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Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba has called on the international community to support sustainable agricultural systems for Nepal and countries with similar topographies, as well as climate finance for the Himalayan region.

Addressing the 44th General Assembly of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) held in Rome on Monday, she urged for ensuring grant-based international climate finance for Nepal, particularly for the mountainous regions, which are suffering from the impacts of climate change.

"The mountainous region of Nepal and countries like Nepal are the most vulnerable due to the climate crisis. However, these areas have been neglected in climate finance and adaptation efforts. It is essential that all those concerned over this issue pay attention to it," Minister Rana said.

Stating that the agricultural sector is the backbone of the economy, she mentioned that agriculture contributes 23 percent to Nepal's gross domestic product and that nearly two-thirds of the population depends on agriculture.

She also made it clear that the role of agriculture is crucial in food security, nutrition, poverty alleviation, and rural development.

Minister Rana stated that the goal of creating a hunger-free world by 2030 is still unfulfilled and it is being challenged by pandemics, climate crises, economic instability, and geopolitical tensions.

She stated that sustainable and resilient mountain agriculture promotion is essential not only for our livelihoods but also important for the planet's biodiversity, food security, and the ecological balance of the Earth.

"We are seeking collaboration to expand farmers' access to early warning systems. In the context of increasing climate risks, we expect stronger collaboration with FAO for the promotion of sustainable mountain agriculture. Additionally, Nepal has expressed the expectation of sharing experiences and knowledge about successful practices to increase the participation and leadership of women and youth farmers," reiterated Minister Rana, expressing Nepal's desire to expand successful and innovative agriculture practices as the 'four better' approach.

It is high time we wondered why our natural eyesight is hard to maintain today. According to “A systematic review and meta-analysis in Nepal” published in Nepal Journal of Ophthalmology, 8.4 percent of children suffer from refractive errors, with myopia present in 7.1 percent. It’s alarming how many children are losing their ability to see clearly before they even reach adulthood. The issue is wide ranging, from children to the elderly, showing up as myopia, hypermetropia, presbyopia and other related conditions. According to WHO, at present at least 2.2bn people around the world have a vision impairment.

The school’s role in a healthy vision

Schools should conduct regular free eye checkups, treat any errors and make accommodations in the learning environment accordingly. Proper and stable lighting should be managed in the classroom avoiding glare and dim lights. Likewise, classroom boards should be placed at a healthy distance, comfortable and clear to see. Seating arrangements should be designed accordingly. Yellow pages textbooks and copies should be encouraged as they reflect less light and provide more eye comfort. Textbooks, even for higher grades should have a large font and a clear contrast which reduces eye strain. 

In New Zealand up to date policies and practices to manage health and safety risks around the use of digital devices for students and staff is required under the health and safety work act 2015. Nowadays, classrooms are equipped with smart screens and projectors. While they can be great learning resources they must not be the alternative to physical learning tools as they contribute to increased screen time. Nepal should be in line with New Zealand and create a certain daily time limit.

Schools should promote healthy habits among students which include eye exercise classes, regular breaks and outdoor time.

When screens become the babysitter

Screens today have become the babysitter. With busy schedules, parents find it easier to keep their child occupied with phones or tablets for hours than to engage or supervise them. Some may know its effect but they see it as the only choice. Even in other situations parents do not encourage non screen activities or limit screen time. Parents themselves remain frequently occupied in social media, setting a bad example. A study conducted in Pokhara published in the Journal of Nepal Health Research Council (2020), found that 48.6 percent of children aged five to nine had screen time exceeding two hours per day, the study highlighted parental behavior as a major contributing factor.

It is crucial to inform parents about the adverse effects of such a habit. Similarly, free community activities, classes and designated play space should be made available to engage in screen free alternatives. But it is also to be considered that even with parental discouragement; children remain glued to screens harming mental, physical and social well-being.

Countries such as China, Sweden and Singapore have already introduced legal rules limiting children’s screen time and device usage. In China, children under 18 are allowed only one hour of online gaming, and only on public holidays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Sweden and Singapore have age based screen time limits.  Nepal must also direct a clear law limiting non- educational and educational screen usage.

We, as a society must prioritize and protect our young generation. That is, the problem is not just limited to people of young ages but now rather a national health concern. Modern necessity and addiction is causing many to spend hours on the internet. Eye safety precautions are lowly maintained in risky jobs and it is treated as a mere problem. Eye problems in the elderly are often neglected and simply dismissed as a natural part of aging. There are various free awareness programmes and eye treatment being conducted in Nepal. Yet, many are unaware and awareness is not being effectively applied. Basic eye care and treatment are not reached in many places. There is still a lot more to be done in the sector of eye health and this is a call for action.

