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IUCN Nepal bi-annual Newsletter December 2007

Synergies for aSustainable Asia

2 Conservation December 2007

CONSERVATIONN E W S L E T T E R

Volume 7, Number 3December 2007

The World Conservation Union (IUCN)Nepal Country OfficeP.O. Box 3923Kupondole, LalitpurKathmandu, Nepaltel: +977 1 5528761fax: + 977 1 [email protected]

Compiled and edited by: Deependra Joshi, IUCN Nepal

Editorial advisers: Prabhu Budhathoki, Narayan Belbase,Bhawani Kharel, Ram C. Khanal and Mingma N. Sherpa

Design: Dwarika Aryal, IUCN Nepal

OpinionsOpinions expressed in this publication do not necessarilyreflect the views of IUCN Nepal.

SubscriptionsSubscriptions to print or electronic versions ofConservation Newsletter are free. To subscribe, pleasevisit www.iucnnepal.org/newsletter or e-mail us [email protected].

Comments and SuggestionsPlease e-mail the Conservation Newsletter team [email protected].

ContentsCover Story 3Interview 6In Focus 8IUCN @ Work 10Members' Forum 14Spotlight 16Voices 17Book Review 19

Photographs: Front Cover: Logo of the Asia Regional ConservationForum designed by Nepal's renowned artist Sudarshan Bikram Rana.Back Cover: A boy diving at the shore of Ghodaghodi Lake Complex,Nepal's Ramsar Site, Kailali District, by Deependra Joshi.

© 2007 International Union for Conservation of Nature and NaturalResources

WelcomeAs 2007 draws to an end, we would like to send you–

on behalf of IUCN Nepal secretariat–our best wishesfor a happy new year. It gives us a great pleasure to sharewith you the new edition of our flagship publication–Conservation. Amongst others, we report the highlightsmade during the last two quarters of 2007, most notablyreflecting the successes of the Regional ConservationForum (RCF).

We would like to inform you that our office has moved toa new location in Kupondole, Lalitpur. This newsletterreports the admission of LI-BIRD as a new member of ourfamily, thus totalling the membership number to 15 strongand diverse members in Nepal. It is tempting to expandthis list since IUCN’s Commissions and members haveprovided many more examples of how conservation canwork in the country’s transitional phase.

We hope the new year in the offing offers us bothchallenging and exciting opportunities–to makeconservation a key task for moving the relationshipbetween people and nature onto a new trajectory.

Finally, we welcome your valued comments and suggestionsin enriching this newsletter.

The new secretariat of IUCN Nepal Country Office in Kupondole, Lalitpur, Nepal.

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December 2007 Conservation 3

© Andrew GellSynergies for a Sustainable Asia

Cover Stor y

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Prime Minister of Nepal inaugurates Regional Conservation Forum

Prime Minister of Nepal Rt. Hon. Girija Prasad Koiralainaugurated the 4th IUCN Asia Regional Conservation Forum

(RCF) in Kathmandu, Nepal on September 10, 2007.

Addressing the conference, Chief Guest Koirala reiterated Nepal’scommitment to the conservation and sustainable use of naturalresources. “As a party to various environmental conventions, wepromise our development partners to reinforce our partnership onconservation and sustainable development based on the democraticprinciples of cooperation, shared responsibility and mutual benefitto formulate appropriate strategies for a better Asia,” the PrimeMinister said.

Highlighting the challenges faced by Asia in mitigating climatechange and other natural disasters, Julia Marton-Lèfevre, DirectorGeneral of the World Conservation Union, said there is increasingconcern within the region and that the benefits of the region’sspectacular growth have not been shared equitably.

“It is time for us to take stock of the environmental issues thatconfront the world. It is also time to take stock of the links betweenour well-being as humans and the well-being of our naturalenvironment,” the Director General added.

The keynote speech was delivered by Surendra Shrestha, RegionalDirector of United Nations Environment Programme/RegionalOffice for Asia Pacific. In his address, Shrestha expressed the hopeof building political commitment to address some of the pressingenvironmental issues facing Asia today.

Aban Marker Kabraji, Regional Director of IUCN Asia, applaudedthe role of Nepal in demonstrating some of the region’s mostinnovative conservation practices. Said Kabraji, “As the peaceprocess continues and democracy flourishes, Nepal faces bothopportunities and challenges in moving towards the path ofsustainable development, growth and conservation.”

While the then Minister for Forests and Soil Conservation Dev PrasadGurung chaired the inaugural programme, Ukesh Raj Bhuju, Chair ofthe Nepal National Committee (NNC) of IUCN Members and PrabhuBudhathoki, Country Representative of IUCN Nepal, also spoke at theopening ceremony of RCF.

The forum provided a platform to discuss innovative approachestowards environmental sustainability, shared regional experienceson key ecosystems and livelihoods issues with members and otherstakeholders, and fostered partnerships for future action. The forum

PM speaks out on conservation

Prime Minister of Nepal Rt. Hon. Girija Prasad Koirala hasvoiced his concern over the deteriorating state of

environment in Nepal. Below are some notable excerpts fromhis speech delivered during the inaugural ceremony of RCF:

The Government of Nepal has always remained committedto the protection of environment and we must work togetherin generating environmental education right from the schoollevel. We can no longer afford to destroy our forests and wildlifeas they are our life support systems. We owe this to ourselves, toour children, to future generations, and to life on earth.Children are the future builders of the nation and they shouldbe imparted environmental education at all levels both in ruraland urban areas.

Building upon this common ground of mutual interest andsynergy, Nepal has made progress in environmental protection.However, climate change has posed as a major threat to ourcountry and is one of the major driving forces behind theunprecedented loss of biodiversity. Climate change isunequalled in terms of its truly global nature and that to rise tothe challenge and cut greenhouse gas drastically is theresponsibility of everyone.

Our cooperation on environment protection should be basedon the principles of partnership, shared responsibility, mutualbenefit and inter-dependence. Our strategic partnership mustbe backed by realistic goals and objectives highlighted byachievable programme of action. Our environment protectionefforts must focus on realizing an inclusive society and ensuringsustainable livelihoods.

The world knows that Asia is a cradle of human civilizationand a treasure of rich natural and cultural heritage. Theseassets offer us a hope for a better future. If wisdom is the rightuse of knowledge, then the challenge before us is to chart outa long-term vision forging a sustained partnership. It is my firmbelief that this forum will prove yet another milestone in ourjourney towards peace, stability and prosperity. Our identitylies in our unity and in our common resolve to ensure synergiesfor a sustainable Asia.

(Thank you)

was presented with the proposed IUCN Asia programme frameworkfor the next quadrennial period (2009–2012), including strategiesfor addressing emerging issues in the region. The following maincomponents of the new programme were addressed in technicalsessions:

° Conserving Biodiversity for Life–Ecosystems and species;approaches for balancing the resource exploitation andsustainable development;

° Climate Change–Asia’s Predicament: Asia's scenario fromglacier melts to sea-rise and attendant issues; disaster riskmanagement; vulnerabilities with special reference to thepoorer segments of the population;

° Energy for Asia–Options and Challenges–Options forecologically sustainable energy systems; energy demand onbiodiversity;

° Poverty and Environment– where are we today? Sustainableenvironmental management and poverty reduction; access toresources and related issues; and

° Greening the Economy– the Potential in Asia–valuingecosystem services; trade and investments and biodiversity.

In addition to the above-mentioned thematic sessions, the forum

also provided an opportunity to present views on new thinking on

sustainable development and the approaches available for ensuring

sustainability, as well as on IUCN Asia’s new initiative with the

private sector, covered in the following sessions:

° Future of Sustainability– looking at a new generationof environmentalism based on the urgency of climate change,imperatives for economic development, acceleratingglobalisation and continuing loss of biodiversity;

° Alternative Models of Development–examining questions onthe ways and means of balancing economic development withdue consideration to environmental and social concerns; and

° The Role of Private Sector in Ensuring Sustainability–examining IUCN’s engagement with private sector, and itsstrategy to mobilise private sector and conservation commu-nity to engage with one another to deliver conservationresults.

