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When the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area (KCA) was under the management of the government, conservation efforts weren’t very effective. Cases of poaching and felling of trees used to come to the police very often.

The situation has changed after the local community took over the management of KCA. The local people keep vigil on the forest, arrest poachers, and hand out punishments to them. This has resulted in a better forest and environment, and an increase in wildlife numbers, according to Khagendra Limbu, chairman of KCA Management Council.

“This is all because the local people themselves are the forest guards. People who used to poach wild animals in the past themselves are protecting the forests now. This is because people have realized that they will be safe as long as forests are safe,” he added. “Had this conservation area been under the management of the government, forests would have been destroyed, and wild animals poached.”

KCA was handed to the local community in Sept 2006, marking the first occasion when the local community was entrusted with the management of a protected area.

Surya Limbu, a local of Phaktanglung Rural Municipality within KCA, said local people have taken ownership of the forests and are protecting them. “Earlier, we used to fell trees for firewood and other purposes. Now, we are protecting the forests,” he added.

Chairman Limbu informed that it took a lot of time to educate the local people that they can become prosperous only by saving forests. “We formed different groups to educate local people on how they can benefit by protecting forests,” he added. “Now, they have realized the importance of forests and are working to protect this natural resource.”

Rabin Samra Limbu, the vice chairperson of Phaktanglung Rural Municipality, said local people now know that conservation efforts will become effective if the local community is involved. “Now people take care of forests because they have realized that they stand to benefit more by protecting forests,” he added. “When we were small, we saw the local people cutting trees. Today, they are protecting the forest as well as the wildlife.”

The creation of local units, however, has created some problems in conservation. “Some problems have been seen due to overlapping of the laws of the local unit and the management council. The government should look into this,” Samra Limbu added.

Conservation Office Ramesh Kumar Yadav said the conservation success of KCA has shown that the local community can be mobilized for the protection of forests in hilly areas. “The number of households in this region is very low, while the forest area is larger. The success in KCA has shown that the local community can be used for conservation,” said Yadav, who worked in KCA for over a year.

Lessons Learned 

Studies conducted prior to the handover of KCA to the local community indicated that conservation efforts would be more successful if the local community were involved. That’s why the government decided to pilot this approach by handing over KCA to the local community. However, KCA’s experience has not been replicated in other areas of the country yet.

Chairman Limbu suggested that the government can reduce its expenses on the protection of national parks, conservation areas, and other projects by entrusting them to the local community. “The government should learn from KCA how to protect natural resources. We have seen significant changes here in the past 17 years. People have realized that forests and natural resources are their own. This is a significant achievement,” he added.

The government has been allocating a budget of Rs 2.5m for conservation efforts in KCA. According to Chairman Limbu, the total budget of KCA, including the salary of government staff, is only around Rs 6-7m. “But the government is spending tens of millions of rupees on national parks and other conservation areas,” he said, adding, “If they could also be handed over to the local community, the government could save money, and conservation efforts would be more effective.”

No human-wildlife conflict

Incidents of human-wildlife conflict are often reported in other places. However, the situation is different in KCA. Locals here are not scared of wildlife, and vice versa. 

Chairman Limbu claims that KCA serves as an example of human-wildlife harmony. “There is no concern of wild animals being chased or killed here. Even when locals and tourists arrive, wildlife graze without any fear. This means that wild animals feel safe,” Limbu added.

Tashi Sherpa of Ghunsa village said poachers have stopped entering the forests after the local community took over the management of KCA. “Earlier, wild animals like blue sheep and deer used to run when they saw humans. Now, they don’t seem to be scared,” he added.

KCA is home to endangered wildlife species like snow leopards, musk deer, and red pandas, as well as hundreds of medicinal herbs. The KCA is home to Mt Kanchanjunga, the third highest peak in the world, as well as tens of other peaks and places of religious importance.

As many as 17 people have lost their lives to dengue and 30,330 people have been infected in the Koshi Province since mid-July.

Sunsari district has witnessed the highest number of dengue infection cases.

At least 13 people died due to dengue infection and 19,432 people infected in the district since mid-July, informed the Public Health Officer of Koshi Province Health Directorate Dhankuta, Bibechana Chamlagain.

Dengue infection has broken out in all 14 districts of Koshi Province.

According to him, Morang has witnessed 4,242 cases of dengue infection while one person died of the contagion.

As many as 2,964 people have tested positive for dengue infection and two people have so far lost their lives in Jhapa. Likewise, a person also died due to dengue infection in Udayapur. 

