Submit your Article

Nepal is rich in biodiversity represented by 118 ecosystem types. In a span of 800 km by 200 km, diverse arrays of wildlife species have been recorded. However, many of these components of biodiversity are facing existential crises, most of them due to anthropogenic influences. Amphibians are one such group of species, which are experiencing such threats. Some charismatic species such as tiger, rhino and snow leopard have received privileged treatment while the ‘non-charismatic’ species such as amphibians are shrouded in shadow.

All three types of amphibians are found in Nepal, namely frogs, salamanders and caecilians. There are six families of frogs in Nepal that includes 57 species. However, lack of studies about amphibians means scant information is available about their distribution. 

Environmental conditions like temperature, soil moisture and rainfall determine the occurrence of amphibians and the richness of their habitats. Amphibians prefer agricultural land, grassland, forestland and wetlands. 

Besides, amphibians play significant roles in the ecosystem by acting as both prey and predator. They keep pests like mosquitoes under control, help maintain the quality of water, contribute to crop yields and public health. 

Despite such an important role, these ‘non-charismatic’ species are not the focus of our conservation efforts.

Frogs are on the decline, due mainly to habitat degradation, conversion of wetlands to wasteland and a belief that they have certain medical values, a reason behind their consumption. Unplanned urbanization has become a major cause in developing countries like Nepal behind a shrinking habitat. 

A study has shown a significant relation between the roads and the occurrence of frog species in the Kathmandu Valley. Enhancing developmental activities like construction of road and other infrastructure could result in biodiversity loss, pushing the amphibian species on the verge of extinction. Furthermore, it is not a good practice to encourage students to use thousands of species killed annually for the purpose of dissecting frogs as a sample in practical courses.

To draw attention toward the poor status of frogs, Environment Protection and Study Center (ENPROSC) and Companions for Amphibians and Reptile for Nepal (CARON) initiated a program titled crocking monsoon in 2013, followed in 2019 by a citizen science-based approach with Wildlife Conservation Nepal (WCN), which has again highlighted a poor status of these creatures. 

Notably, this program started frog surveys across the country during the Covid pandemic with the aim of raising public awareness on the species, conducting research and identifying the species. 

This program mobilized volunteers across all seven provinces and 51 districts as citizen scientists, who, as district representatives, collected information (photos, videos) about frogs that used to be found in their respective localities. 

The year 2020 saw the submission of 1300 individual submissions of frog species using kobo collect application, followed by 1000 submissions in 2021. 

There’s a dominant mindset that only larger species deserve conservation, meaning that even governments across the world, including in Nepal, think that ‘non-charismatic’ species are not worthy of conservation. 

This program dedicated to ‘non-charismatic’ species, like several such conservation programs around the world, is in crisis for want of economic support. 

In this context, March 20 is an important date to remind the whole world of the need to conserve ‘non-charismatic’ species like frogs. Different stakeholders, including NGOs, organize awareness programs at different schools on the World Frog Day to raise awareness on the importance of frogs with a hope that those behind the decimation of the species will transform themselves into conservationists one day.

Summing up, tailored conservation approaches are necessary for sustainable conservation of amphibians. In our context, how about changing the syllabi suggesting amphibian species for dissection and exploring other alternatives?

International order is feeling the collective heat of the intensifying Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas conflict and a massive weaponization of technology. Unlike the politico-polarity of the past, techno-polarity is now shaping the international order, while the US and China are navigating the tech and AI world order.

Given a sensitive geo-location, highly susceptible digital space and impact of AI on the world order, Nepal should recognize the gravity of the geopolitical competition between high-tech superpowers—the US and China, or China and India—and implement a logical strategy to maintain balanced relations with all of them.

Nepal must be ready to deal with the fallout of a possible occupation of Taiwan, which might put the country in the middle of a ‘crossfire’ between China and the US and directly affect its security and sovereignty. If unable to tenaciously maintain the geopolitical balance between the rival superpowers, Nepal will suffer on multiple fronts.