The members also had a separate session to discuss membership-related matters as well as Commission work. Altogether, the forumwas organised into ten sessions, spread over four days.

Several leading environmental experts such as Abdul-MuyeedChowdhury, IUCN Regional Councillor, Dr. Ashok Khosla ofDevelopment Alternatives, Professor Purificacio Canals, IUCN'sglobal vice-president, Pavan Sukhdev, Managing Director andHead–Global Markets, Deutsche Bank (India), also shared theirinsights into the RCF thematic sessions.

While Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) organised Nepal Evening atBhaktaput Durbar Square, Nepal National Committee of IUCNMembers organised a reception dinner at Central Zoo, Lalitpur, inhonour of RCF delegates.


Regional Conservation Forum concludes with renewed commitment to conservation

The Regional Conservation Forum, arguably Asia's biggest andmost important conservation event, was organised from

September 10 to 14, 2007, in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Delivering his concluding remarks, Tirtha Raj Sharma, Secretary,Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, put biodiversityconservation into the larger context of the development agendaand noted the importance of events such as the RCF in promotingand contributing to sustainable livelihoods. The secretary furtherremarked that he looked forward to the RCF results being integratedinto mainstream conservation programmes across the region andadded that the issues discussed at the forum will be taken to theWorld Conservation Congress scheduled to be held in Barcelona,Spain, in October 2008.

Julia Marton-Lèfevre, Director General of the World ConservationUnion (IUCN), thanked all the institutions and individuals whocontributed to the success of the RCF and said that the forum hasdemonstrated an unprecedented level of private sector participation.“We should now move towards collaboration with entrepreneursand business: this shows that biodiversity and sustainability is asimportant to business as it is to us.”

The Director General expressed the hope that the outcomes of theRCF will contribute to addressing issues of conservation in peacebuilding, poverty eradication, food and water security, tourism andeconomic development.

“The issues presented during the three days’ deliberations representa road map and this is the first step on a very long road,” she observed,urging IUCN members and partners to be more engaged in buildingsynergies that support sustainable development in Asia.

On the occasion, IUCN Director General and the secretary jointlypresented awards and appreciation letters to distinguishedindividuals anad volunteers who contributed to the success of RCF.

The forum, in particular, provided (a) a platform to discuss innovativeapproaches to environmental sustainability; (b) shared regionalexperiences on key ecosystems and livelihood issues with membersand other stakeholders; and (c) fostered partnerships and formedstrategies to build synergies for a sustainable Asia.

The main agenda of the forum was to generate meaningful dialogueon critical conservation and development issues in the region aswell as their possible solutions. Special emphasis was also placed onthe impact of emerging socio-economic trends in Asia during the21st century.

Held every four years, the event was co-hosted by the Governmentof Nepal with the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation as thefocal point. The forum brought together 400 representatives fromIUCN’s membership, commissions, secretariat and council in Asiafrom as many as 32 Asian countries with major stakeholders,including those belonging to the donor community and privatesector.

Knowledge Marketplace Exhibition

The Forum also organised an interactive "KnowledgeMarketplace" for the members and the secretariat to display anddiscuss their works through posters, discussion groups for interestedparties, display of publications, brochures, airing of videos, slideshows, etc.

Through this exhibition, RCF provided platform for IUCNmembers and partners (including private sector) to shareachievements by showcasing outreach materials reflectingsuccessful sustainable development initiatives. This event wasprimarily chosen to bring conservation information and knowledgepresently existing on to a common platform with the objective ofsharing and exchanging information and raising awareness.

In all, 20 kiosks were put on display during the exhibition thatrepresented a diverse group of organisations such as Jal BhagirathiFoundation (India), Dilmah Tea (Sri Lanka), Holcim Cement,WWF Nepal, The Mountain Institute, Nepal Tourism Board,Wildlife Conservation Nepal, SANDEE, HKKH PartnershipProject, Photo Souvenir, members of the Nepal NationalCommittee, etc. During the exhibition, activities showcasedfollowing thematic areas: Conserving Biodiversity for Life; Futureof Sustainability Initiative; Climate Change and Energy; andManaging Ecosystems for Human Well-being.

IUCN Asia Regional Director Ms. Aban Marker Kabraji addressing during theinaugural ceremony of the Regional Conservation Forum in Kathmandu.>

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Delegates during the opening ceremony of the Regional Conservation Forum inKathmandu.>

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Ms. Julia Marton-Lefèvre is the Director General of the WorldConservation Union (IUCN), the world’s leading

conservation authority. Julia, a global expert and leader indevelopment and conservation, is a member of a number of boardsand commissions, including those of IIED; LEAD International; aTrustee of the International Research Institute for Climate andSociety of Columbia University, and of the Bibliotheca Alexandrinain Egypt. She has recently ended a 9-year term as Vice President ofthe World Resources Institute, and was one of the foundingmembers of the China Council for Environment and Development.She also serves on environmental advisory bodies to the DowChemical Company and The Coca-Cola Company.

Born in Hungary and educated in the United States and France,Julia's career has included stints in Asia, Europe and the Americas.Julia has co-authored numerous books and papers. In 1999, shereceived AAAS Award for International Cooperation in Science.She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of the UnitedKingdom. She is a dual national of the US and France and studiedhistory, ecology and environmental planning in those countries.

Julia was in Kathmandu recently to participate at the 4th IUCNAsia Regional Conservation Forum. Excerpted below is the interview(with some extracts from The Kathmandu Post) by Deependra Joshi,Programme Officer, IUCN Nepal:

Julia Marton-LefèvreDIRECTOR GENERALTHE WORLD CONSERVATION UNION (IUCN)

I nterview

what are the biggest challenges facing Nepal in terms of theconservation of biological diversity?

Julia: I think one of the biggest challenges facing Nepal are that weare not careful about taking care of species–animals and plants–losing them without thinking of possible consequences. So, it is thesame challenge facing the entire world.

We have recently launched the 2007 IUCN Red List of EndangeredSpecies. This year’s IUCN Red List shows that the invaluable effortsmade so far to protect species are not enough. The rate of biodiversityloss is increasing and we need to act now to reduce this globalextinction crisis. This can be done, but only with a concerted effortby all levels of society. Nepal is no exception to this.

There are now over 41,000 species on the IUCN Red List and morethan 16,000 of them are threatened with extinction. The totalnumber of extinct species has reached 785 and a further 65 are onlyfound in captivity or in cultivation. This is of course one of the hugechallenges facing mankind today.

You said that more endangered species have been added into theRed List. How has IUCN prioritized the species conservationprogrammes?

Julia: One of our primary responsibilities is to get the best scientificknowledge. We do a lot of work. Every year, we add endangered

species to the Red List. We provide information and what we needpeople to listen clearly, and adopt the alternative course of action.

IUCN looks forward to building on its strengths to deliver theinformation, knowledge and expertise needed to guide improveddecisions and actions to safeguard species, and to increase thecapacity to tackle emerging challenges. IUCN Commissions unite10,000 volunteer experts from a range of disciplines who assess thestate of the world’s natural resources and provide the Union withsound know-how and policy advice on conservation issues. We reallyhave a good commission members’ strength in Nepal. We know wecan count on our members to pass the information and hopefullytranslate into policy, and into action.

Climate change is the most severe problem that we are facingtoday. How is IUCN responding to this highly complex problem?

Julia: Yes, climate change is the most pressing concern of thiscentury. Increasing temperatures, changing rainfall patterns,increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events, arenot only contributing to magnifying existing environmental stresses,but also adding to food insecurity and conflict over resources.

Currently, we are catalyzing action in countries to reduce emissionsand prepare for the inevitable impacts of climate change. We havepledged to work with our members to influence the governmentsto implement their commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. We

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"Nepal is a pioneer in adoptinginnovative conservation approaches"


have also called upon them to agree as soon as possible on bindingcommitments to further reduce emissions, using the Kyotoframework as a basis.

