Wetlands are not wastelands

Bhrikuti Rai

Kathmandu, Nepal

Conservationists battle ignorance and apathy to put Nepal's endangered wetlands on the priority protection list When Nepalis talk about water bodies they often think only about rivers. But for conservationist Top Khatri, it is all about wetlands.However, Khatri, who is the national project manager of Conservation and Sustainable Use of Wetlands in Nepal (CSUWN), says it is difficult to get officials and locals alike interested in marshes, swamps, floodplains and lakes which form a vital part of Nepal's aquatic ecosystem.

"Wetlands are not wastelands," says Khatri, who adds these vital water systems are being threatened by encroachment, pollution and drainage. "There is very little awareness about how important they are for the environment."Although wetlands account for only five percent of Nepal's total surface area, their importance far outstrips their size. Wetlands are vital stopovers for migratory birds, they are rich repositories of biodiversity, they recharge groundwater by storing monsoon runoff during the dry season and they are important for agriculture.

Nepal has 20 wetland ecosystems of global significance, but Khatri worries that they are not given priority in the national agenda. Furthermore, Nepalis have limited knowledge about their importance.

Wetlands in Nepal are home to many of the 89 globally-threatened animal species. Nearly a quarter of the 867 bird species found in Nepal depend on wetlands, including several migratory birds on the brink of extinction."Destruction of wetlands and pollution of rivers and lakes have led to dwindling bird populations and climate change has forced birds to change their migratory patterns," says Hum Bahadur Gurung of Bird Conservation Nepal.

चार महिनामा तीन पटक बिग्रियो गमगाढ विद्युत् आयोजना

तुफान न्यौपाने

जुम्ला, नेपाल

नेपालमा विद्युत् उत्पादन सुरु भएको सय वर्षपछि बनेको मुगुको गमगाढ साना जलविद्युत् आयोजना कमसल सामग्रीका कारण  ४ महिनामै ३ पटक बिग्रिसकेको छ। पछल्लो पटक पाइप फुटेपछि यही मङ्गलबारदेखि सदरमुकाम गमगढी पुन: अँध्यारोमा छ। एक मेघावाट भन्दा साना आयोजना निर्माण नगर्ने निर्णय गरेको प्राधिकरणले ४ सय किलोवाट क्षमताको यो आयोजना आफूले बनाएको अन्तिम सानो आयोजना भएका कारण ऐतिहासिक  बताएको थियो। तर निर्माण सम्पन्न भएको ४ महिनामै विद्युत् गृहमा जोडिएको फलामे पेनस्टक पाइप फुट्दा सदरमुकाम गमगढी र आसपासका बस्तीहरुले ३ पटक अँध्यारो झेलिसकेका छन्। गएको असोज ६ गतेदेखि विद्युत् उत्पादन सुरु गरिएको आयोजनाको एउटै पाइप ३ पटक फुटिसकेको हो।

आयोजना निर्माण कार्यदलका संयोजक हितेन्द्रदेव शाक्यले हप्ता दिनमा मर्मत कार्य सकिने जानकारी दिए। पाइप फुटेपछि यही मङ्गलबारदेखि गमगढी अँध्यारोमा छ। ठेकेदार कम्पनीले कमसल र परीक्षण नगरिएको पाइप खरिद गरेको र लामो समयसम्म पाइपहरु खुला आकासमुनि रहेकाले बेलाबेला पानी चुहिने गरेको आयोजनाले जनाएको छ। संयोजक शाक्यले पनि निर्माणका समयमा कमसल पाइप प्रयोग हुन गएको स्वीकारे।

आयोजनाको निर्माण गर्ने टोलीलाई नै लगाएर अहिले मर्मतको काम भइरहेको छ। तर आयोजनाका मेकानिकल इन्जिनियर काठमाडौंमा भएका कारण हप्ता दिनसम्म पनि मर्मतको काम सकिएको छैन। आर्थिक वर्ष २०५७/०५८ सालबाट निर्माण कार्य सुरु गरिएको यो आयोजना ठेकेदार कम्पनीले निर्माण सम्पन्न गर्न नसकेपछि नेपाल विद्युत् प्राधिकरणले सम्झौता खारेज गर्दै कम्पनीलाई कालो सूचीमा राखेर आयोजानको निर्माण कार्यको जिम्मा आफैंले लिएको थियो। करिब २१ करोड रुपियाँको लागतमा निर्माण गरिएको यो आयोजनबाट सदरमुकाम गमगढीसहित आसपासका ७ गाविसका २ हजार घरधुरीलाई विद्युत् सेवा प्रदान गर्ने लक्ष्य भए पनि अहिलेसम्म ७ सयभन्दा बढी घरमा विद्युत् सेवा पुग्न सकेको छैन।

Chitwan National Park

Chitwan National Park has long been one the country' treasures of natural wonders. The park is situated in south central Nepal, covering 932 sq. km. in the subtropical lowlands of the inner TERAI. The area comprising the Tikauli forest-from Rapti river to the foothills of the Mahabharat-extending over an area of 175 sq. km. was declared Mrigakunja in 1959. In 1963, the area south of Rapti river was demarcated as a rhinoceros sanctuary. The area was gazetted as the country's first National Park in 1973.

