% would save Nepal Rs21 billion a year – besides promoting domestic clean energy from hydropower, and improving air quality.“We need to link conservation with economy to drive the change, nature-friendly policies and conservation education must be at the forefront,” adds Shrestha.Yet, Nepal’s current economic model threatens the conservation successes that have earned the country international praise. By allowing logging in community forests, building dams in national parks, clearing vast tracts of forests to build <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/does-nepal-need-a-4th-international-airport/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nijgad airport</a>, and destroying rivers through sand mining will undo decades of achievement.The theme of this World Environment Day on 5 June is ‘Ecosystem Restoration’, and despite lip service Nepal’s government is too distracted by politics to act on this motto.Warns Kumar Paudel: “If we do not change our ways, many more health and environmental crises await us in the near future.”

Sonia Awale

The nature of pandemics

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131144/636cf22b9c7e80680e09d8edjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1333" height="1000"/><figcaption>Photo: THE STAR/THE PANGOLIN REPORTS</figcaption></figure>Over 172 million infections and nearly 4 million lives later, the exact origin of the Covid-19 pandemic is still a matter of debate. But scientists have a pretty good guess.Early studies pointed to bats as the source of the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/why-nepal-must-watch-about-coronavirus-but-not-panic/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/why-nepal-must-watch-about-coronavirus-but-not-panic/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1622851284763000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEHJ6TOsHS0_g69zkioRcZxJDNFig">2019 novel coronavirus</a> and epidemiologists say the virus could have jumped to an <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/protecting-pangolins-in-the-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">intermediary species like the pangolin</a>, which is a delicacy in certain parts of China, and on to humans.There is now a better understanding of how the rise of zoonotic diseases is associated with the destruction of nature and the flourishing illegal wildlife trade. This could be how the cross-species transmission of SARS-CoV-2 took place in late 2019, but there is little political will to stop the destruction of nature.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131144/636cf22e9c7e80680e09d8eejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="535" height="279">“There will always be a risk of pandemics as long as there is demand for bush meat and the destruction of biodiversity,” says <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/the-day-of-pangolins/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tulshi Laxmi Suwal</a> of Nepal’s Small Mammal Conservation and Research Foundation who has been involved in pangolin research.Scientists are still debating the natural origin hypothesis for the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019 in Wuhan, but the absence of an intermediary host and lack of a chain of mutations in the SARS-2 is shifting attention to the lab-leak theory once again.Whatever the root cause, this is not the first pandemic and it will not be the last if the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/between-existence-and-extinction-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">planet’s current rate of biodiversity loss</a> continues. The link between the destruction of nature and the rise of new infectious diseases is now recognised, a trend exacerbated by the climate crisis.“The coronavirus pandemic is a much-needed wake-up call but people have short-term memory, they will soon forget the connection to habitat destruction,” says environmentalist Kumar Paudel of the Greenhood Nepal. “Politicians can’t keep destroying the ecology for the sake of economic growth.”Indeed, Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel’s <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/new-nepal-budget-sparks-electric-comeback/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new budget</a> announced this week places emphasis on infrastructure and development at the expense of nature preservation. It will allow further plunder of the fragile Chure Hills for quarrying to reduce the $10 billion trade deficit with India.This tendency has seeped down to local governments which are building poorly-designed roads, view towers and concrete monuments at breakneck speed.New highways, irrigation canals, transmission lines and now new rail tracks are <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/in-conservation-nepal-is-not-out-of-the-woods-yet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">slicing through national parks</a>.The most serious destruction is of the last tract of native forests in the eastern Tarai for the construction of the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-must-save-nijgad-forest-to-receive-climate-funds/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mammoth Nijgad project</a> for which Paudel set allocated money for infrastructure, international investor selection, land acquisition and site clearing.On the occasion of World Environment Day on 5 June, nine of Nepal’s development partners <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/importance-of-ecosystems-for-people-and-the-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">issued a statement cautioning the government</a> about the project.‘It is important to ensure that decisions ... for large projects such as Nijgad Airport, are based on sound economic, financial, climate, environmental and social impact analyses in line with Nepal’s established economic, environmental and social regulations, as well as climate and other commitments,’ the statement reads.It is signed by the embassies of Australia, Britain, EU, Finland, France, Germany in Nepal as well as the Kathmandu offices of the Asian Development Bank, United Nations and World Bank in Nepal.With the monsoon approaching, there is the threat of a repeat of last year’s deadly flash floods and landslides triggered by haphazard construction of roads and embankments. These are not ‘natural disasters’ but the result of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/dont-just-blame-god-for-floods-and-landslides/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bad engineering and unsustainable exploitation of nature</a>.“Covering everything with concrete is not development, and our development model is suicidal, the coronavirus pandemic is just the latest example of this,” explains naturalist Tirtha Bahadur Shrestha. “Even urban life needs to be integrated with natural elements like water bodies, trees, groundwater recharge.”Conservation need not be anti-development. Green policies actually boost the economy: in Nepal protecting charismatic big mammals promoted ecotourism and created jobs, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/tree-mendous/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">community forests</a> yielded ecosystem services by augmenting ground water recharge, a shift to renewable energy can reduce petroleum import.Switching to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-lockdown-proves-air-quality-can-be-improved/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">electric public transport and battery vehicles</a> to reduce the petroleum import bill by just 10% would save Nepal Rs21 billion a year – besides promoting domestic clean energy from hydropower, and improving air quality.“We need to link conservation with economy to drive the change, nature-friendly policies and conservation education must be at the forefront,” adds Shrestha.Yet, Nepal’s current economic model threatens the conservation successes that have earned the country international praise. By allowing logging in community forests, building dams in national parks, clearing vast tracts of forests to build <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/does-nepal-need-a-4th-international-airport/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nijgad airport</a>, and destroying rivers through sand mining will undo decades of achievement.The theme of this World Environment Day on 5 June is ‘Ecosystem Restoration’, and despite lip service Nepal’s government is too distracted by politics to act on this motto.Warns Kumar Paudel: “If we do not change our ways, many more health and environmental crises await us in the near future.”