We stress the need to give due consideration to the links betweenclimate change, equity and biodiversity, and the opportunities andchallenges these links pose, for mitigating and adapting to climatechange. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving thecapacity of the world’s ecosystems and communities to adapt toinevitable climate change impacts are two priorities for IUCN.

How has IUCN been influencing the Government of Nepal inensuring a just Nepal that values and conserves nature?

Julia: The World Conservation Union draws strength from thediversity of its membership, commissions, partners and programmes.We have been very active in laws and regulation, and havecontributed a huge amount of resources to the Convention onBiological Diversity (CBD), Convention on Climate Change,Convention on Desertification, etc. So, we have provided the legalprovisions which have now become an international law.

Nepal is faced with many conservation threats and its pristinebiodiversity is under constant threat. What do you think Nepalshould undertake in defeating poverty, which would help conserveits biodiversity?

Julia: In real terms, Nepal has contributed a lot on biodiversityconservation. Nepal has remained a pioneer in the world inestablishing innovative conservation approaches and its successesin community forestry and buffer zone management have beenwell recognized as models of conservation. In fact, Nepal’s successin conservation is because of the fact that its biodiversity conservationapproach has underpinned human well-being which has beenfocused on ensuring sustainable and equitable management ofbiodiversity at all levels.

Nepal has very wonderful protected areas. I see that Nepal is moreimportant in terms of biodiversity conservation because its economyis going to depend on tourism and world heritage sites. It hasincredible natural and human beauty. Natural beauty has helpedpreserve the biodiversity of the planet. If Nepal does not take careof its natural beauty, then it will certainly lose economic aspirations.So, there is every reason to take care of biodiversity here.

Nepal, as any other country, needs to address issues concerning theimprovement of livelihoods, reduce poverty and vulnerability, andenhance environmental and human security through sustainableecosystem management. This will shape Nepal’s sustainable future.We have demonstrated that we can help reduce poverty by ensuringthat nature continues to provide the poor with much-neededresources while sustainably managed resources can be a key togrowth and development, beyond poverty reduction.

How does IUCN, as an organization that has such a large anddiverse membership, reap the benefits of its membership? How canthe Nepal National Committee (NNC) be effectively mobilised to

engage members in the work of the Union?

Julia: Firstly, IUCN’s unique global membership and its ever-growinginfluence is a result of working with its members. The Union, driven byits mission, reflects the diverse needs of its vast membership and itscommitment to the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

Through IUCN, members become part of a collective and globalvoice on important conservation issues. The Union convenes theWorld Conservation Congress and the Regional Conservation Forum(such as this now being held in Nepal) and other platforms fordiscussing conservation issues. These provide an opportunity forassessing and debating conservation and development challengesfrom the perspective of governments, NGOs, civil society and theprivate sector at local, national and regional levels and in theinternational arena.

Secondly, IUCN’s Intersessional Plan (IP) is an expression of acollective effort of IUCN members towards achieving Union’s missionand it is implemented through the IUCN membership, IUCN’s sixCommissions and its Secretariat. These IPs help in setting standardsand guidelines for conservation, and applying scientific rigour andinnovative leadership in determining the threat status of endangeredspecies, categorizing protected areas, monitoring conservationsuccess and assessing sustainability.

The role of national committees such as Nepal National Committeeis to facilitate cooperation amongst members, coordinate thecomponents of IUCN and facilitate increased participation of ourever-growing membership in the programme and governance ofthe Union. And in doing so, IUCN supports members to play a moreeffective role in the formulation and implementation of IUCN’s policyand programme through the Governing Council, Regional andNational Committees.

So, what I think is for the voice of conservation community to beheard extensively, we must develop our capacity to work together.As a Union of the conservation community, IUCN provides anideal platform to influence and assist societies in their search for amore sustainable development path.

Director General of the World Conservation Union Julia Marton-Lefèvre deliveringremarks at the inaugural ceremony of Regional Conservation Forum in Kathmandu.>

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Introduction:

IUCN Nepal carried out a preliminary assessment of the impacts ofclimate change and community adaptation in Ilam Siwaliks in

2006. The main objective of the study was to assess how climaticparameters such as precipitation and temperature affect agriculture,water resources and people’s livelihoods, and to document somecommunity adaptation measures practised at the local level.

Methodology:Altogether, 52 households from Bukuwa and Bidhuwa micro-watersheds of Ilam Siwaliks project site were selected on a randomsampling method and interviewed with a set of structuredquestionnaires. Simple statistical tools were used to analyse thecollected data whereas secondary meteorological data were takenfrom the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology.

Impacts on Agriculture:Communities realized more frequent and severe droughts, floods,soil erosion and change in pest dynamics from the change in climateover the years which directly impacted on agriculture. Most of therespondents, for example, said that rice production has beendecreasing primarily due to increasing erratic and extreme rainfallpatterns.

Community has developed some adaptation measures. Forinstance, to cope with impacts of drought, farmers are promotingcrops which are drought-resistant. Some of them have also startedplanting new varieties of paddy which mature earlier and demandless water, e.g. Jaya and Dalle Aun. About 70% of respondents havechanged their cropping patterns whereas nearly 95% of respondentsstarted cultivating finger millet, yam and buckwheat (Fagopyrumesculentum) which are traditionally used for paddy cultivation.

Impacts on Water Resources:Due to change in climatic pattern, the study sites experiencedshortage of drinking and irrigation water. About 90% of respondents

Community adaptation: Some learningfrom Ilam Siwaliks

said they have observed a decreasing trend in the flow of streamsduring spring, while heavy floods are common during rainy seasons.Different types of adaptation measures were adopted by localcommunities to reduce the immediate as well as long-term impactson water resources. In order to cope with this problem, ground wateris used for irrigation during rainy season (90% of respondents). Abouthalf of respondents mentioned that farmers started harvestingrainwater in large pots and tanks from their roofs. Some people havestarted using dug wells, while others are collecting water by diggingditches in the river banks.

Impacts on Livelihoods:Climate-induced impacts directly affect the livelihoods of many farmersin the Siwaliks. Most people in this region depend on subsistenceagriculture and almost all respondents in the study site said that decreasein agricultural production weakened the local economy and increasedthe risk of food insecurity among the local farmers. Floods, drought andland cutting due to floods are forcing locals to migrate from the area.Approximately, 35%, 20% and 25% of respondents mentioned that floods,landslides and agricultural land cutting respectively are the main reasonsfor out migration. Out of 52 respondents, 50% stated that they havebeen forced to move their houses and animal sheds at least once in everyfive years due to climate-induced impacts. These disasters have alsodestroyed different types of monuments and infrastructure. The studyfurther suggested that community level vulnerability has been increasingover the years, mainly due to erratic precipitation patterns which, inturn, reduce agricultural production.

Some Learning:It is important to enhance conservation awareness and build thecapacity of communities related to climate change, its impacts andmechanisms for adaptation. Government has to develop appropriatemechanisms to document and promote local knowledge andtechnologies, and to assess the impact of climate change andvulnerability assessment to support community adaptation. It is alsovital to develop community responsive climate change adaptationpolicies and programmes immediately to protect the livelihoods ofmillions of farmers from the adverse impacts of climate change.

I n Focus

A conservation pond in Morangejhoda of Chulachuli VDC, Ilam Siwaliks.

(Mr. Khanal is a Senior Programme Officer, IUCN Nepal,and he can be reached at [email protected])

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Table 1: Major input of climate change and community adaptationmeasures:

Ram Chandra Khanal

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When IUCN Nepal designed the intervention in IlamSiwaliks in 1998 to assist local institutions and communities

in better managing their natural resources and conserving the criticalChuria ecosystem, it discovered that half the population, the women,were effectively excluded from conservation and sustainabledevelopment agenda that it was trying to promote. Although manywomen's groups were present at that time, they were virtuallydormant. They had very little say in resource management andplanning, although they were the major custodians and workedhardest at resource use and management.

IUCN Nepal wanted to influence people to see a shared vision forthe Siwaliks to secure both environmental and livelihood security, atask made difficult by the diverse demography, the skewed landholding patterns, the survival imperatives and the lack of localinstitutional capacity.

