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Ten of the 12 people, who died in a bus accident that took place earlier today near Manthali, the district headquarters of Ramechhap, have been identified.

They are Bhim Bahadur Tamang (38), Sanumaya Tamang (35), Ramita Tamang (26) and Tara Tamang (31) of Likhu Tamakoshi Rural Municipality-7 in Ramechhap; Babi Tamang (22) and Dipendra Basnet (26) of Likhu Tamakoshi-4; Dipesh Basnet of Likhu Tamakoshi Rural Municipality-6; Man Kumari Baruwal (45) of Likhu-6; Shiva Shrestha (34) of Golanjor Rural Municipality-6 in Sindhuli; and Man Bahadur Tamang (60) of Bhimeshwor Municipality-8 in Dolakha, according to Manthali Hospital’s Medical Superintendent Dr Keshab Singh Dhami.

The identities of two others are yet to be ascertained.

Ramechhap’s Deputy Superintendent of Police, Bhola Bhatta, said eight people, including the driver, were injured in the accident and are being treated at Khurkot-based Jeevan Hospital, Manthali Hospital, and Tamakoshi Hospital.

Police have taken the bus driver into custody. 

The search for the remaining passengers is underway.

The accident occurred when the bus (Pradesh 03-01-005 Kha 9975) of Araniko Yatayat, heading to Okhaldhunga from Kathmandu, veered off the road and plunged into Tamakoshi River at Masantar of Manthali Municipality-6 this morning.

The Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE) and WWF Nepal have signed a Project Implementation Agreement for the Global Environment Facility–8 (GEF-8) funded project “Managing Human–Tiger Interface in Nepal.” 

The agreement marks a major step forward in efforts to reduce human–wildlife conflict and promote coexistence.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Honourable Madhav Prasad Chaulagain, Minister of Forests and Environment, and builds on the Financing Agreement concluded on 25 January 2026 between the Ministry of Finance and WWF Nepal.

The USD 4. 9 million project will be implemented over five years by MoFE with WWF as the GEF Agency and partner.

The project focuses on improving habitat management, promoting livelihood alternatives, and enhancing knowledge-based management through four integrated components.

“This project reflects a shared vision for coexistence between people and tigers. WWF Nepal is proud to partner with the Ministry of Forests and Environment and the Government of Nepal to address the increasing Human Wildlife Conflict.” Said Dr. Ghana Shyam Gurung, Country Representative of WWF Nepal. 

“Through this initiative, we aim to catalyse community-led change and build sustainable models of human-wildlife coexistence that can be scaled and replicated across Asia’s tiger range countries,” he added.

Representing the Government of Nepal, Dr Rajendra KC, Chief, Planning, Monitoring and Coordination Division- MOFE, noted, “The signing of this project agreement underscores the Government of Nepal’s commitment to sustainable development. 

Stakeholders have urged a coordinated and inclusive approach to conserve the Mountain Torrent frog in Nepal, highlighting the importance of collaboration among local communities, local governments and conservation agencies. 

The call was made during a workshop organized by the Environment Protection and Study Center (ENPROSC) at Baneshwor, Kathmandu  to share the findings of the project titled “Promoting Conservation of Mountain Torrent Frogs.”

Project team members, representatives of national and international conservation organizations, researchers, students and journalists from various media houses participated in the program.

Mountain Torrent frog (Amolops mahabharatensis) is a newly described species, first reported in 2020 by herpetologist Janak Khatiwada from the Hattibang area of Ichhakamana Rural Municipality in Chitwan district.

Despite being newly identified, the species is already listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Dr Khatiwada has reported rampant exploitation of the species in its native habitat.

The species faces growing pressure due to collection for consumption, prompting the project’s focus on awareness and behavior change among local communities and youth. 

Prabin Lama, secretary of ENPROSC and a project team member, said the project succeeded in delivering conservation messages to local communities. 

He noted that many residents became aware of frog conservation efforts through school-based programs.

Paudel added that several students expressed willingness to stop consuming amphibians and promote conservation messages within their families.

Participants at the workshop stressed the need to sustain eco-clubs beyond the project period and called for stronger coordination with local governments to integrate conservation concerns into local policies.

The workshop was chaired by ENPROSC president Narayan Niraula, who said the project was an extension of Croaking Monsoon, a citizen science initiative of ENPROSC focused on studying and conserving frogs in Nepal. 

The project was carried out with the financial support of Stiftung-Artenschutz, a German conservation foundation. 

A new international study published today in PNAS warned that climate change could reduce 36-50% of the world’s climatically suitable grazing land by the end of the century, threatening the livelihoods of over 100 million pastoralists and up to 1.6 billion animals.

The study highlights that the strongest impacts will fall on already vulnerable regions, including countries facing food insecurity, economic instability, and social inequality.

“Climate change will significantly shrink the spaces where grazing systems can survive. Much of this loss will occur in regions already struggling with hunger, political instability, and gender inequity,” said Chaohui Li, lead author and former researcher at Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Peking University.

“Grassland-based grazing is highly dependent on the environment, including things like temperature, humidity, and water availability. What we see is that climate change is going to reduce the spaces in which grazing can thrive, fundamentally challenging farming practices that have existed for centuries,” commented Maximilian Kotz, another of the study’s coauthors and researcher at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center.

Meanwhile, Africa emerges as one of the most vulnerable continent. Depending on future emissions pathways, the continent could lose 16% of suitable grazing land under low-emissions scenarios, and up to 65% if fossil fuel use continues unabated. As temperature zones shift southward, key grazing regions—including the Ethiopian Highlands, the East African Rift Valley, and the Kalahari Basin—may become nonviable altogether.

“The scale of climate change we observe goes far beyond what historical adaptation strategies—such as switching livestock species or migrating herds—can handle. In many regions, especially Africa, the climatic shifts are simply too large,” said Dr Prajal Pradhan, Assistant Professor at the University of Groningen and affiliated with Wubbo Ockels School for Energy and Climate, is a co-author of the study

According to Xudong Wu (Beijing Forestry University), climate-driven changes in grazing suitability across Asia are projected to follow a distinct westward shift. 

Grazing zones are expected to move inland from their current concentration in the eastern plains toward the highland and interior regions. Suitable future niches are likely to cluster in Asian major grazing landscapes, including the Mongolian Grasslands and the Northern China Plains.

The findings underscore the urgent need for rapid emissions reductions, highlighting that limiting global warming is the most effective way to protect grazing-based livelihoods that have sustained communities for centuries.