<img width="1500" height="1000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131144/636cf2169c7e80680e09d8e5jpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Nine of Nepal’s development partners have issued a statement on the occasion of World Environment Day 5 June that underlines their commitment to help Nepal respond to Covid-19 and the climate crisis. The statement also makes a reference to the mammoth Nijgad airport project, saying that while Nepal needs infrastructure, decisions on large projects like Nijgad need to be ‘based on sound economic, financial, climate, environmental and social impact analyses in line with Nepal’s climate and other commitments’. Full statement: On World Environment Day, we restate our commitment to helping Nepal respond to the Covid-19 pandemic and a sustainable and inclusive recovery.This commitment is demonstrated in our joint support for Nepal’s Green, Resilient and Inclusive Development (GRID) ambitions for which development partners have committed up to US$7.4 billion. With committed leadership from the Government we look forward to embarking on a green, resilient and inclusive growth path together as the Covid-19 crisis abates.  Nepal has recently delivered a new budget that features GRID principles in action. It is our sincere hope that Nepal’s commitment to GRID can be an example to the rest of the world at the Global Climate Conference, COP 26, to be held later this year. Forests are essential to achieving green, resilient and inclusive development, as they reduce both the causes and impacts of climate change. Nepal’s forests absorb dangerous climate gases, maintain water resources and decrease soil erosion, drought, and landslide risks. They are also the source of valuable natural resources and wildlife that support job creation and economic development in the forestry and tourism sectors.Nepal has an internationally recognised record of increasing forest cover and maintaining biodiversity. Established forests, particularly, make the biggest contribution to carbon capture, biodiversity and economic value.  Before taking decisions to reduce Nepal’s mature, indigenous forests, sufficient analyses of potential economic, environmental and social impacts are extremely valuable to ensure things are done right, and the right things are done.   <img width="535" height="279" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131144/636cf2199c7e80680e09d8e6jpeg.jpg" alt="">The proposed Nijgad Airport is one example, which we understand may lead to the loss of up to two million native trees in an area of very high conservation value. We recognise the important role of infrastructure, and that development cannot avoid all environmental and social impacts. However, it is important to ensure that decisions, particularly those for large projects such as Nijgad Airport, are based on sound economic, financial, climate, environmental and social impact analyses in line with Nepal’s established economic, environmental and social regulations, as well as climate and other commitments.International experience shows that transparency and public consultation are key to ensuring large projects are successful. A transparent and inclusive public dialogue on the costs and benefits of projects such as this can ensure that diverse stakeholders’ views and available evidence are used to inform decision making. As Nepal’s development partners, we are happy to support these dialogues. This is especially important as the world looks beyond Covid-19 to a more sustainable, inclusive and climate-resilient future – a future that requires all of us to acknowledge our dependence on nature.This Statement is supported by the Asian Development Bank, Australian Embassy, British Embassy, European Union, Finnish Embassy, French Embassy, German Embassy, United Nations and World Bank in Nepal.