PIC: Jungle Safari at Chitwan national park.  In 1996, an area of 750 sq. km. surrounding the park was declared a buffer zone which consists of forests and private lands. The park and the local people jointly initiate community development activities and manage natural resources in the bufferzone. The Government has made provision of plowing back 30-50 percent of the park revenue for community development in the bufferzone. Chitwan National Park - October to May, Bird Watching - December to March. Maximum temperature can reach up to 95 Fahrenheit (35 C) in April through September. November through February are cooler months with average temperature around 67 Fahrenheit.

Ground-level research

BRITTANY SEARLE

Kathmandu, Nepal

In a unique project Australian and Nepali students study how global warming is affecting wildlife. Since 2007, Jean Marc Hero has been bringing students from Griffith University in Australia to Nepal to take part in expeditions that focus on learning about environmental research and teaching methods.

The Program for Planned Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research (PPBio) aims to establish an international monitoring system that measures biodiversity and the long term effects of climate change. Collaborative efforts between Griffith University and a number of environmental institutions within Nepal have resulted in the formation of PPBio Nepal.

With help from Bird Conservation Nepal, WWF Nepal, the National Trust for Nature Conservation and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Australian and Nepali students from Tribhuvan University and Kathmandu University work together to research the minute differences in the habitat due to global warming.

"It's a fantastic collaboration. It's really nice for Australian students to see how many people can come together to get things done," says Hero. Over the four-week course the students witness the ways in which PPBio is aiming to measure the effects of climate change as well as taking part in the various conservation research methods used by researchers in Chitwan National Park. The project is doing more than exposing Australian students to Nepal's environmental challenges, it also allows students to learn ways to deal with conservation and climate change issues.

मध्यमर्स्याङ्दी माघभरि बन्द हुने, लोडसेडिङ १४ घन्टा पुग्ने!

रामचन्द्र भट्ट, काठमाडौं

दिनहुँ ११ घन्टा लोडसेडिङ भइरहेका बेला विद्युत प्राधिकरणले दुई सातापछि मध्यमर्स्याङ्दी जलविद्युत गृह बन्द गर्ने निर्णय गरेको छ। आगामी माघ ८ देखि प्राधिकरणले पूरै महिना मध्यमर्स्याङ्दी बन्द गर्ने लागेको हो। ६९ मेगावाट क्षमताको यो आयोजना बन्द हुँदा कम्तिमा दिनको दुई घन्टा लोडसेडिङ थप हुनेछ। आयोजना बन्द हुँदा लोडसेडिङ दैनिक १४ घन्टा पुग्ने प्राधिकरणका अधिकारीहरूले अनुमान गरेका छन्।

'यसपालि जसरी पनि मर्मत गर्नुपर्ने भएकाले बन्द गर्न लागेका हौं,' प्राधिकरणका निर्देशक मोहनकृष्ण उप्रेतीले भने, 'गत वर्ष नै मर्मत गर्नुपर्ने तालिका थियो।' मध्यमर्स्याङ्दीको परामर्शदाता जर्मन कम्पनी केएफडब्ल्युले गत वर्ष हिउँदमै इलेक्ट्रोमेकानिकलतर्फको मर्मत गर्न प्राधिकरणलाई जानकारी गराएको थियो।

इलेक्ट्रोमेकानिकलअन्तर्गत टर्बाइन, जेनेरेटर, ट्रान्सफर्मरको काम पर्छ। गत वर्ष हिउँदमा दैनिक १४ घन्टा लोडसेडिङ भएकाले त्यसमा बढ्न नदिन मर्मत रोकिएको थियो। यसपालि मर्मत रोके विद्युत गृह दुर्घटनामा पर्ने चेतावनी विदेशी परामर्शदाता कम्पनीले दिएपछि पूरै तीनसाता बन्द गर्न लागिएको हो।

परामर्शदाताले मर्मत गर्न डेढ महिना लाग्ने बताएको छ। प्राधिकरण सञ्चालक समितिले तीन सातामै मर्मत सकेर विद्युत गृह चलाउन निर्देशन दिएको छ। 'त्यतिखेर लोडसेडिङ बढ्ने भएकाले मर्मत गरिएन, यसपालि वर्षाअघि जसरी पनि गर्नुपर्छ,' उप्रेतीले भने।