Submit your Article

Hira Devi Dhanuk (71) of Hattithana, Bedkot Municipality-1 died in a tusker attack in Kanchanpur on Tuesday. According to Bharat Giri, Information Officer at District Police Office Kanchanpur, the elephant attacked Dhanuk while she was on her way to collect firewood in the Baijanath Buffer Community Forest.

Experts said that it was a mounting challenge to supply adequate pure drinking water, energy and food to the growing population of the country. At a two-day workshop on water, energy and food nexus that kicked off in Kathmandu on Tuesday, speakers and presenters made the proposition. Inaugurating the workshop, Secretary at the Ministry of Drinking Water Maniram Gelal said demand for drinking water, energy and food was increasing across the globe with expansion of urbanization and population. On the occasion, former minister Ganesh Saha suggested that the challenges surfaced in the sector could be averted by protecting sources of water, utilizing rain water and developing technology on water efficiency for higher yields of crops and placing renewable energy measures. Likewise, former secretary Suman Prasad Sharma demanded serious interventions from the concerned side to reach out to the growing population with pure drinking water, adequate clean energy and nutrient-rich food. Chairperson of Smart WASH Solutions Ramdeep Saha shared that the workshop was organized to draw learning of the advanced countries in addressing the issues of drinking water, clean energy and nourishing food in light of rising population. J W Lee of Asian Water Council and K-Water had delivered a presentation on how the Korea Water (K-Water) was working to address challenges emerging in the sector. Expert Dr Unahar Shin shed light on the inter-relationship between water, energy and food, urban water management, water leakage control and management style in congruent with sustainable development. Prof Dr Bim Shrestha of the Kathmandu University presented a paper on nexus between water, energy and food while Executive Director of Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) Dr Madhusudan Adhikari presented a working paper on the contributions to drinking water, energy and food security through renewable energy technology in Nepal.

A memorandum has been submitted to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba today, seeking a long-term solution to the drinking water problem in the Kathmandu Valley. A delegation led by newly elected member of the House of Representatives and Nepali Congress leader, Prakash Man Singh, on the behalf of the people's representatives of Kathmandu, handed the memo to the Prime Minister. The delegation put forth various demands including the implementation of Melamchi Drinking Water Project on a long- run to resolve the Valley’s drinking water problem. On the occasion, Prime Minister Deuba expressed commitment to provide his full support in regard with the enforcement of the memo and shared that the government would take necessary decisions in this regard immediately. According to leader Singh, there is confusion in the operation of Melamchi Drinking Water Project as the budget of the current fiscal year mentioned about the scrap of the Melamchi Drinking Water Development Committee, adding the committee should be revived or other necessary decisions should be taken. The other demands incorporated in the memo are construction of drinking water intake at an appropriate location after carrying out a technical study, appropriate arrangement for reconstruction of damaged structures and construction of black-topped road up to source area in order to address concerns of locals.

In the wake of the UN Climate Conference, COP-27, where Nepal government actively participated and put forth mountain issues, and the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP-15) beginning in Canada tomorrow, the experts on climate change and biodiversity have suggested the government that it pays heed to conservation of high mountain biodiversity with comprehensive research. In a recent Pani Satsang (water discourse) organized by Nepal Water Conservation Foundation (NWCF) in Kathmandu, Head of FreshWater Biology Section at Biology Department of University of Copenhagen, Dr Dean Jacobsen, underscored the need of conducting a thorough research on high mountain biodiversity so that it would be easy for adaptation to climate change. "Nepal needs to protect alpine quality water sources. We need to know about the main drivers of change in high altitude biodiversity to develop effective adaptation plans and works," he said, adding that glacier-fed water has high diversity. Unless we understand how change is occurring, it is difficult to make projections and launch proper intervention. Making a presentation on 'Biodiversity in High Mountain Waters: Features, Threats and Needs', Dr Jacobsen suggested the establishment of a monitoring protocol between researchers and government with adequate funds so that research on mountain biodiversity could be sustained. He further said the high mountain diversity is a least studied issue, but it is time to launch massive study on it as Nepal is a mountainous country and rich in diversity but vulnerable to climate change. Dr Jacobsn worried over the savage road construction, gravel mining and hydropower dams which were posing serious threats to mountain springs in Nepal. On the occasion, NWCF Chairperson Dr Ngamindra Dahal said Jacobsen's research on mountain ecology of water is beneficial to Nepali case as well. He informed that it was the 71st episode of Pani Satsang. As Nepal is in the front row of climate change vulnerability, the lecture on alpine water would help build and transfer knowledge on pressing issues surrounding fresh water, he added. The research and study on high mountain biodiversity would also help shape government policy and efforts on climate change adaptation, he believed. Similarly, Professor of Science and Environment at Kathmandu University, Bed Mani Dahal, viewed that Kathmandu University was keen on working together with academic institutions like NWCF and expert Jacobsen to amplify the research on water and mountain biodiversity because these areas bear huge significance. The Himalaya is known as the laboratory of biodiversity. Jacobsen shared at the program that he was interested in research on biodiversity in the Langtang Valley of Nepal and encouraged NWCF to carry out the works on it. A British team had conducted basic research on it three decades back, he reminded.