Importance of ecosystems for people and the planet

<img width="1500" height="1000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b91389c7e80680e06f0d6jpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Nine of Nepal’s development partners have issued a statement on the occasion of World Environment Day 5 June that underlines their commitment to help Nepal respond to Covid-19 and the climate crisis. The statement also makes a reference to the mammoth Nijgad airport project, saying that while Nepal needs infrastructure, decisions on large projects like Nijgad need to be ‘based on sound economic, financial, climate, environmental and social impact analyses in line with Nepal’s climate and other commitments’. Full statement: On World Environment Day, we restate our commitment to helping Nepal respond to the Covid-19 pandemic and a sustainable and inclusive recovery.This commitment is demonstrated in our joint support for Nepal’s Green, Resilient and Inclusive Development (GRID) ambitions for which development partners have committed up to US$7.4 billion. With committed leadership from the Government we look forward to embarking on a green, resilient and inclusive growth path together as the Covid-19 crisis abates.  Nepal has recently delivered a new budget that features GRID principles in action. It is our sincere hope that Nepal’s commitment to GRID can be an example to the rest of the world at the Global Climate Conference, COP 26, to be held later this year. Forests are essential to achieving green, resilient and inclusive development, as they reduce both the causes and impacts of climate change. Nepal’s forests absorb dangerous climate gases, maintain water resources and decrease soil erosion, drought, and landslide risks. They are also the source of valuable natural resources and wildlife that support job creation and economic development in the forestry and tourism sectors.Nepal has an internationally recognised record of increasing forest cover and maintaining biodiversity. Established forests, particularly, make the biggest contribution to carbon capture, biodiversity and economic value.  Before taking decisions to reduce Nepal’s mature, indigenous forests, sufficient analyses of potential economic, environmental and social impacts are extremely valuable to ensure things are done right, and the right things are done.   <img width="535" height="279" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b913c9c7e80680e06f0d7jpeg.jpg" alt="">The proposed Nijgad Airport is one example, which we understand may lead to the loss of up to two million native trees in an area of very high conservation value. We recognise the important role of infrastructure, and that development cannot avoid all environmental and social impacts. However, it is important to ensure that decisions, particularly those for large projects such as Nijgad Airport, are based on sound economic, financial, climate, environmental and social impact analyses in line with Nepal’s established economic, environmental and social regulations, as well as climate and other commitments.International experience shows that transparency and public consultation are key to ensuring large projects are successful. A transparent and inclusive public dialogue on the costs and benefits of projects such as this can ensure that diverse stakeholders’ views and available evidence are used to inform decision making. As Nepal’s development partners, we are happy to support these dialogues. This is especially important as the world looks beyond Covid-19 to a more sustainable, inclusive and climate-resilient future – a future that requires all of us to acknowledge our dependence on nature.This Statement is supported by the Asian Development Bank, Australian Embassy, British Embassy, European Union, Finnish Embassy, French Embassy, German Embassy, United Nations and World Bank in Nepal.