Seven years later, women have provided the much neededleadership in managing their resources, acting as local resourcepersons to train other women, dealing with line agencies and officials,securing wider funding support for their development andconservation programmes. They also speak a shared vision for theChuria—at the recent community sharing exercise they all spokeof safeguarding their fragile ecosystem and resources, of livelihood-conservation and upstream-downstream linkages, and of the role ofwomen in conservation and sustainable development. The projecthas combined conservation and livelihoods for prompting changein resource use practices in areas where poverty and resourcedependence are intricately linked. Now, IUCN Nepal is promotingpractical innovations for inclusive conservation and livelihoods aimedat supporting local institutions for linking community conservation,landscape management and good governance practices.

Institutional innovationThe Women's Apex Body is today a registered NGO, a status that ithad to embrace in order to diversify its funding base and becomealtogether independent and self-sustaining. It is essentially anumbrella organisation of 83 women’s groups (with a total membershipof 2200 women) and the women are members of 67 communityforest user groups in the area. Their programmes include women’sliteracy and empowerment, setting up of biogas plants to reducepressure on forests, promoting horticulture, sericulture and bee-keeping as green income generating activities, micro enterprisecreation, using bio-engineering techniques for flood control and toprotect the fragile watershed, assisting in establishing and runningnurseries for community forestry, raising NTFP plantation oncommons and spreading conservation awareness in the area. Forthe past seven years, they have facilitated training for over 950people from 6 village development committees in variousprogrammes.

Strength in a fragile landThe story of how a coalition of women’s groups havecome to lead a people-centred conservation effort inone of Nepal’s most fragile ecozones

Today, the apex body is a more self-reliant organisation that is ableto plan and execute programmes successfully by mobilising itsnetwork of women. It is helping other women, and communities,help themselves—from organising and operating revolving fundsfor those who want to set up biogas plants or improved cookingstoves, and organising training for green income generating activities(like pickle, jam and squash making, apiculture, bee-hiveconstruction, sericulture), and training in book-keeping, pesticideuse and off-season vegetable farming.

The biogas plants and improved cooking stoves are already impactingresource use—saving women the time and drudgery of going out tofetch fuelwood more often, reducing the health impacts of indoorsmoke and taking pressure off the forests. The skill enhancementtraining in income generating activities is being applied andhouseholds are seeing some encouraging returns. The savings andcredit groups have been a useful entry point for mobilising womenand involving them in conservation and development activities.

Seeing the futureEven as the apex body has made important strides in conservationand improving livelhoods in a fragile ecological zone, their coalitionneeds to be strengthened through capacity building interventionsto match their needs. It is about the development of a stronggrassroots coalition that has achieved a degree of institutionalsustainability—with a diversified support base, and growingincreasingly self-sufficient and active with a range of activities.

It takes some time to demonstrate community benefits as anincentive for conservation and time for any gradual handover andwithdrawal to ensure institutional sustainability. The first phase ofmobilisation and organisation has yielded a successful case—thereis a strong, active grassroots coalition with strong external linkages,transparency and accountability in its functioning, and the promiseof institutional sustainability. IUCN Nepal is now gearing towardshanding over the programmes and is continuing to mentor thisgroup who have moved beyond beneficiaries to protectionists.However, it is the drive and commitment of the women of IlamSiwaliks that will keep them leading a sustainable people-centredconservation effort in one of Nepal’s most fragile ecozones.

>> Members of the Dalit community harvesting rice in Chulachuli VDC, Ilam Siwaliks.

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I UCN @ Work

Talk programme on linking peace,security and environment

IUCN Nepal organised a talk programme on “Peace, Securityand Environment,” which was delivered by Jeff McNeely, IUCN's

Chief Scientist. The programme was organised with an objective toshare the critical links on peace, security and environment, andunderstand the relationships between environmental resourcemanagement and peace. The deliberations contributed in deepeningand broadening the notion that environment preservation is crucialto people’s lives and that Nepal must invest in ecosystems to securesustainable development in future.

McNeely addressed the need for more conflict-sensitivedevelopment policies and programmes, underlining the need tothink and act holistically regarding peace building efforts,development, security and sustainable development debates. Heemphasised that environment and environmental security problemsare complex and so must be our solutions, noting that actions toaddress one problem often create new ones and that proposedsolutions must pay attention to specific circumstances.

During his presentation, McNeely reiterated that there is a need fora new shared vision of a common destiny to create a culture ofpeace and solidarity that can create an environment free frompoverty, fear, violence and insecurity; that Nepal should continueits initiative on peace and environment amongst the broaderconstituencies. He said that due consideration should be given tothe development of a fora for preventive dialogue and confidencebuilding, conflict resolution and post-conflict restitution.

Delivering his remarks, Dr. Swoyambhu Man Amatya, Secretaryof the National Planning Commission, said that the interactionbetween peace, security and environment is increasingly felt inNepal and stressed that people have come to realize thatenvironment is critical to their lives and that the environment isthreatened. He added that the Government of Nepal is committedto conserving peace and environment and is working to fulfil theobligations under the Millennium Development Goals.

Consultation onIntersessional Plan(2009-2012)

The World Conservation Union(IUCN) Nepal organised a

consultation meeting on July 15, 2007,to share and discuss the draft IUCNNepal’s Intersessional Programme(2009-2012). The consultation was

held with institutional and commission members of Nepal.The programme provides the framework to plan, implement,monitor and evaluate actions with and on behalf of IUCN’svalued members. The quadrennium programme was agreedupon at the Asia Regional Conservation Forum held inKathmandu from September 10-14, 2007, which will beeventually adopted at the World Conservation Congress beingorganised in Barcelona, Spain, in October 2008.

>> IUCN Chief Scientist Jeff McNeely deliberating during the talk programme.

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>> Former prime minister of Nepal Sher Bahadur Deuba (2nd from right) at the interaction

programme on promoting livelihoods in Western Mountain Region of Nepal.

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Towards promoting livelihoods

IUCN Nepal and Media Academy Nepal organised aninteraction programme in June 2007 to identify challenges

and opportunities and explore ways to promote landscape andlivelihoods in Far and Mid-Western Mountain Region of Nepal.

Former prime minister of Nepal Sher Bahadur Deuba and othermembers of the legislature-parliament representing Mid and FarWestern Development Region expressed views that despiteabundant biodiversity richness and spectacular natural areas(including three national parks), the region is least developed inNepal with very low indicators of human development.

Participants asserted that the government must take firm steps inenhancing the livelihood options and natural resourcemanagement in the region through bottom-up planning processin a holistic manner by implementing pro-poor biodiversityconservation activities. Mid and Far-Western DevelopmentRegion of Nepal is the most poverty-stricken area and hasremained isolated from the mainstream of development in Nepal.


High altitude wetlands and water towers

Impacts of climate change have been noticed on both aquaticand terrestrial ecosystems. Himalayan high altitude wetlands

provide a freshwater reserve affecting almost one-third of humanityin the river basins downstream. There is considerable evidence thatloss of Himalayan wetlands can lead first to increased flooding andlater to lack of river water, especially during dry seasons in thedownstream thereby requiring significant efforts to lessen both atsource and the downstream.

IUCN Nepal, in conjunction with Himalayan Water and NatureInitiatives (WANI), organised a one-day multi-stakeholderconsultation workshop on the “Role of high altitude Himalayanregion wetlands as water towers” in Kathmandu to encourage stateand non-state stakeholders to navigate ways for implementingclimate change adaptation, economic valuation of ecosystemresources, environmental flows and payment for watershed servicesin Nepal. The workshop brought together experts from climatechange, water, environment, dams and development arena.

The workshop was organised with the objectives of sharinginformation and develop way forward for (i) adaptation of waterresource management to climate change; (ii) counting ecosystemas water infrastructure; (iii) essentials of environmental flow; and(iv) establishing payment for watershed services.

The workshop concluded with a set of recommendations onhydrological functions of wetlands, impacts of climate change,integration of payment for environmental services with thewatershed conservation practices, tabulated classification ofenvironmental-flow through policy and legal measures, andpreparation of coping strategies for alternative livelihoods.