Just one year after joining the ruling coalition, the Nepali Congress (NC) has found itself unexpectedly consigned to the opposition benches. This is the second time in 12 months that Nepal’s oldest democratic party has been forced to play the role of the opposition after another dramatic shakeup of the ruling alliance.

The latest reversal of fortunes came on March 5 when Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal surprised the NC by announcing a new power-sharing deal with the CPN-UML and, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP). NC, which was heading nine ministries, including the influential defense, finance and foreign affairs, in the coalition government didn’t even get a wind of Dahal’s plan.

Stung by what it sees as betrayal and unethical defection by Dahal, NC has come out swinging in its new role as the main opposition force. NC, which has remained in power for most of the past three years barring a three-month stint after the 2022 election, is becoming aggressive in the House. “As the largest party in the opposition now, NC has to play an effective role which is natural and expected of it given its position,” said political analyst Geja Sharma Wagle. “NC must adopt an aggressive stance in parliament. Its current confrontational approach is understandable,” he added. Wagle argued that it is the opposition's duty to hold the government accountable in the House and raise issues concerning the public interest. The new power equation, which represents an unimaginable political debacle for NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, has forced the NC to make its presence effective in parliament. “This is what NC should be doing in the parliament now. However, there are signs that we are overreacting a bit and have gone overboard at times,” NC Central Working Committee member Nain Singh Mahar said. “The confrontational posture seems driven by the anguish of being unexpectedly ousted from the government.”

Aggression against Lamichhane

NC looks to have gone all out against RSP Chair and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Rabi Lamichhane. The party has demanded a parliamentary probe into allegations linking the new home minister Lamichhane to a cooperative fraud case by disrupting House proceedings.

Ramesh Lekhak, the chief whip of the Nepali Congress, has demanded a parliamentary probe into the allegations against Lamichhane. “There have been instances in the past when parliamentary probe committees were formed after questions were raised against ministers. A parliamentary inquiry committee must be formed to look into the home minister’s case as well,” Lekhak said in the meeting of the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

NC is skeptical about an impartial investigation since the person facing scrutiny is heading the home ministry. “Billions of rupees belonging to thousands of depositors have been embezzled. In the Surya Darshan cooperative scandal in Pokhara alone, Rs 1.35bn of 19,000 depositors was misappropriated. Some 100 people have siphoned the funds by opening fake accounts. One of those who opened such fake accounts was Lamichhane himself,” NC General Secretary Gagan Thapa said. “When the home minister himself is implicated, who will conduct a fair probe?”

The main opposition party has raised doubts over the integrity of the investigation process with the primary accused holding charge of the home ministry that oversees police. It has been disrupting House proceedings regularly. Analysts, however, say the frequent obstruction of parliament may be going overboard. “NC has become overly reactive on the Lamichhane issue. Raising questions is valid but getting bogged down at the personal level and obstructing House proceedings is unbecoming of such an experienced parliamentary party,” Wagle said. “NC should play an effective and constructive role. It is not good to obstruct House proceedings in the name of becoming effective.”

Political analyst Arun Subedi said that NC is now adopting tactics that opposition parties have traditionally employed when out of power. “From raking up controversies around ministers to disrupting parliamentary proceedings, NC is resorting to similar tactics that have served opposition camps well in the past,” he added.

Way ahead for NC

There are already voices within NC calling for rapprochement with the UML to forge a new alliance and remove Dahal in a bid to curb instability. NC, which brushed aside proposals from UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli for a power-sharing deal, now finds itself looking towards the UML as a potential partner. NC leaders have started arguing that the situation of three different prime ministers having to seek a vote of confidence within just one year after elections has directly impacted provincial governments as well. Some NC leaders are also apprehensive that if the party actively pursues a new ruling coalition, it could further exacerbate political instability. “NC should not get entangled in efforts to form yet another government. Instead of power games, it needs to go to the people now,” said NC leader Mahar. “Whenever NC is in opposition, it has received public support. This is an opportunity to connect with the citizens, strengthen the organization, and effectively raise people’s issues both in parliament and on the streets.”