Born in Khandbari in eastern Nepal, Parashuram Pathak helped his family around the farm, sold what they grew in the market and lent a hand in the kitchen.&nbsp; After working as a chef in Dubai, San Francisco, Denmark, Australia, and on cruise ships, Pathak has now brought back what he has learnt to the Tusa Restaurant in Bhaktapur that opened on Nepali New Year on 13 April. Tusa uses fresh indigenous ingredients from various parts of Nepal, and fuses them with international methods to produce unique dishes. Pathak is a global Nepali, and is introducing global Nepali cuisine to his homeland. Pathak left an executive chef job to intern at three-Michelin-starred Noma in Denmark, named the best restaurant in the world five times. Noma runs on a philosophy of foraging to rediscover wild local ingredients, and Tusa’s mission is similarly noble: preparing dishes with Nepali ingredients using modern techniques and equipment. “We are taking Nepali food beyond dal-bhat and momo, we are taking it international,” Pathak said on the phone from Sydney. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepali-baker-rises-to-the-top-in-denmark">Denmark’s best baker is a Nepali</a>, Vishad Onta  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240419180424_1312bc016cbb2fe59c6d4a78d1f8b463af4a10b3f79559a2405fd54ea5b3197a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240419180424_1312bc016cbb2fe59c6d4a78d1f8b463af4a10b3f79559a2405fd54ea5b3197a" data-rendition-name="original" width="801" height="802" loading="lazy" alt="The return of the natives Page 12 NT #1208"> <figcaption>Photo: PARASHURAM PATHAK/FACEBOOK</figcaption> </figure>  Pathak’s team in Nepal includes chefs Rupesh Bohara and Sagar Shrestha who have also worked extensively in Dubai and Australia, and share his vision. The three realised they shared the same dream, and over the past five years have travelled across Nepal to research their menu, collecting ingredients and ideas from homestays, food carts, and nature. The team then scouted for Nepal’s best architect, and zeroed in on Bhaktapur-based heritage conservationist Rabindra Puri who designed the Malla-era house for Tusa in the Nag Pokhari neighbourhood. Bohara and Shrestha have moved back to Nepal for good, and Pathak arrives in September. “I made dishes from all over the world, but when someone asked what Nepali food was like, I had no answer,” says Bohara, “I came back to find out.” &nbsp;“You can get citizenship, a green card, big houses and cars, but where is the self-satisfaction?” asks Shrestha, who has a red-and-blue chef’s knife with the sun and moon of the Nepali flag tattooed on his right forearm.&nbsp; Read also:<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/diaspora-diaries/the-return-of-a-master-baker"> The return of a master baker</a>, Raju Pakhrin  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240419180424_c601264463e5a28d4e71a46781f340a53619a08d00949a7aaebfef84e75a319d.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240419180424_c601264463e5a28d4e71a46781f340a53619a08d00949a7aaebfef84e75a319d" data-rendition-name="original" width="6000" height="4000" loading="lazy" alt="The return of the natives Page 12 NT #1208"> <figcaption>Photos: TUSA</figcaption> </figure>  Bohara and Shrestha passionately recount stories of their trips across Nepal, speaking of generous lodge owners who introduced them to local ingredients. Tusa can seat 28, and dining here is a sensory experience with a live kitchen. The chefs cook and place dishes on a large granite countertop with induction sections built in. Behind the counter is a grill on an indoor fire with pulley control to adjust the fire. Everything that can be made in Nepal — chairs and tables, ceramic dishes, the grill — is locally sourced. The executive kitchen/laboratory is downstairs. It is spacious, spotless, and contains appliances rarely seen in restaurants here: a sous vide machine that cooks vacuum-sealed packets at consistent temperatures, and a dehydrator for sisnu nettles. A fresh batch of deep purple kimbu (mulberry) muffins has just come out of the oven. Fridges have dry-aged fish and marigold kombucha. Fermentation seems to be the theme at Tusa, and Pathak explained: “Fermentation takes away the natural sugars in food, leaving behind a true, umami taste.”&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/vikings-khukri-passion">Viking's khukri passion</a>, Alisha Sijapati  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240419180424_c59e2b4230864f646bc36108adb951e95ec85da6156740294b1ec715b86acf89.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240419180424_c59e2b4230864f646bc36108adb951e95ec85da6156740294b1ec715b86acf89" data-rendition-name="original" width="5895" height="3930" loading="lazy" alt="The return of the natives Page 12 NT #1208"> </figure>  Tusa itself means ‘shoot’ in Nepali, and can be a dish of fermented bamboo shoots. The restaurant serves a tasting menu with six courses, plus surprises. It starts with a fermented potato and millet roti with charred green garlic and tomato chutney. The bread tastes like a mix of alu paratha and kodoko roti with a satisfying, mild flavour. The chefs do not show off, and overdo it. Dishes are tastefully simple and faithful, a theme that runs through the meal. The second course is a filet of fish charred on one side and placed in a broth. It is delicate and smokey, and does not mask the character of the fish.&nbsp; The next is Batuk Chukauni, a Magar dish with a lentil snack and a yoghurt-based potato achar. The batuk, made of lentil batter, is light and the chukauni has potatoes and peas. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/money-is-not-everything-but-you-need-money-for-everything">"Money is not everything, but you need money for everything"</a>, Rohit Shrestha  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240419180424_e3f51228ff792e8d4297f81f8e67d138584e922ae035d131977494219e5e85c5.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20240419180424_e3f51228ff792e8d4297f81f8e67d138584e922ae035d131977494219e5e85c5" data-rendition-name="original" width="1333" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="The return of the natives Page 12 NT #1208"> <figcaption>Batuk Chukauni. Photo: VISHAD ONTA</figcaption> </figure>  Next is a skewer of jackfruit with a tamarind and mustard glaze that has the texture of a slice of sausage and melts in the mouth. Then comes the first off-menu item: a steak of watermelon, glazed and grilled, tasting sweet, sour and smokey. After that a palate cleanser sorbet made with laligurans syrup adorned with a frozen candied rhododendron petal. Finally the main course: barbeque chicken and chyakla coarse corn grits. The chicken has been brined, marinated, cooked sous-vide and seared on the grill. The delicate consistency of the chicken stands out. Desert is a smooth, creamy cheesecake that uses the local juju-dhau yoghurt. And the last course is a moist, moss-green sisnu cake laced with mulberry jam and cream.&nbsp; There is nothing gimmicky about Tusa. It is the coming together of skilled Nepalis with international exposure who have mixed what they have learnt abroad with the flavours of home.&nbsp; The tasting menu is Rs3,500, and it may take some time before Nepalis develop a predilection for some of its items. The chefs are excited, vindicated, and relieved. Coming back to Nepal, uprooting successful careers abroad to take a chance on Nepal must not have been easy.&nbsp; Tusa had a soft launch on New Year’s day with Kathmandu-based diplomats. Australian Ambassador Felicity Volk was one of them, and wrote on a Facebook post: ‘Chefs who honed their skills in Australia and returned to Nepal to give back. We call it fine dining, they call it #cominghome.’ Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/the-baker-of-barpak">The baker of Barpak</a>, Tara Aryal Pandey