Nepal Business andEnvironment Strategy

Recognizing the private sector’s enormous role to influence the

sustainable economic progress andhealthy environment of Nepal,IUCN Nepal, WWF Nepal and TaraManagement Pvt. Ltd. jointlyfacilitated the development of a

national level Business and Environment Strategy (BES). Thisstrategy aims to help promote partnership between theprogressive private sector and environmental organisationsworking in Nepal to make real achievements in protectingNepal’s natural environment.

The document serves as an outline strategy for partnershipdevelopment by different sectors, with special focus to privatesector which is envisaged to use it as a basis to formulateorganisation's environment policies and strategies whileenvironmental organisations could use it to develop customizedpartnership strategies for their engagement with the private sector.

IUCN in Sagarmatha National Park

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) is implementing theHindu Kush-Karakoram Himalaya Mountain Complex

(HKKH) Partnership for Ecosystem Management Project inpartnership with ICIMOD, Ev-K2-CNR and CESVI in SagarmathaNational Park (SNP) since July 2006. The three-year project isbeing implemented in Nepal, Pakistan and Tibet AutonomousRegion of China under the financial support of Italian Government,Ministry of Foreign Affairs Directorate General for DevelopmentCooperation (DGCS). The project is managed by IUCN AsiaRegional Office and its management unit has been housed in IUCNNepal’s secretariat. The project aims to strengthen the process ofdecision-making approaches used by natural resource managersand assist them in developing and testing a science based analyticalmodel for a protected area site in each country.

In the process of implementing programme activities of IUCN Nepalcomponent of the project, a two-day long orientation training onpark and buffer zone management to local stakeholders and parkstaff were conducted at Khumjung village of SNP between 21-22September 2007. The training focused on the contents of theSagarmatha National Park and Tourism Management Plan(2007-2012) and its draft regulations 2007. The objective of thetraining was to orient local stakeholders in the new managementplan and regulations which they have to implement under theguidance of the park. The training was attended by more than 40participants from park and buffer zone. Stakeholders appreciatedthe effort of IUCN Nepal and HKKH project for providing trainingand gave valuable comments to improve the SNP Regulations.

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A spectacular view of Ama Dablam peak as seen from Khumjung Village , SagarmathaNational Park.

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Exploring ways to equitable benefitsharing of Non Timber Forest Products

Can non timber forest products really help to reduce rural povertyand if so, how can they be more effectively used to balance

human and conservation needs? IUCN Nepal and Herbs and NTFPCoordination Committee (HNCC) jointly organised a multi-stakeholders’ workshop on December 12, 2007, in exploring ways toequitable benefit sharing that sought to answer questions onsustainable management of Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs)and Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) in Nepal.

Inaugurating the workshop, chief guest and officiating secretary ofthe Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation Dr. Krishna ChandraPaudel said that the policies, programmes and strategies fordeveloping a vibrant and sustainable community-based NTFP sectorshould be based on the foundation of people-centred, livelihood-focused and biodiversity-enriching principles. The vision has to bebased on the long-term goal of providing equitable access, fair shareof benefits and conservation through the sustainable use to thelocal communities.

Prabhu Budhathoki, Country Representative of IUCN Nepal, saidthat millions of people living in poverty depend heavily on NTFPsas a major contributor to their livelihoods, and added that IUCNNepal’s NTFP conservation project in Doti District believes thatsustainable use of natural resources can only be achieved if povertyreduction is at the core of conservation approaches.

Delivering his remarks, Director General of the Department of PlantResources and Member Secretary of HNCC, Dr. Lokendra RajSharma said that the government has been implementing a moreholistic approach that reflects the realities on the ground and thatsupports the livelihoods of rural poor in a way that supports thebalance between people and nature.

During the workshop, four leading thematic experts deliveredthought-provoking presentations from diverse perspectives -managing NTFPs and MAPs for sustainable livelihoods relating toMDG and Nepal’s obligations to CBD; micro-enterprise promotion;and sustainable management and harvesting practices.

>> A close shot of medicinal plant Timur (Zanthoxylum armatum).

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The world of art has always played a critical role ininspiring thoughts and generating conservation

education and awareness. This was echoed at an inauguralfunction of “Nature’s Call: An Art Exhibition of the NaturalWorld through Artists’ Eyes” in Kathmandu on July 2007.

Speaking at the inaugural function, Prabhu Budhathoki,Country Representative of IUCN Nepal, said that IUCN’sArt for Conservation Initiative aims to generateenvironmental awareness using the universal language ofart as a catalyst for individuals, communities and leaders tofocus on the importance of nature in preserving theenvironment.

The exhibition, inaugurated by Danish Ambassador to NepalHis Excellency Finn Thilsted, was organised to supportconservation of wildlife and habitats, biodiversity,sustainability and environmental education through natureart, and to build a community of artists who share a commoninterest in nature art and nature conservation whilepromoting the conservation of the natural world throughart, education and special initiatives. The week-longexhibition, featuring works of nature art created by 11renowned contemporary artists of Nepal, were put on displayat Nepal Art Council, which highlighted the real picture ofnature combining wildlife, people, culture and landscape ofChitwan National Park in Nepal.

Supporting nature through art



CEC in Nepal:Learning Change for Sustainability

Today the discourse is not anymore about the one winning and the other losing, it is about joint learning for sustainabledevelopment. As members of the conservation community, we striveto be relevant and practical in response to today's conservationchallenges and to drive a process of new learning for sustainabledevelopment.

This was stated by former Chair of the Commission on Educationand Communications (CEC) Frits Hesselink at a talk programmein Kathmandu, Nepal.

Delivering a presentation on learning for change for sustainabilityin IUCN Nepal on November 30, 2007, Hesselink said that CECpromotes the strategic use of communication through trainingcourses, practical tool development, publications, expert advice andadvocacy efforts that influence practice, policy and governance.

He further said that as CEC is responsible in particular for thebiodiversity convention's global initiative on Communication,Education and Public Awareness (CEPA), members need to fosterleadership in conservation and sustainable development by linkingmajor environmental conventions with regional agreements andthe Decade on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD),and into broader national and international biodiversity policies.

On the occasion, Prabhu Budhathoki, Country Representative ofIUCN Nepal, urged CEC Nepal to strategically work in areas relatedto advocacy, empowerment and leadership for change by linkingcapacity development in learning, communication and change forIUCN programme.

"We are confident that CEC in Nepal works towards developingcapacity for education community and IUCN in engaging andempowering people to change towards sustainability," Budhathokiremarked.

Also speaking on the occasion were Ukesh Raj Bhuju, Chair of theNepal National Committee of IUCN Members and Dr. Arzu R.Deuba, focal point of CEC Nepal.

Dr. Arzoo Rana Deuba has been nominated as the focalpoint of IUCN’s Commission on Education and

Communication (CEC) Nepal.

As IUCN Nepal continues to expand its membership base,engages with new sectors, and addresses emerging issues, Dr.Deuba’s nomination portrays the confidence of IUCN CECmembers in her abilities to increase the relevance of IUCN'sworks in Nepal.

“Educating the people about nature conservation is everybody’sbusiness. We will succeed only if we continue to broaden ourscope and involve more people,” said Dr. Deuba. “I would liketo see that every individual becomes more conscious aboutenvironmental protection; we must imbue it in our practicesand personalities,” she continued.

Dr. Deuba has pioneered the issues of violence against womenand safe motherhood in Nepal. A well-known advocate forsocial issues in Nepal, Dr. Deuba's career has been broad-based, and she has actively contributed to multi-sectoral issuessuch as governance, forestry, soil conservation, energy,migration, poverty alleviation, and reproductive health.

She has to her credit the establishment of two well-knownNGOs–SAATHI (working on child and women’s rights) andRUWDUC (Rural Women’s Development and UnityCenter–working on health, sustainable development, peacebuilding and mediation). Dr. Deuba has also establishedSAMANATA–a private sector consultancy operated solelyby Nepali women, and is the president of Safe MotherhoodNetwork Federation of Nepal.

