Ten individuals from across the Himalayan region have issued an appeal for the life of Sonam Wangchuk, a Ladakh environmental activist, who is on the 22nd day of his hunger strike in Leh. Wangchuk is the winner of the right Livelihood Award, also called the Alternative Nobel Prize, and has been a strong advocate for climate friendly and energy saving school and building design. He has also been campaigning against climate breakdown as well as the exploitation of natural resources.&nbsp; Last year, he brought a piece of a melting glacier from Ladakh to the Dalai Lama in Dharmshala to draw attention to the impact of climate crisis in the trans-Himalayan regions of India, Nepal and the Tibetan Plateau. The petition reads: 'We, ten concerned individuals from the Himalayan region across national boundaries, are fearful for the life of Sonam Wangchuk, the educator and environmentalist who has been a steadfast voice for social justice and ecological sanity. Mr. Wangchuk has completed 21 days of protest fast, demanding political rights for his home region of Ladakh and nature friendly approaches to development in the Himalaya and elsewhere. Taking only salt and water, Mr. Wangchuk has become increasingly frail over the course of his hunger strike. We need his continued presence and leadership in the fight for the people and the planet. We call on the Government of India to heed his calls.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240326160340_22293773afd5da7a57cc0e7f7cf557f6952ba8a5a9d7331b8b6bbd86e5a01595.png" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240326160340_22293773afd5da7a57cc0e7f7cf557f6952ba8a5a9d7331b8b6bbd86e5a01595" data-rendition-name="original" width="680" height="836" loading="lazy" alt="Sonam Wangchuk on Day 21 of his hunger strike about the impact of climate change in the Himalaya"> <figcaption>Sonam Wangchuk on day 21 of his hunger strike about the impact of climate change in the Himalaya. </figcaption> </figure>  Signatories: Chandi Prasad Bhatt, Bharat Bhushan, Kanak Mani Dixit, Ramachandra Guha, Sanjoy Hazarika, Pervez Hoodbhoy, NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati, Mrinal Pandey, Shekhar Pathak, Siddiq Wahid. 26 March 2024