The return of the natives

For a year or two after the 25 April 2015 earthquake, the residents of Kathmandu were too terrified to return to their high-rise apartments. None of them collapsed in the 7.8 disaster, but many sustained serious structural damage. &nbsp;
Fast forward nine years, and they have all but forgotten that frightful day. Kathmandu is back to building substandard structures, even as land prices drive developers to build taller.&nbsp;
With no more space to spread horizontally, Kathmandu is going vertical. But structural engineers say most of the high rises do not take into account seismicity, soil condition, construction methods, quality of raw materials, fire hazard, and search and rescue in collapsed concrete structures.
“Much of our focus since the 2015 earthquake has been on building and construction, but not as much on where we are building,” warns Sangeeta Singh, Professor of Urban Planning and Deputy Director of Centre for Disaster Studies at the Institute of Engineering.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/in-a-disastrous-state">In a disastrous state</a>, Sonia Awale
She adds: “Kathmandu is not really suited for high-rises. We have to first test the condition of the soil, but building permits are being issued without this fundamental step.”
Kathmandu Valley is a former lakebed with soft topsoil prone to liquefaction and excessive shaking, as seen during the 1934 megaquake. Many ruptures tore up the surface in 2015. &nbsp;
During an earthquake, the rock layers below Kathmandu ring like a bell and the vibrations on the surface take between 0.5 to 2 seconds for one oscillation. Buildings also vibrate, but at different frequencies depending on their height, construction material, and arrangement of their structural components.
At five floors, the vibration period of a building is 0.5 seconds, which is the same as that for Kathmandu Valley, and this could cause more damage, says structural engineer Surya Narayan Shrestha at the National Society for Earthquake Technology - Nepal (NSET).
“Building anything that is five storeys or higher in Kathmandu needs special design and structural considerations,” says Shrestha.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/shaking-things-up">Shaking things up</a>, Editorial
Technologies exist to reduce seismic risk in high-rises, and these are used in earthquake-prone cities like Tokyo, Los Angeles, Jakarta or Mexico City.&nbsp;
Base isolation, for example, separates the vibration of the land and the building, reducing damage from soil-building resonance. Base isolators move and stretch under pressure, absorbing much of an earthquake's impact by reducing swaying and shaking. &nbsp;
Seismic dampers change the pattern of vibration altogether, dissipating energy as vibrations move across a structure. But these are all expensive technologies, and none of the high-rises in Kathmandu use them.
However, Nepali engineers who can help with technology transfer are working in the field in Nepal and overseas. Kathmandu’s high-rises are already very expensive, and making them seismic-resistant would be an incremental cost.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/learning-from-jajarkot-what-we-didnt-after-2015-695vpzle">Learning from Jajarkot what we didn't after 2015</a>, Sushil Gyewali
The shape of high-rises also matters. Reinforced concrete buildings with asymmetric designs of the kind that are seen in newer structures in Kathmandu experience more torsion and shear during quakes. High-rises with regular geometry are stronger. &nbsp;&nbsp;
An even bigger concern is that of emergency evacuation and rescue in case of fire or earthquake. Kathmandu fire services do not have ladders that reach the higher floors of most new structures.
“High-rises mean more people and potentially higher casualties,” explains Shrestha. “We need immediate evacuation routes, fire escapes, emergency ladders, and fire trucks that can reach higher. Right now, safety features are voluntary and not mandatory.”
The street access, shelters, open spaces, and evacuation routes are integral to disaster preparedness and the safety of neighbourhoods and not just buildings. Most new high-rises in Kathmandu have narrow access roads.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/rebuilding-resilience-7-years-later">Rebuilding resilience 7 years later</a>, Anil Pokhrel
Since most of the buildings that survived the 2015 disaster were reinforced concrete structures, it fed the misconception that they are safer. But Himalayan seismologists say that if the intensity and duration of the shaking had been just a little higher, many substandard concrete structures would have collapsed.&nbsp;
And that is the final gap: Nepal’s limited expertise and equipment for search and rescue inside collapsed concrete structures. Kathmandu’s high-rises need to be better prepared for the next Big One.
“Structural safety and design were at the front and the centre after the 2015 earthquake, we also revised some building codes but we are back to square one with contractor-driven construction, especially in peri-urban areas,” says Sangeeta Singh, who is also with the National Planning Commission. “We need to monitor construction as much as design.”&nbsp;
Shrestha at NSET agrees there have been improvements in building practices in the past nine years, but adds, “We have both learnt and unlearnt lessons from 2015. The awareness hasn’t yet translated into action on safety.”
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/lessons-not-learned-from-2015-o2etq6zu">Lessons not learned from 2015</a>, Sonia Awale