Dr. Deuba serves on a number of boards. She is a boardmember of Poverty Alleviation Fund of Nepal. Dr. Deubahas a Ph.D in organizational behaviour and consults for anumber of international and government agencies in Nepal.During the early 1990s, she was also associated with IUCNNepal's communications programme.

Dr. Arzoo R. Deuba nominatedas CEC Nepal Focal Point

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>> Frits Hesselink delivering keynote speech to the members of IUCN in Nepal at a talk

programme on Learning Change for Sustainability.



M embers' Forum

ECCA organises symposiumon river management

Environmental Camps for Conservation Awareness (ECCA)organsied an International symposium on community-led

management of river environment in August 2007 in partnershipwith the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, KathmanduMetropolitan City (KMC) and Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City(LSMC). The symposium was taken as the second step for the riverrestoration process sharing and learning from experiences andsuccessful river restoration methods from Europe and Asia. Theprogramme was jointly inaugurated by Dinesh Thapaliya, ChiefExecutive Officer of KMC, Prachet Shrestha, Chairman of ECCA,Rainer Mutschler, project coordinator from Adelphi Research-Germany, Krishna Devkota, Chief Executive Officer of LSMC andRanjan Shrestha, Project Director of European Commission.

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IUCN welcomes LI-BIRDas 15th member in Nepal

The 68th meeting of IUCN Council held in South Africa from 19-20 November2007 has approved the admission of LI-BIRDas a member of the Union in Category B (c)- national non governmental organisations.

Recently, Nepal Academy of Science andTechnology of the Government of Nepal hasawarded LI-BIRD with the "Science andTechnology Promotion Award 2007" for itsoutstanding research and development workin the field of community-based biodiversitymanagement for on-farm conservation and

utilisation of agricultural biodiversity, Participatory Plant Breeding(PPB), and contribution in the formulation of associated nationalpolicies and strategies.

Established in 1995 with its headquarters in Pokhara (200 km westof Kathmandu), Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research andDevelopment (LI-BIRD) is committed to capitalise on local initiativesfor the sustainable management of renewable natural resourcesand improve livelihoods for the people in Nepal. LI-BIRD strives todevelop and maintain active links with local, national andinternational institutions in achieving its objectives.

The World Conservation Union extends its warmest welcome andhopes that this will be the beginning of a mutually beneficialcollaboration between IUCN and LI-BIRD.

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ICIMOD's new five-year strategy

The Board of Governors of the International Centrefor Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)

has approved the new five-year Strategic Framework andMedium Term Action Plan for 2008-2012. The newstrategy foresees three strategic programmes–IntegratedWater and Hazard Management, Environmental Changeand Ecosystem Services, and Sustainable Livelihoods andPoverty Reduction–supported by a strong knowledgemanagement group and specialists in gender, equity,governance, and economics, and working together onprogrammes designed to help people adapt to climatechange and improve their livelihoods while protecting theenvironment.

ICIMOD’s new programmes have been designedfollowing consultations with governments andorganisations in the Centre’s eight regional membercountries–Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China,India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan.

>> One-horned rhinoceros wallowing in Chitwan National Park.

Protected areas: How much is enough?

There is contradictory evidence as to the managementeffectiveness of protected areas as a means to conserving

biodiversity. While the land under protected area coverage hasshown an increasing trend, the continuing decline of biodiversityhas remained a cause for greater concern to the conservationcommunity in South Asia.

Issues such as these were debated at length at a regional conferenceon protected area management organised from April 22-25, 2007,in Kathmandu. Hosted by the Department of National Parks andWildlife Conservation, the conference was organised by the NationalTrust for Nature Conservation as the main organizer followed byIUCN Nepal, International Centre for Integrated MountainDevelopment and WWF Nepal as co-organizers.

The 4-day conference was organised around the theme of“Managing Protected Areas: Shifting Paradigm,” which extensivelydeliberated on the role of protected areas in conservation andsustainable development processes in South Asia.

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Centre for Rural Technology honoured

The improved Water Mill Support Programme has been honouredby the prestigious Ashden Award 2007 in recognition to

upgrading over 2,400 traditional water mills in the Himalayas ofNepal and improving livelihoods for millers and mill users andstemming the rise in diesel mills. The award, presented by formerU.S. Vice President Al Gore, was given at the Royal GeographicalSociety, London, UK.

This award rewards outstanding and innovative projects in UK andin developing countries that tackle climate change and improvethe quality of life by providing renewable energy at local level.Ashden award has selected 10 renewable energy pioneers fromacross the globe to enter the final stage of the competition. Thecountries participating for the award were Bangladesh, China,Ghana, India, Lao, Nepal, Peru, the Philippines and Tanzania.Pioneering project from Nepal, Centre for Rural Technology, wasselected to compete in the world’s leading green energy award. Dr.Govinda Raj Pokharel, Executive Director of Alternative EnergyPromotion Centre and Mr. Lumin Kumar Shrestha, Director of CRT/N, participated in Ashden Award ceremony at London.

Dr. Goodall releases “Stop MonkeyBusiness” report

Dr. Jane Goodall, a world famous primatologist and UNMessenger of Peace, endorsed the “Stop Monkey Business

Campaign,” an initiative to end the export of rhesus monkeys to USprimate research centres. During her Nepal visit in November thisyear, Dr. Goodall, described as ‘one of ten most influential womenever,’ released "There’s some Monkey Business Going On Here," areport authored by journalist duo Mangal Man Shakya and Lucia deVries. Shakya is the chairman of IUCN member Wildlife Watch Group.

“The export of monkeys to the US really is a terrible issue,” Dr.Goodall said, “I visited a number of primate centres where monkeysare treated as objects. As if they don’t feel pain and feelings and asif they don’t have a brain, just like we humans do.” She said it was‘unethical’ to capture innocent animals and treat them in most‘inhumane’ manner for drug testing, which is carried out in thename of medical science.

During her visit, Dr. Goodall met with students, environmentalists,social entrepreneurs and educators. She visited different projectsimplemented by Roots and Shoots, the youth based ‘branches’ ofthe Jane Goodall Institute. On different occasions, she drewattention to the need to prevent the export of Nepalese monkeysfor use in research laboratories in USA.

At present, two centres funded by the Washington University andTexas-based Southwest Foundation are running such tests onNepalese monkeys in Nepal.

NEFEJ elects new members

The 22nd Annual General Body Meeting of Nepal Forumof Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ) has elected a 13-

member Executive Committee under the presidentship ofSahaj Man Shrestha. Similarly, Purna Hari Amatya,Bhupendra Basnet, Ashok Shrestha and Govinda Pokharelhave been appointed as vice president, general secretary,secretary and treasurer respectively. Other members of thecommittee include Bikash Rauniyar, Nimesh Regmi, Bhoj RajBhat, Bharat Raj Pokharel, Amika Rajthala, Dilip Kafle,Mukesh Kumar Chalise and Toran Sharma.

Bird Conservation Nepal holds AGM

Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN) has recently organised its 25th

Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Kathmandu.

General Secretary Sarbendra Pachhai highlighted the progress,including major achievements in the avifaunal conservation andother conservation programmes.

During the meeting, BCN announced Environment JournalismAward 2007 to honour best reporting on avifaunal and environmentalconservation. The annual award carries a purse of Rs 10,000 and anappreciation letter. Pitamber Sigdel, journalist of Annapurna Postnational daily, received the award for this year. His articles andreporting were most comprehensive and coherent to convey theconservation message to general public. The award is given to theprint and electronic journalists, reporting for both the regional andnational level media outlets.

>> Director of CRT Nepal L.K. Shrestha shaking hands after receiving the award with

Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States of America. >> Dr. Jane Goodall (second from right) during the book release ceremony in Kathmandu.