Uma Regmi

Grade X

Shree Bal Uddhar Secondary School

Budhanilkantha Municipality-10, Kapan, Kathmandu

Migration is the movement of people from one place to another. There are two types of migration: internal migration (within a country) and external migration (between countries). There are many causes of migration such as unemployment, climate change, lack of education, natural disasters, lack of health services, and water crisis.

Unemployment: Unemployment is a major cause of migration. People are having difficulty finding jobs. Because of unemployment, people are not getting money for food and clothes.

Lack of education: Lack of education is the major cause of migration. There are good facilities of education in every corner of Nepal. People are coming to Kathmandu from the village.

Lack of health services: Lack of health service is the major cause of migration. There are good facilities of health service in every corner of Nepal. There are no hospitals and health posts in many rural villages.

Climate change: Climate change is the major cause of migration. Due to climate change, there are many natural disasters like floods, landslides etc. So, people are losing their homes, so they migrate from one place to another place.

Natural disaster: Natural disaster is the major cause of migration. It is happening due to climate change. People are losing home due to food, landslides etc.

Water crisis: Water crisis is the major cause of migration. Many people are having difficulty drinking water. Due to climate change the earth is being dry day by day. But many people are wasting water.

There are many ways to solve the migration problem which I have described as follows.

Giving jobs to everyone:  The government should give jobs to everyone. It helps in the finance of our country. There are many benefits. They are reduced poverty and inequality, increased economic growth and improved social well-being.

Building more health posts in rural areas: The government should make more health posts in rural areas. It helps the health status of our country. There are many benefits. They are expand health post network, improve infrastructure and strength healthcare force.

Making industries out of resident areas: We should make factories out of residential areas because it will pollute the city badly. There are many benefits. They decrease noise pollution, save air from getting polluted in cities and decrease traffic.

Proper use of water: We should use water properly. And we should not waste water. Proper use of water is that we should not keep water in a bucket for a long time because it may lead to dengue, appropriate use of water and we should not overuse it.

Giving knowledge to people not to migrate: There are many people who migrate from one place to another place. We should tell them how much our country has lost due to migration.

Prabesh Bhattarai

Grade: VIII

Global Pathashala

Kaushaltar, Bhaktapur 

Our school has assigned a teacher in our school’s dining hall to make sure that nobody wastes food. He is often seen as very assertive about his command. Unless we offer a justifiable explanation for not finishing our meals, he sends us back to our table to clear our plates..

At first, I found this very unfair because he would force us to eat. But later a question came to my mind. Who forces us to take a specific amount of food? The answer justified what he was doing to be right. In fact, two things make us take in more food than we can manage to eat. First, our eyes are bigger than our stomachs. Second, we are thoughtless and irrational. If we had expressed our desire to partake a specific amount of food before the kitchen staff, they would certainly have cooperated and given us food accordingly. So, we are the fully responsible people for the wastage of food, aren't we? The wastage of food can be linked with our greedy and apathetic attitudes.

I have seen some people who consider themselves cool at leaving their plate unfinished at public gatherings. Instead, they should consider themselves losers and uncivilized. On the other hand, there are people at parties who pile as many food items on their plate and end up wasting it. It may be because of the greed for food.

So, in order to minimize the food wasting culture, we should start from the individual level by changing our attitudes first. There should also be a culture of shaming the person who shamelessly wastes food. Let us not consider him/her to be cool, shall we? 

Nitisha Basnet

Grade VII

Sanskar Pathshala, Dang

Despite a notable increase in rice production this fiscal year, Nepal continues to face a significant rice deficit, with over 1m metric tons still required to meet the country’s total demand. The government’s pledge of achieving self-reliance in rice is increasingly being challenged by the reality of soaring imports and regional disparities in cultivation.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, a total of 5.955m metric tons of rice were produced in the current fiscal year 2024/25, cultivated across 1.420m hectares of land. While the area under cultivation was 1.28 percent less than the previous year, overall production rose by 4.04 percent, marking the highest average productivity to date.

Nepal’s annual rice requirement stands at approximately 7m metric tons, leaving a gap of around 1m metric tons. This shortfall has led to a steep rise in rice imports. From July to May, the country imported paddy and rice worth over Rs 38.94bn, according to the Department of Customs.