The rise of high-rises

Midway along the stretch of the ancient trade route between Tibet and India lies the Kel Tol neighbourhood. The name is derived from the original Koligrām, and it is believed the Koli people, who were originally from Rāmagrām in present-day southern Nepal near the Indian border, settled here. The Koli were the maternal ancestors of none other than the Buddha. Kel Tol is famous for the Buddhist monastic complex of Kanak Chaitya Mahāvihar, featuring the majestic two-tiered gilded temple of the white god Karunāmaya.&nbsp; This elaborately decorated courtyard is a bustling centre of the Vajrayāna sect of Buddhism, practised widely by the indigenous Newā people of Kathmandu Valley. Karunāmaya, also known as Ārya Avalokiteshwor, is defined in great detail in the 1st century CE Buddhist text Sadharmapundarikā where he liberates all sentient beings from suffering. He helps rid the eight external fears metaphorically equated with their equivalent internal states of mind: lions (pride), wild elephants (ignorance), fire (anger), snakes (jealousy), floods (attachment), imprisonment (miserliness), thieves (wrong views) and cannibals (doubt).  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_fe370cbee75003cd3eb5dccc7c3b2671630da193b0744db2aeac1bab3ff4a85c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240418130432_fe370cbee75003cd3eb5dccc7c3b2671630da193b0744db2aeac1bab3ff4a85c" data-rendition-name="original" width="1338" height="2000" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>  In the Pancha Rakshyā Sutra, a Buddhist scripture from 200 CE, Ārya Avalokiteshwor was counted among the eight major deities. Followers of the Brāhminical god Shiva worship Ārya Avalokiteshwor as Seto Machhindranāth. For Shaivites, Machhindranāth is the Indian saint who founded the Nāth cult in the 10th century CE. He is the guru of saint Gorakhnāth. During the reign of Yakshya Malla (1428–1482 CE), a beautiful image of Ārya Avalokiteshwor was dug up by a farmer in present-day Jamal, which was then a cultivated area outside the city. The farmer, known as a Jamami (meaning the one from Jamal) took the image home for safekeeping. That night, Ārya Avalokiteshwor appeared in the farmer’s dream and told him that the proper place for him to reside is at the confluence of two rivers. The nearest confluence was at present-day Wongha (Indrachok) and the image was installed in the Kanak Chaitya Mahāvihar complex in Kel Tol near Wongha. This made it easier for city residents to pay homage to Ārya Avalokiteshwor and spread compassion. Soon, the deity came to be revered highly as Jamaleshwor, the one found in Jamal. Eventually, the name got corrupted, as happens often in Nepāl Bhāsā, to Janabahā Dyo. The courtyard where his temple is located is now popularly known as Janabahā.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_5c9b219530e400445ef4e7f64856b43e7cdb756be26d9ed4565c84044c178a7e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240418130432_5c9b219530e400445ef4e7f64856b43e7cdb756be26d9ed4565c84044c178a7e" data-rendition-name="original" width="2500" height="1668" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>  The gilded temple of Janabahā Dyo, first built in the early 16th century CE, is adorned with wooden and metal artefacts that symbolise 108 forms of Ārya Avalokiteshwor. It stands out as the most decorated temple of its kind in Kathmandu. Today, Janabahā is a living heritage site where many ancient customs and rituals are widely practised as per Vajrayāna Buddhist tradition. Devotees throng the Janabahā Dyo shrine for daily worship and to receive Karunāmaya’s blessings. Being the compassionate one, Ārya Avalokiteshwor goes around town every year in his tall wooden chariot to allow sick and physically disabled devotees to pay homage to him from the comfort of their homes. One could say it is a door-to-door visit by the Compassionate One.&nbsp; For the pragmatic minded, the chariot festival is an annual renewal of communal harmony, validation of our ancient mathematical supremacy and demonstration of the need to keep practical skills alive, including the craft of building earthquake resilient houses.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_fc8b234ceca87dee4b99e897a485cef121fb953857fb61492a413fbfcc48360c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240418130432_fc8b234ceca87dee4b99e897a485cef121fb953857fb61492a413fbfcc48360c" data-rendition-name="original" width="2500" height="1667" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>  The Janabahā Dyo chariot is pulled from Jamal, where his image was found by the farmer, through the historic heart of Kathmandu in a gala parade every year. The procession, accompanied by folk music ensembles and revellers, starts on the eighth day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra, and lasts up to a week (ending on Saturday this year). Hundreds of devotees pull the chariot along the streets as a way of expressing their gratitude to lord Karunāmaya for blessing them with compassion and well-being. Purna Ratna Vajrāchārya is an ordained priest who belongs to the clan responsible for taking care of Janabahā Dyo. He has been studying the design and architecture of the chariot for the past 40 years, and overseeing its construction for the past 15. He has learnt that the engineering principles of building the chariot are based on the mathematical system in which Buddhism is taught. For example, 365 pieces of wood are used in the chariot, each representing a day of the year. Each of the four wheels consist of 25 pieces of wood, totalling 100, representing completeness or fulfilment. The chariot is vertically divided into 13 sections, a parallel to the Buddhist concept of Trayodashi Bhuvana that describes the 13 steps that one must take to achieve the state of Nirvana.