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The HKKH Partnership Project

Spotlight

Setting up a collaborative modelling-group,a unique approach

The development of simulation tools that enable decision makersto assess the impact of policy options is an important part of the

decision support toolbox. The development of quantitative modelsfor simulation and scenario analysis includes a unique process thathas been developed by the HKKH Partnership Project. Startingfrom consultations with stakeholders and resource persons the mainmanagement issues and indicators are defined. System analysis iscarried out to identify key system drivers described by qualitativediagrams. Further, these diagrams are translated into quantitativemodel structures, allowing to define data and knowledge requiredfor computer models. Data gaps are identified as research needs byscreening existing publication and databases and comparing theresults with the model requirements and defined as researchpriorities. Based on a workshop facilitated by Robert Muetzelfeld ofSimulistics Co. Ltd. UK, one of the leading experts in this field, theproject launched a collaborative modelling process. Together withthe main project partners, researchers from several institutions areinvolved: Resources Himalaya, Kathmandu and TribhuvanUniversities in Nepal, Universities of Padova, Rome, Bologna, Naplesin Italy, and Simulistics Inc, UK.

A visitor registration system for SNPTourism is the main economic sector in Sagarmatha National Park(SNP) and bears an outstanding relevance as a key driver in thesocio-ecosystem of SNP. Information about the number of tourists,their temporal and spatial distribution, attitudes and behaviour inthe park along with many other variables is essential knowledge forinformed decision making on park management issues. To monitorthe change of these variables related to tourism development on asustainable basis, the project aims at establishing a "visitor informationsystem" to facilitate planning and management for the Departmentof National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) at thecentral level and Sagarmatha National Park at the park level. Thesystem will be integrated into the existing Management InformationSystem (MIS) of DNPWC. The requirements for visitor informationsystem have been assessed and a first intensive survey of tourismrelated impacts has started. The preliminary results will be presentedat the next Sagarmatha Tourism Forum.

Management-oriented research within asystemic frameworkSeveral research activities were carried out in SNP by the project,its partners and park management in October and November 2007.The research activities are taking place to develop the data andknowledge required to develop the ecosystem model and supportthe decision making process. The project and its partners collecteddata about environmental problems and tourism management. Avisitor survey launched by CESVI in October assesses tourism flows

and related information in collaboration with Mountain Spirit, thepark management and the University of Padua. This survey collectsdata for the visitor information system and the data requirements asdefined for the qualitative tourism model. The visitor survey isaccompanied by a porter survey that aims to shed light on thelivelihood options and vulnerabilities of porters in the region withinthe development of the model "livelihoods and cultural change".Data on key environmental dynamics, such as climate change,solid waste management, visual and sound pollution, energy, forestryand water quality is collected by different research teams,coordinated by Ev-K2-CNR. These surveys are carried out incollaboration with the Tribhuvan and Kathmandu Universities, andthe Resources Himalaya research institute. Each research groupwill interact with communities and local stakeholders, with theintent of implementing capacity building activities and informationcampaigns. In the next few months and in light of the results ofthese missions, local and international researchers will interact andnetwork even further to complete a qualitative analysis of the socio-ecosystem dynamics of park and its buffer zone.

Capacity building activitiesThe decision support tools developed by the project will be spatiallyexplicit. GIS related tools and GIS components of the simulationcomponent will take up an important part of the toolbox. Adaptinga multi-scale focus with an emphasis on the regional level raises thequestion of data and knowledge exchange, shared applications,metadata standards and common capacities. Consequently, majorcapacity building efforts focus on the regional level and in facilitatingdata and knowledge exchange between different administrativeentities through common data and metadata standards. Animportant effort towards common data standards in GIS is the FAO/UNEP land classification system (LCCS). A workshop on theapplication of this standard to land cover dynamics in SNP washeld at ICIMOD in July and was followed by a similar workshoporganised in Pakistan during in November 2007. Another effort inthis direction is the regional training on Spatial Analysis Concepts,Tools, and Applications of Geo-Informatics for Protected AreaManagement that took place in October this year with 15 participantsfrom Nepal, Pakistan and China.

>> Participants discussing during the collaborative modelling group exercise.

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Students learning about the value of plants during the practical exercise.

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Improved cooking stove (ICS)means social benefits for womenand children. Women of Tinjure-Milke-Jaljale (TMJ) region ofeastern Nepal have realised themany benefits of ICS and morethan 300 households here haveturned away from the traditionalfireplace and have installed ICSto provide energy for cooking.

A woman entrepreneur and activist from Madimulkharka,Sankhuwasabha District, Deumaya Karki is a great source ofinspiration for other women in her community and area. She says, “asmoke-free kitchen means women are no longer prone to lung andthroat infections and can look forward to a longer life expectancy.”

Deumaya was among 30 trainees belonging to the women’s group

Deumaya: An entrepreneur and a source of inspiration

Forest as schools for studentsin Chulachuli VDC

School time at Bukuwa village in Southern Chulachuli VillageDevelopment Committee (VDC), Ward 8 of Ilam Siwaliks

makes for a pleasantly odd scene. Here teachers and students ofBhanu Secondary School are not confined in classrooms. Instead,they wander through the grass and bush, or sit in the shade of trees,joined in earnest discussion. The school does not have the syllabusto observe nature as the practical class. But the teaching methodsemployed here are interestingly different. The school uses natureas a teaching tool. Teachers and students go out into the nearbyfield in search of phenomena that can be used to study anythingfrom mathematics, social studies, health, education to language.

The classroom for pre-school tots is set slightly apart from the rest ofthe school. The first lesson of the day might be mathematics, but it’sanything but typical. Language, speech, and debate classes focuson current environmental issues. Rather than using abstract lessonplans such as “count how many oranges Mina has in her basket,”the children are sometimes taken to the neighbouring pond to counthow many domestic animals come to drink water everyday. PrakashSharma, the headmaster, speaks of the school’s recently adoptedpractice of natural study with the belief of turning students intodisciples and spreading the word on the importance of biodiversityconservation in improving livelihoods.

“When they leave school, we want them to be the champions of thenatural environment,” Sharma said. “We must make peopleunderstand the impact of what we are doing to the environment.We need a determined cadre of students who buy the idea andspread it insisting that we need to conserve our environment.”

To emphasize the point, he shows the school cap. The front has adepiction of the school’s name and the back of the cap says, “Let usconserve biodiversity.” “It’s amazing how much mathematics is tobe found out in the open,” Sharma says.

Voices

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Preparing future conservationistsIUCN Nepal has been providing teachers’ training and refreshercourses in order to train teachers to spread the word on theimportance and value of environmental protection, sustainabledevelopment and biodiversity conservation.

Sharma views nature-based tourism as one of Nepal’s nationaltreasures. He is driven by the conviction that the country needs togenerate leaders with a firm understanding of the environmentand the commitment to preserve it.

Since the project’s inception in 2001 in Ilam Siwaliks, IUCN Nepal'slandscape governance project has been supporting EnvironmentalAction Cells (EACs) that has contributed positively in generatingenvironmental awareness and in improving the regular instructionalenvironment in schools. Since then, the EAC has been serving as acreative forum for students to organise and undertake innovativeactivities such as education and awareness, health and sanitation,plantation and eco-gardening, debates and extempore speech, etc.This has led to the development of a pool of young environmentalcadres in each community sensitive to environmental issues andwith unique leadership qualities to contribute as custodians ofnatural resources in Ilam Siwaliks.

who received a week-long training from IUCN Nepal's project inChauki Bazaar as part of a larger objective of extending alternativeenergy promotion programme to the local communities dependenton natural resources in TMJ.

Subsequent to the training, Deumaya also started attending adultliteracy class provided by TMJ Rhododendron ConservationCommittee Women’s Group. As she learned and received follow-up training in Danabari VDC of Ilam District, the design of ICSplants were developed to increase plant lifetime and reduce costs.Her relentless efforts to promote ICS have drastically improved therate of success.

In rural areas where there is no electricity supply, the introduction ofICS has given women a sense of self-worth and time to engage in moreactivities outside home. As a result, standards of hygiene have improved.With a potential to promote more of ICS here, the social andenvironmental advantages of ICS are only just beginning to be explored.



Unaware of NTFP cultivationuntil quite recently, poor andsocially excluded people ofLaxminagar VillageDevelopment Committee inDoti District have now startedyielding returns and enhancetheir livelihoods. Across thevillage, pressure of out-migration has forced those onthe neglected social margins tolook for alternatives ofsustainable use of naturalresources under the precariousphysical conditions.