These figures surface just as the government celebrates the 22nd National Rice Day on 29 June under the slogan “Intensification in Rice Crops: Food Security and Self-Reliance.” Critics argue the slogan contrasts sharply with the ground realities, as imports continue to undermine the self-sufficiency narrative.

Nepal imports rice from multiple countries, including the United States, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Italy, Britain, and Namibia.

To address this persistent gap, the government has introduced a targeted initiative for the next fiscal year 2025/26, aiming to scale up Chaite rice cultivation in 22 Tarai districts with a budget of Rs. 330m. The objective is to boost production by an additional 1.2m metric tons, increasing the Chaite rice cultivated area from 110,000 to 200,000 hectares.

Regional planting patterns show varying progress. In Koshi Province, paddy planting had reached 14.25 percent by the second week of Asad, slightly up from 13.71 percent in the same period last year. According to Sharan Kumar Pandey, secretary at the provincial agriculture ministry, 826,646 hectares are cultivable, with 39,387 hectares already planted.

In Karnali Province, paddy cultivation remains limited due to geographical and irrigation constraints. Only 9.52 percent of land is cultivable, and just 39,636 hectares are used for rice farming. Still, officials expect an improvement in yields due to timely rainfall this year.

The Sudurpaschim Province shows relatively strong progress, with 45 percent of rice planting completed by mid-Asad across 176,151 hectares. In contrast, Madhes Province, which contributes around 25 percent to national rice production, is lagging behind due to delayed monsoon rains, with only 10 percent of planting completed.

Gandaki Province also reported a dip in rice production. This year, 379,032 metric tons were harvested across 97,959 hectares, compared to 391,624 metric tons the previous year. Urbanization, especially in Kaski, has reduced both the area and productivity, causing an annual rice deficit of over 120,000 metric tons in the district.

As the government pushes for greater agricultural output and rice self-sufficiency, experts emphasize the need for better irrigation, subsidies, mechanization, and post-harvest infrastructure. Without substantial changes, Nepal’s dependency on rice imports is unlikely to end soon—raising questions about the effectiveness of current agricultural policies.

As Nepal joins the global community in observing the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, it’s crucial to reflect on how this growing crisis affects our community. With increasing reports of drug use among youths, especially in urban and semi-urban areas, the need for awareness, prevention, and community action has never been greater. ApEx spoke to some people to find out what they think should be done to tackle this issue. 

Bipulal Khayar Gole, 60

I have little information about its causes and harm but being a shopkeeper around a school area, I have encountered many students, especially boys, who take drugs. They don’t only harm themselves but also cause harm to other students too. I think they do such things to influence their friends. I have witnessed college and school students who are 15, 16 years old taking drugs and also disturbing them to other students and asking for money. We have tried counseling them but nothing has worked. Instead, they bring friends to try and scare us. The school committee has been looking into it and I hope they do something about it. 

Bina Shakya, 55

Drug use was more prevalent in the past, but looking at recent trends, it seems to have decreased in some areas. In my locality, there are no major cases, so I’m not aware of the current situation. However, factors like unemployment, excessive free time, peer influence, and the desire for enjoyment often lead young people to start using drugs. Schools and colleges need to take more responsibility of their students by including lessons on the harmful effects of drug use—on health, family, and society. Parents should also be attuned to their children’s behaviors and the company they keep. Families and communities play a crucial role in prevention by offering emotional support, monitoring behavior, keeping communication open, and encouraging positive habits and activities.

Prabin Yadav, 21

Drug abuse is a risky, expensive, and addictive thing which can harm you and also your family. I have heard news about people dying because of drug overdose. I believe people get into it because of peer pressure and influence, and a fascination to try new things. A friend of mine used to take weed but now he has started trying other things and I think it’s because he has money. I think there is a stark lack of awareness among people my age about how drugs can ruin you. You tend to think you can control your urges till the drugs start controlling you. 

Family and community can play an important role in controlling drug use among young people by making them aware of the consequences. But a larger policy level intervention is needed to tackle this issue. 

It’s really hard to forget someone when you have given everything to this person. These days,  many people stay in a relationship though it’s really hard for them to deal with all the things that are going on. Why do some people keep going back to toxic relationships even though they know it’s not right for them?

Answered by Kapil Sharma, counseling psychologist

In this context of relationships, one of the most significant aspects is investment—whether emotional, mental, or even financial. People often continue staying in relationships that aren’t good for them because they’ve already invested so much into it. Psychologically, this is known as the ‘sunk cost fallacy’—the more time and effort someone puts in, the harder it becomes to walk away, even when it’s damaging.