original

674x448

610x380

500x500

400x266

400x240

400x203

301x200

Himalayan people appeal for Sonam Wangchuk

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b439c7e80680e0c95afjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="854"/><figcaption>New Sajha buses as they get ready to depart from the CHTC factory in Nanjing. Photo: MUKUNDA SHAH.</figcaption></figure>Electric vehicles are making a splash in Nepal, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/e-vehicles-prepare-for-post-lockdown-boom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sales have seen a spurt</a> in the past two years. But a lot more work needs to be done to make battery-powered transport a sustainable solution in the country.That was the message of the three-day discussion series, EV Chautari, jointly organised by the Nepal Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA) and USAID Clean Air to coincide with NADA’s first ever EV-only car show this week in Kathmandu.EV sales worldwide are gaining momentum. In 2021, there were 16.5 million electric cars on the road, a tripling in just three years. Twenty percent of the vehicles sold in China last year were battery-driven.Nepal is also <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-goes-electric-but-conditions-apply/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">keeping up</a> with this global trend. In 2021, the government announced that it would shift from petrol fuelled light weight vehicles to electric vehicles entirely by the year 2031.  While the decision was deemed too ambitious by many at the time, in the context of Nepal, shifting to electric transport makes sense. And the market agrees.Driven by tax rebates, electric vehicles have seen a dramatic rise in popularity in Nepal market in the past few years. Last year, the import of lightweight electric four-wheelers saw a seven-fold increase. There is currently a six-month waiting list for bookings of some of the popular electric four-wheelers.Institutional consumers are also starting to make changes. Last week, Daraz, the biggest e-commerce site in Nepal, purchased electric scooters for deliveries within Kathmandu Valley. Earlier this year, Lalitpur Metropolitan City’s Quick Response Team also started using electric scooters for its patrols within the metropolis.The industry is taking note of the shift towards electric vehicles. At NADA’s first ever EV Expo this week show-cased 51 brands, including nine four-wheeler companies, one three-wheelers, and 16 two-wheelers, and by the end of the four-day exhibition, there had been more than 30,000 footfalls and more than 200 deals signed.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b469c7e80680e0c95b0jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption>Photo: MUKUNDA SHAH</figcaption></figure>Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-electric-transport-future-is-here/">Nepal’s electric future is here</a>, Sonia AwaleGiven these rapid strides, it would not be unreasonable to assume that Nepal is smoothly moving towards electric transport. However, just as Nepal’s highways have many potholes, there are still many legislative, regulatory and technical pitfalls along the way.The biggest challenge currently facing EVs in Nepal is erratic government policy, both in terms of inconsistent <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/why-nepal-needs-to-restore-ev-tax-subsidy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tax rates for EVs</a> as well as lack of standards and protocols for EVs testing, monitoring and the conversion of ICE vehicles into electric vehicles. Furthermore, the lack of policies that support electrification of public transport is holding back investment in this important segment.In the past few years, the customs and taxes levied on electric vehicles have fluctuated wildly, leading to apprehensions from both dealers and buyers. Speaking at EV Chautari at the NADA EV Expo this week, Yamuna Shrestha, Managing Director of Cimex Pvt Ltd blamed unpredictable changes in tax policy as holding back sales.“In the past two years, the taxes have changed four times,” she told the meeting. “This has created confusion for the end user. For instance, a consumer buys an EV, then a month later the tax goes down, and suddenly the buyer has lost 20-22 lakhs.”Government policy doesn’t allow changes in prices of consumer goods of more than 10 per cent in a year, but the current fluctuation is creating much bigger changes in the final price of electric vehicles. Shrestha said an urgent priority should be consistent policy.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b499c7e80680e0c95b1jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption>Kapil Siwakoti, Chairperson of the EV Committee of NADA and Deborah Kennedy, COO of FHI 360. Photos: BHUSHAN TULADHAR.</figcaption></figure>During the discussion, Sagar Gajurel, General Secretary at the Journalist Association for Automobiles and Mobility brought up the issue of EV testing, monitoring.“Right now, we are importing ready-made vehicles from abroad and selling them in Nepal. But before selling them, what we need to do is test how reliable the product is, and how it will support our current transport system, which is lacking,” he said. “As new technologies are introduced, the Department of Transport Management needs to work on monitoring capacity for the imported vehicles.”Ram Chandra Paudel, Technical Director at the Department of Transport Management states that the government is has drafted the long overdue National Transport Policy of 2078 to replace an existing one which came out more than two decades ago. Whether the new policy gives sufficient clarity on the standards and protocols for EV testing, monitoring and conversion of ICE vehicles into electric vehicles is to be seen.Another challenge facing the EV industry is technology adoption. According to Dipesh Paudel, EV Training Head at Sipradi Pvt Ltd, technicians need a lot of training and awareness in terms of technology adoption.“We need to build the competency of four to five hundred thousand local technicians who work on vehicle maintenance. A policy level solution is needed to address this gap,” he says.Similarly, customers need to be made aware of the workings of EVs in order to build trust toward the new technology. A common concern for the customers is range anxiety – whether their EV will have enough charge to get them through the day. This concern about endurance is related to the lack of charging infrastructure. Some steps are being taken by NEA and other private sector actors, but, but a lot more work needs to go into this to overcome the reluctance of customers used to petrol stations every step of the way along highways.Earlier this year, NEA launched its first charging station at Ratna Park in Kathmandu and has started a drive to open 51 charging stations across Nepal. According to Manoj Silwal, Deputy Managing Director of NEA, if anyone wants to set up a charging unit, his agency provides free installation of infrastructure for up to 200KVA.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b4c9c7e80680e0c95b2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="4032" height="3024"><figcaption>(Right to left) Sonika Manandhar, Co-founder and CTO of Aloi Technologies, Sunil KC, CEO of NMB Bank, Kanak Mani Dixit, Chairman of Sajha Yatayat, Krishna Sapkota, Executive Director of Town Development Fund and Rajan Rayamajhi, Chairman of Thee Go at a session titled EV Chautari during the NADA EV expo last week.