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_36d9964c9845f6d9a074786361fc5ab7d49138503ad162086998b731349b0ec0.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240418130432_36d9964c9845f6d9a074786361fc5ab7d49138503ad162086998b731349b0ec0" data-rendition-name="original" width="2500" height="1668" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_2662753a9514a682ccdfd17bf05e2be3771183a68dc86b717ab67d9aad894563.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20240418130432_2662753a9514a682ccdfd17bf05e2be3771183a68dc86b717ab67d9aad894563" data-rendition-name="original" width="1668" height="2500" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>  &nbsp;Exactly nine types of wood are used, which is the sum of the four base elements that make up the universe (earth, water, fire and air) and the five human senses. The height and length of the chariot is 32 arm’s length (hāt in Sanskrit), 14.8m. The number 32 represents the maximum number of auspicious and physical qualities one could possess to be considered an outstanding human being.&nbsp; Says Vajrācharya, “Observing how the chariot is built helps one learn the fundamental pillars of the Buddha’s teachings, and find an easier path to Nirvana.” The structural design of the nearly 15m wooden chariot is not only awe-inspiring but also gravity-defying. It leverages the pliancy of the materials used in its construction -- flexible joints tied with cane soaked in water for several days. The precise proportions of the chariot ensure great manoeuverability in the narrow streets along the route of the chariot procession that include some 90° bends, without colliding into houses.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_9f5c2943f5d6b3f0010d3d5213697549945e87a6f7d3d8cbadd69f0dea6c6e2c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240418130432_9f5c2943f5d6b3f0010d3d5213697549945e87a6f7d3d8cbadd69f0dea6c6e2c" data-rendition-name="original" width="2500" height="3750" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>  Driving and steering the chariot with brute muscle power of the mirthful crowd is a seemingly impossible task. But this has been achieved year after year, despite the fact that the devotees who tug wildly at the ropes lassoed to the two front wheels, are most likely in high-spirits (pun intended). Sanjay Manandhar, a US-based technology entrepreneur, recounts how his high school physics teacher from Canada asked his students to go observe the locals build the chariots of Karunāmaya if they were interested in becoming engineers in the future.&nbsp; “That made no sense to me then, but, after all these decades, I now see clearly how the structural design of the chariot, adopted early on by our ancestors is full of earthquake-resilient properties that need to be applied in building houses in an earthquake-prone zone like Nepal,” says Manandhar. A highlight of the chariot festival is that human goddess Kumari makes an appearance at the final destination in Lagan, usually on the third day. This is only one of the 13 times that people get to see the Kumari outside her temple abode.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_08aa39f3f004a212b33c60a2840d6013110de15dd34a0288f699dd5fda8957ab.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20240418130432_08aa39f3f004a212b33c60a2840d6013110de15dd34a0288f699dd5fda8957ab" data-rendition-name="original" width="2500" height="1667" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>  On the last day of the festival (Saturday), the image of lord Karunāmaya is carried on a palanquin by priests from Janabahā in a gala procession and brought back to his permanent residence at the temple in Kel Tol.&nbsp; The chariot festival is thought to have started during the reign of King Pratap Malla of Kantipur in the 17th century CE. For close to four centuries, the construction of the chariot and its operation has proven to be a phenomenal engineering feat, and the people’s faith in divinity means the tradition is alive.&nbsp; The essence of the colourful rituals and the religious beliefs of this ancient chariot festival is now all but lost. The logic, technology and practicality must be brought back to light, as they reflect the high civilisation and wisdom of our ancestors that we can leverage in modern times and into the future. &nbsp; Alok Tuladhar is a culture and heritage documentarian.