Sources say the NC leadership, which tried to stop Dahal from passing the floor test, is reportedly preparing a strategy to explore an alternative to the Dahal government before the upcoming budget. Subedi argues that the possibility of a government change always remains due to the number games in the House of Representatives. “The numbers in this parliament are such that the issue of government formation and dissolution will remain alive as long as this legislature exists,” he said. “It is up to the NC to decide whether to accept Dahal’s leadership, move ahead by uniting democratic forces or form a government by joining hands with UML,” he added. 

Analysts, however, caution that NC should refrain from actively pursuing yet another ruling coalition at this stage as it could prolong instability. “If NC engages in toppling the government like other parties, it would send a message that it is no different,” Subedi said. “NC must focus on strengthening parliamentary practices. Since only one bill has been passed over the past year, NC also needs to play a role in enhancing the effectiveness of the House. It is also an opportunity for the party to reconnect with the people as well.” 

Political chaos

Governments, whoever is a head to lead in support of different political parties, have frequently been changing in Nepal, thanks to a stubborn will to capture—and remain in—power. Nonetheless, these parties have no concrete plans and programs to make Nepal livable. Ethics, principles and values are what guide us to do something better, but what do the parties do with these ideals? They throw these ideals in the trash box, time and time again. 

Followers of our political parties and their leaders are visionless, political power is what the latter hanker for. And all that these visionless leaders do is misuse the resources at their disposal to fulfill petty interests of a small group at the expense of development agendas that benefit the country and the people. The leaders easily change their colors and ignore guiding principles to gain and remain in power. 

By ‘working’ tirelessly for the sake of power, these leaders have been pushing the country toward a state of lawlessness. 

It is foolish to dream of socio-economic development amid a deepening political instability exacerbated by our leaders, who have neither any rationality to use resources in the gainful sector nor critical thinking to push the development agenda forward.

Economic woes

Nepal’s ailing economic sectors hardly have any job opportunities for the youths. This is a far cry from a not-so-distant past, when the farm sector used to provide seasonal employment to a sizable population. Apart from agriculture, other sectors capable of rejuvenating the national economy, namely cottage industries, tourism and hydropower are also not performing well. 

The private sector can play a vital role in speeding up development but what can it do in the absence of a policy to bring it into the mainstream of development? 

For want of employment opportunities at home, youths are flying to foreign shores in search of jobs while about 60m people (roughly 20 percent of the national population) continue to live under absolute poverty. Add to it relative poverty, which roughly accounts for over 60 percent of the national population. 

This grim scenario is forcing young people to head abroad for jobs and become the source of remittance, making it the mainstay of the domestic economy. 

Education flaws

That our education sector has not been firing on all four cylinders (to say the least) is a given. In a sharp contrast, the India education system has been producing highly-skilled human resources not only for the home country but for the whole world. Most of the chief executive officers of global giants are from India. 

Two probable factors ail Nepal’s education system: Lack of a calendar to conduct exams and publish results, and low-quality education. The latter is the result of heavy politicization of institutions responsible for delivering higher education. A conducive environment for learning, teaching and undertaking research is lacking as evidenced by a decline in enrollments. 

Poor governance

Corruption and smuggling scandals come to the surface all too often, presenting a clear proof of weak governance. Probes into these cases show the involvement of politicians and bureaucrats. These cases are the result of politicians using power to divert public money for private gains. 

Bribery, corruption and smuggling are rampant because of poor governance and rent-seeking behavior on the part of our ruling elites. Because of this behavior coupled with favoritism and nepotism, commoners are not getting effective services from relevant state institutions. 

Given this context, the people need to raise their voices and make the ruling elites accountable if they want to make this country livable.