Meet Bam Bahadur Saud "Jackson." He is in an unenviable positionnow. Before the intervention of IUCN's project, he was thinking ofmigrating to India for work like most of his fellow villagers havedone. But instead, through IUCN's support in 2001, he participatedin NTFP plantation and cultivation training imparted at Budar ofDoti District. Inspired by its scope of profitability, he then organisedhimself to establish an NTFP nursery and started supplying seeds tolocal farmers and introduced to seed traders throughout the district.

Overcoming local oppositionBut his yearning to cultivate NTFP on steep slopes led to resentmentamong the villagers. He maintained that the harvest from thenursery will yield good profit to escape notice. Eventually, the localshad no option but to agree that NTFP conservation can reap benefitsafter some intervals. But meanwhile, like Jackson, many otherfamilies are busy establishing their nurseries.

Bitter berries: sweet success

In Doti's countryside, most of food except wheat and maize comesfrom the forest. Non-timber forest products - bamboo shoots,

Indian gooseberries (Amala ), medicinal plants - also provide muchof the cash income in rural areas. Due to recurrent landslides andfrosts, villages frequently face shortages of cash crops. The collectionand sale of Indian gooseberries from forests has been an importanteconomic activity for women and children of Bhajana, LaxminagarVillage Development Committee of Doti District. With the supportfrom IUCN Nepal's practical innovations for inclusive conservationand sustainable livelihoods project, villages have started to monitorand manage the off-take of this important resource.

Traditionally, the daily harvest was sold in bundles to any passingtrader. In 2001, the villagers agreed on a new plan. They decidedthat the collectors would sell all the harvest themselves at one placeby weight rather than in bundles. The simple support from IUCNNepal's NTFP conservation project resulted in a five-fold increaseover the villagers' income from the previous year. Once given a bitof breathing space, villagers turned out to be great innovators. Better

Managing on the margin, Jackson does it all

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>> Amala (Phyllanthus emblica) cultivation has been one of the most thriving

enterprises in Laxminagar VDC of Doti District.

marketing of edible Amala helped maintain income levels evenwhen harvested quantities were reduced. Faced with increasinglydistant collection sites in the wild, the residents of Bhajana startedto grow Amala in their gardens and nurseries. Such domesticationultimately took some pressure off wild resources. An NTFPconservation nursery was also established with the help of IUCNNepal which contributed to NTFP conservation and awareness.That's how bitter berries became a sweet success for a remoteDoteli community.

From strength to strengthWith the passage of six years, Jackson has gained confidence andhis will for NTFP cultivation is growing by leaps & bounds. Now,Jackson's plantation and harvesting business is succeeding to a greaterheight. He employs farmers to cultivate and supervise the healthygrowth of nursery and the harvest is sold to traders who sell it toretailers not only in Doti but also in neighbouring districts of Kailaliand Dadeldhura. Now seeing the success of this venture, the peopleof nearby villages have also started undertaking NTFP nurseries.

Lots to celebrate, more to doHowever, Jackson acknowledges that there is a long way to go, ashe wants to raise NTFP conservation and awareness and prove thatit immensely helps in improving livelihoods in the long run. Fromthe sale of Amala or Indian gooseberries (Phyllanthus emblica), Timur(Zanthoxylum armatum), Tejpat (Cinnamomum tamala), Rittha(Sapindus mukorossi), oranges, amrisho (Thysanolaena maxima), andbabiyo (Eulaliopsis binata), he now earns an income of about NRs.80,000 per annum; the money Jackson brings in, mostly during thebusy harvest season, is used for purchasing additional land for hisalready existing 0.10 hectares of land cultivated for nurseries andplantation of NTFPs.

"Since coming to NTFP cultivation," says Jackson, "we are muchbetter off, with a roof over our heads and something to sustain." Allhe wants to provide now is to generate education and awareness onNTFP conservation in the district.

"For my nursery to sustain and expand, we need to improve itsaccess to, and increase its share of, regional and national markets.So, the future of the nursery very much depends on tackling thischallenge." adds Jackson.

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Book ReviewHuman Development Report

UNDP's Human Development Report 2007/2008, Fighting Climate Change: Human Solidarity in a DividedWorld focuses on the challenge climate change is for development. In other words, failure to act onclimate change will have grave consequences for human development in some of the poorest places inthe world and it will undermine efforts to tackle poverty.

The report warns that it is the poorest countries that will bear the biggest burden of climate change in theshort-term, but they have contributed very little to the stock of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere.For Nepal, avalanches and floods pose special risks to densely populated mountain regions. One of thecountries facing severe risks today is Nepal, where glaciers are retreating at a rate of several metres eachyear. Lakes formed by melting glacier waters are expanding at an alarming rate - the Tsho Rolpa lakebeing a case in point, having increased more than sevenfold in the last 50 years, cites the report.

MANAGING PROTECTED AREAS: A GLOBAL GUIDE

Managing Protected Areas: A Global Guide brings together state-of-the-art thinking from around theworld on the complex business of managing protected areas. The most authoritative handbook evercompiled to the principles and practice of park management, this book spans the full terrain of parkmanagement and is the international benchmark for all professionals, students and academics worldwide.Never before has such a compilation and synthesis on protected area management been attempted.Produced by IUCN, the book synthesizes contributions of renowned specialists from different countries;diverse environments; vastly variable resourcing and capacity levels; and many different cultural contexts.The result is a cohesive set of issue-driven chapters that offer the reader the latest thinking on theintricacies of contemporary protected area management.

IDENTIFICATION AND GAP ANALYSIS OF KEYBIODIVERSITY AREAS

This manual Identification and Gap Analysis for Key Biodiversity Areas: Targets for Comprehensive ProtectedArea Systems, enables conservation practice to catch up with scientific theory. These guidelines draw oncutting-edge science as well as methods developed and implemented in a number of Important Bird andPlant Areas in more than 170 countries. The Key Biodiversity Areas approach builds on the works doneto date in order to provide practical guidance to governments in identifying those sites which must beprotected to ensure the future of both biodiversity and humanity. In addition, this manual provides apractical guidance to national governments to slow the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010.

Sagarmatha National Park Management and Tourism Plan

The Sagarmatha National Park Management and Tourism Plan (2007–2012), prepared by theDepartment of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, brings both the park and buffer zonemanagement under a single plan and places strong emphasis on the management of tourism. Extensivestakeholder consultation and reviews both at the local and central levels were undertaken as part of theparticipatory planning process. The plan has been approved by the Government of Nepal and is waitingfor implementation.

The plan is divided into two major geographic and three thematic sections. These include national parkand buffer zone, tourism, culture and research components. The plan is believed to help address theevolving conservation and development issues of Sagarmatha National Park in the following years.


The World Conservation Union (IUCN)Nepal Country Office

P.O. Box 3923Kathmandu, Nepal

tel: +977 1 5528761fax: + 977 1 5536786

[email protected]

About the World Conservation Union (IUCN)

Created in 1948, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) brings together 83 States, 111 government agencies, 800plus NGOs, and some 10,000 scientists and experts from 150 countries in a unique worldwide partnership. TheUnion’s mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity anddiversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.

The Union is the world’s largest environmental knowledge network and has helped over 75 countries to prepareand implement national conservation and biodiversity strategies. The Union helps the world find pragmatic solutionsto our most pressing environment and development challenges by supporting scientific research; managing fieldprojects all over the world; and bringing governments, NGOs, the UN, international conventions and companiestogether to develop policy, laws and best practices. The Union is a multicultural, multilingual organization with1100 staff located in 62 countries. Its headquarters are in Gland, Switzerland.

IUCN–The World Conservation Union officially launched the Nepal Country Office on 23 February 1995 with theMinistry of Finance, Government of Nepal, as the government partner. IUCN Nepal has been developing partnershipswith various government line agencies as well as non-governmental organizations to carry forward its activities toconserve Nepal’s natural resources and ecological processes.

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