Kathmandu’s gravity-defying chariot festival

"I shut down my poultry farm as the villagers did not buy fresh chicken from me,” sums up a Dalit farmer from Arghakhanchi district why he had to leave for work.&nbsp;
Most people can sell fresh meat in their villages and make a good profit but Dalits still cannot because people will not buy from them due to caste stigma. Dalits have no choice but to sell their poultry to outside suppliers for lower profits.&nbsp;
“Other hoteliers found out my caste and used it to push me out of competition. They informed my customers of my caste and discouraged them from staying at my hotel,” a Dalit hotelier shares.&nbsp;
The hotel was close to a medical school and had earned a good reputation among hospital visitors, at least until they discovered his caste.
As ‘higher’ caste customers stopped coming, he moved his hotel to the East-West highway, where customers, in a rush, do not have time to worry about the caste of the owner.&nbsp;
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/nepal-looks-at-alternative-investments">Nepal looks at alternative investments</a>, Siddhant Raj Pandey
“They will knock me out of the business if they know my caste,” says a Dalit who owns a pipe manufacturing business in Western Tarai. He has been in the business for several years. Due to fear of ostracisation from non-Dalits who dominate the industry, he has erased his caste name from all his documents and uses a non-Dalit surname.&nbsp;
These three incidents illustrate deeply rooted caste barriers blocking Dalits from entering and thriving in business even as they make up 14% of Nepal’s 29 million population.
Yet, due to Nepal’s hierarchical caste system, Dalits continue to be looked down upon as ‘untouchable’ and of ‘lower’ rank, and non-Dalits, as per caste norms, do not eat food and beverage items touched by them.&nbsp;
In a 2018 Tribhuvan University study, even seven years after anti-caste discrimination laws were passed, 34% of Hill Dalits and 28% of Madhesi Dalits reported routinely facing caste-based discrimination.&nbsp;
Caste-based barriers obstruct Dalits from freely participating and thriving in business, yielding at least three distinct types of market and non-market barriers.&nbsp;
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/success-in-nepal-means-not-having-to-work">Success in Nepal means not having to work</a>, Anil Chitrakar
First, caste bias means ‘higher’ caste groups avoid buying goods and services from Dalits, except for menial labour. In their 2019 book Good Economics for Hard Times, Nobel laureates in economics Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo show that social norms such as caste and patriarchy, and not just price, shape business decisions.&nbsp;
In Nepal’s case, ‘upper’ caste customers examine not only the price and quality of what they are buying but also the social value of goods and services.&nbsp;
Second, companies use caste norms to sideline Dalits out of competition. Development economists confirm that firms often deploy caste and ethnic discrimination to remove their competitors from the playing field.&nbsp;
Third, Nepal’s Dalits do not have easy access to resources such as land, capital, and networks that are usually a precondition to enter and thrive in business. Impoverished by decades of exclusion and discrimination, Dalits do not have collateral for loans. They face social stigma and stereotypes and do not get access to idea-and-trust-based loans.&nbsp;
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/invest-in-investment">Invest in investment</a>, Nepali Times
As a result, they are forced to get by with low capital and higher interest rates. Dalits also do not have strong business networks, nor do they have access to the social spaces where business decisions are made. They do not have a strong community support system, which could compensate for low capital and weak policy networks.&nbsp;
These caste barriers not only block the entry of Dalits into business but also create market failures. Just like the Dalit hotelier in Bhairawa who was pushed out of the market, discriminatory practices allow only a few castes to dominate, forcing customers to buy in a market not governed by price and quality but by non-market measures. Eventually, such caste-based business practices create conditions for cartels and monopolies, blocking the free market.&nbsp;
Caste-biased business practices also yield inefficient resource allocation. Caste-based preferences in recruitment mean businesses are forced to draw from smaller talent pools, and Dalits miss out on opportunities for human development. Resources such as land and capital do not move across social groups, ultimately leading to unequal income distribution and lower economic growth.&nbsp;
Despite the challenges, Nepal is committed to ending discrimination in employment and business. In 1974, Nepal ratified the ILO Convention 111–Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958. In 2002, the country enacted the Bonded Labour (Prohibition) Act, formally ending forced labour such as Kamaiya, Haliya and Haruwa-Charuwa. In 2020, Nepal Rastra Bank issued a guidance note to encourage loans to Dalits of up to one million rupees on concessional interest rates.&nbsp;
While the commitments on paper have been swift, they have not led to tangible results. In 2023, the ILO Experts’ Committee called for Nepal to implement Convention 111 to address discrimination against Dalits and to promote their access to productive resources such as land and capital.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/caste-aside">Caste Aside</a>, Nepali Times
Ahead of its upcoming graduation to middle-income country status in 2026, Nepal has prioritised private sector-led development, hoping to increase investment from domestic and international investors. The Nepal Investment Summit this weekend is designed to attract investments.&nbsp;
While these are welcome moves, Nepal should not miss the opportunity to free itself from barriers holding back the Dalit community. By unlocking Dalits from discrimination, Nepal can add to its human capital, ensure fair income distribution, increase resource allocation efficiency, and augment economic growth.&nbsp;
We need research on how caste-based discrimination has reinforced market failures. The business development capacity of Dalits needs to be enhanced by creating better access to information and business networks. Nepal’s macro and micro-economic policies should combat visible and invisible caste-based business barriers.&nbsp;
Monetary policies can grant Dalits access to non-collateralised finance at concessional interest rates, and tax exemptions can create a level playing field. Finally, there could be a policy guarantee that the government, as one of the largest buyers, purchases goods and services from Dalits.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/dalit-lives-must-matter">Dalit lives must matter</a>, Shristi Karki

world-environment-day

Nepali cities must champion climate action

The healing power of nature

Economic benefits of saving the ecology

How to encourage a child’s biophilia

Young Nepali activists protect pangolins

Young Nepali activists protect pangolins

The nature of pandemics

The nature of pandemics

Importance of ecosystems for people and the planet

Importance of ecosystems for people and the planet

The return of the natives

The rise of high-rises

Kathmandu’s gravity-defying chariot festival

Putting Dalits back in business