One major reason people stay is the fear of being alone. Loneliness can be terrifying, especially for those who tie their worth to being wanted or needed by someone. This fear often leads to staying in unhealthy dynamics just to avoid abandonment.

Some individuals are validation seekers—they depend heavily on others to feel worthy. For them, being in a relationship, even a harmful one, provides a sense of being valued. This dependence can mask deeper insecurities and make detachment feel impossible.

Low self-esteem also plays a powerful role. People with poor self-worth often internalize blame, thinking the problem lies within them. They may believe they don’t deserve better or that they are responsible for the issues in the relationship.

Past traumas, especially those involving attachment, abuse, or neglect, can shape how someone tolerates pain in relationships. For instance, someone who grew up feeling unloved might cling to even a small amount of affection in adulthood, despite the surrounding toxicity.

In many cases, there’s also hope for change. People tend to hold on to the 20 percent of good in a person while ignoring the 80 percent that’s harmful. They cling to moments of affection or connection, hoping things will get better—often at the cost of their own peace and growth.

To move forward, one must first recognize their own self-worth. Growth begins with understanding that love should not compromise your peace, dignity, or self-respect. Having meaningful conversations, setting boundaries, and seeking support—be it from friends, therapy, or community—can open the door to healing.

Think of a rose: it’s beautiful, but it also has thorns. If you’re not careful, it can hurt you. Similarly, love is a beautiful emotion, but it must be handled with care, wisdom, and respect for yourself.

In the end, staying in a relationship that consistently harms you isn’t love—it’s survival. And you deserve more than just surviving; you deserve to thrive.

The construction of BP Highway opened the door to development in Sindhuli and other mid-hill districts. Along with easy transportation access, the highway improved the economy and living standards in those districts.

However, less than a decade after its completion, the highway was severely damaged due to floods in the Roshi and Sunkoshi rivers last year, cutting off road connectivity for almost two weeks. It has been nine months since the devastating flood, and the condition of the highway has barely improved.

People living along the highway fear the motorway will suffer the same fate as last year in case of heavy rainfall. Ramji Kafle of Kamalamai Municipality-5, Sindhuli, says as the monsoon has already started, the highway could get blocked any time. “We are worried that rains will wash away the temporary diversion that was built to reroute the vehicles after last year’s floods and landslides,” he adds.

The Nepalthok-Bhakunde Besi road section of highway was severely damaged by floods and landslides last year. A month after the disaster, road diversions were created to resume traffic. Those temporary roads are still in use today while the damaged highway section awaits repair works.  

Maheshwor Koirala of Nepalthok-1, Sunkoshi Rural Municipality, complains the authorities concerned failed to repair the highway on time. “Because of their failure, the passengers are forced to risk their lives,” he says. The number of vehicles plying the BP Highway has witnessed a drop of more than 50 percent since last year’s disaster. 

Jhamak Bahadur Thapa, a transport operator, advises against traveling through the highway during heavy rainfall. “The temporary diversions are not reliable. They could get washed away in case of rainfall,” he says. With fewer vehicles traveling these days, local businesses have also taken a hit. Development works have also been affected, as vehicles are unable to transport construction materials.   

Netra Bikram Thapa, who runs a hotel and EV charging station along the highway, is struggling to keep his business going these days.  “I invested millions to start this business, now I am regretting my decision,” he says. ​​​​​​​

Lawmakers representing the districts connected by the BP Highway blame the federal government for not prioritizing the repair works.​​​​​​​ Lekhnath Dahal (Rajan), an elected MP from Sindhuli-2, says his repeated requests to the relevant government agencies and officials to repair the highway was ignored.  

“Despite knowing the condition of the highway, the government has not shown any initiative to solve the problem. The government should allocate a budget to control Roshi and Sunkoshi rivers to avert future disasters,” he says. 

Government officials say they have recently signed an agreement with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to reconstruct the damaged sections of the highway. According to the Road Division Office, About 12 km of the highway was damaged by last year’s floods and landslides, which will take around Rs 10bn to reconstruct.  JICA has agreed to fund the reconstruction of the 3.2 km section of the highway from Dalabensi to Barkhekhola. The remaining sections will be repaired by the government itself. ​​​​​​​While the contract has already been signed, the actual work will only begin after this year’s monsoon is over.