Dengue-infected patients are undergoing treatment in Sunsari-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences and private and public hospitals in other districts.

Terhathum district now has 211 infected patients, Panchthar 338, Ilam 535, Udayapur 816, Dhankuta 432. Bhojpur 331, Sankhuwasabha 867, Okhaldhunga 40, Taplejung 33 and Khotang 45 and Solukhumbu 20.

With the outbreak of dengue infection, all local governments in the province have started an anti-dengue campaign. However, dengue infection has been on the rise in the province.  

The 44th World Tourism Day is being observed in Nepal by organizing several programs today.

On the occasion, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Nepal Tourism Board, Department of Tourism and leading organizations of the tourism sector are celebrating the day with several activities.

With the slogan 'Tourism and Green Investment', the World Tourism Day is being observed in Nepal, the ministry said.

In order to mark the day in a fanfare, the 44th World Tourism Day Main Function Committee has been formed under the premiership of Minister for Tourism Sudan Kiranti.

According to the Ministry Spokesperson Rajendra Kumar KC, the tourism minister will welcome foreign tourists arriving at the Tribhuvan International Airport through the first flight at 6 am today.

Likewise, a morning rally will be held from Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur to Mangalbazaar at 7.30 am.

A formal program will be organized in the Patan Durbar area.

At the program jointly organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Lalitpur Metropolis, organizations earning higher foreign currency and individuals and institutions making contributions to the tourism sector will be honored today.

The World Tourism Day is being marked on September 27 every year with a slogan 'Promoting Accessible Tourism for All'.  

The government has decided to open the fair-price shops in view of the upcoming festivals from October 8 to November 19.

According to Spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Supplies, Gajendra Kumar Thakur, the decision to operate such shops aimed to serve the interests of consumers during the festive season. The outlets are expected to control unwanted price rise, maintain market quality and ensure the smooth supplies of food at reasonable rates during festivals.

The government each year opens the fair price shops to prevent the monopoly of the private sector in the market during festivals.

Food Management and Trade Company Limited (FMTCL) and Salt Trading Corporation under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies and Dairy Development Corporation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development will collaborate to operate the shops.

Different varieties of rice, pulses, wheat flour, edible oil and beaten rice will be available in such outlets at relatively lower prices than in the regular market. 

Similarly, a discount of Rs 10 has been offered per kg of beans and other grains produced in Karnali and live goats, and mountain goats.  The government has allocated Rs 23.22 million for Food Management and Trade Company to run fair price shops this year.

Likewise, the government has allocated Rs 10 million to provide discounts on food products to be sold through Salt Trading Corporation. The Salt Trading Corporation will sell sugar at Rs 97 per kg while it will provide Rs 2 discount on per kg salt and Rs 7 on per kg beaten rice.

The Dairy Development Corporation will provide Rs 20 discount on per kg ghee and Rs 20 on per 200-gram paneer and Rs 50 on per 500-gram paneer.

There would be stalls in 35 places including eight selling center and three mobile shops of Food Management and Trade Company and Salt Trading Corporation located in Kathmandu Valley.

Besides this, the FMTCL will run fair-price shops in Morang, Jhapa, Taplejung, Sankhuwasabha, Solukhumbu, Diktel, Bhojpur, Okhaldhunga, Khotang, Siraha, Janakpur, Parsa, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kaski, Tanahun, Gorkha, Manang, Mustang, Rupandehi, Banke, Dang, Bardiya, Rukum East and Rukum West.

Similarly, FMTCL will have concessional stocks at 48 places of 42 districts, including Rolpa, Surkhet, Gulmi, Dailekh, Dolpa, Kalikot, Humla, Jajarkot, Jumla, Mugu, Kailali, Dadeldhura, Bajura, Bajhang, Achham, Darchula and Mahendranagar.

Such fair-price shops can also be operated in additional districts and places as per the need, the Ministry stated. The fixed discount can be accessed through free online home delivery, mobile service, cooperatives and dealers. A monitoring committee has also been formed to check whether the operated fair-price shops are effective or not.

According to the Ministry, market monitoring would be further intensified throughout the festival period. In the case of Kathmandu Valley, the Ministry shall form the team and carry out monitoring throughout the period the fair-price shops are operated. The corporations concerned shall also do the same.

The Department of Commerce, Supplies Management and Consumer Protection will also form additional teams other than the regular monitoring and intensify the monitoring.

In case of the districts, the monitoring teams shall be constituted under the convenorship of the Chief District Officer or the Assistant Chief District Officer for carrying out thorough monitoring, according to the Ministry.