</figcaption></figure>Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/an-electric-shock-to-nepals-energy-future/">An electric shock to Nepal’s energy future</a>, Ramesh KumarFurthermore, NEA has provided electricity at a low cost specifically for EV charging stations. The cost for charging EVs at peak time is around Rs8/hour and in off peak times, the cost is as low as approximately Rs 4/hr.Private companies like BYD, Hyundai, TheeGo, Sipradi and others have also set up charging points for their customers. However, the issue here is that these charging stations do not have standardised appliance outlets and only serve their specific vehicles.Ram Chandra Paudel of the Department of Transport Management says, “The government needs to work with the private sector for charging infrastructure that will be compatible at multiple places with multiple types of vehicles.”The need for infrastructure development for the EVs is not limited to charging stations only. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-backs-evs-to-boost-hydro-electricity-uptake/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Electricity transmission lines</a> and infrastructure also needs to be able to withstand the increased load that is inevitably going to accompany widespread vehicle charging.Current data shows that the market for EVs in the sphere of private four-wheelers has already taken off. However, in order to ensure that the future of transportation in Nepal is electric, the focus now needs to shift towards public transport and two-wheelers.Two-wheelers make up more than 79% of registered vehicles in Nepal. However, less than 1% of two-wheelers on the streets of Nepal are electric, whereas, worldwide, 42% of two-wheelers sold in 2021 were electric. The supply of electric two-wheelers is there.At the Expo itself, 16 of the stalls were occupied by two-wheeler companies while only 9 four-wheeler brands were present. But in order to generate demand, consumer confidence and trust needs to be built through awareness campaigns and infrastructure to support electric two-wheelers.The most important (and largely missing) piece of the puzzle is electrifying Nepal’s public transport network. This is where the biggest gains can be made both in terms of reducing air pollution (and therefore improving public health) and cutting fossil fuel consumption that has sent Nepal’s import bill sky high this year.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b509c7e80680e0c95b3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="4032" height="2268"><figcaption>Umesh Shrestha with Deborah Kennedy, Kapil Siwakoti and Yamuna Shrestha of CIMEX and an executive committee member of NADA at the EV expo.</figcaption></figure>Electrification of public transport started a long time ago, with trolley buses in 1975 and the introduction of electric three-wheeler Safa Tempo 30 years ago. However, this early start has not resulted in a sustained growth.Worldwide, in 2021 44% of sales of buses were electric with China leading the way. However, in Nepal the number of electric buses on the roads is insignificant. Sundar Yatayat has a few e-buses operating in Kathmandu and Butwal-Bhairawa.Recently, Sajha Yatayat has added 3 electric buses to its fleet, and 37 more are on the way from the factory in Nanjing to the China-Nepal border.Five buses that were provide to Lumbini Development Trust by the Asian Development Trust three years ago finally started operations two days ago.Similarly, several e-microbuses provided by TheeGo are now running the Kathmandu-Sindhuli route, as well as ramp buses for Guna Airlines at Kathmandu airport.But the use of electric buses in Nepal does not extend beyond this. Bagmati province has recently decided to only allow registration of electric cars as taxis, but till date, only one EV has been registered.Neighbouring India has taken more concrete steps to electrify its public transport system. It has launched two phases of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric &amp; Hybrid Vehicles (FAME) initiatives with investments of over INR 100 billion to create demand for electric public vehicles and invest in charging infrastructure.It also recently announced plans to buy 50,000 electric buses worth $10 billion. Nepal also needs to learn from its northern and southern neighbours on having a policy to support electric public transportation and investing in it.While Nepal might not have a lot of capital to invest in public electric transport, a creative solution might be the use the billions of rupees already collected from the pollution tax of Rs1.50 per litre of petrol and diesel sold in the country in the past years, to support the EV ecosystem as a whole -- particularly public transport operators who want to invest in e-buses.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b539c7e80680e0c95b4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="4032" height="3024"><figcaption>Crowd at OLA stall at the NADA EV show in Kathmandu.</figcaption></figure>Another solution would be to convert old internal combustion engine vehicles to battery power. Nepal has successfully experimented with vehicle conversion some 30 years ago when Vikram Tempo three wheelers were converted to electric Safa Tempo. A similar drive to convert old buses to electric could be a solution to pursue.However, in order to do so, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/new-nepal-budget-sparks-electric-comeback/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the government</a> need to first provide legal clarity on vehicle conversion, and secondly work on standards, testing and monitoring protocols for the conversion of the vehicles.There is no question that Nepal needs to swiftly decarbonise the transport sector to manage its energy, economy and environment. However, a lot of homework needs to be done by both the government and the private sector to accelerate this process.Last year, at the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/good-cop-bad-cop/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">COP 26 climate conference in Glasgow</a>, Prime Minister Deuba said, “Nepal remains firmly committed to the implementation of Paris Agreement. We have submitted an ambitious NDC that plans to decarbonize our economy in all sectors. Nepal aims to reach a net zero emission by 2045.”It is now high time we walk our talk.Shreesha Nankhwa is an environmentalist currently engaged with FHI 360 as a Social and Behaviour Change Communication Officer.

1250x600

1084x550

Potholes on the highway to Nepal’s EV future

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131144/637238b09c7e80680e0c739djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1800" height="1200"/><figcaption>A queue of trucks in 2017 at Timure, 3km from the Nepal-China border, waiting to get clearance to cross into Tibet. Since an earthquake in Nepal in 2015 this road has been the only functional route, and has been mostly closed since the Covid-19 pandemic. Nabin Baral</figcaption></figure>On 10 August, China announced that it will start a feasibility study for the ambitious Tibet-Nepal Railway project within a year. Beijing assured visiting Nepali foreign minister Narayan Khadka that China would also bear the $118 million cost of the study.The proposed 170km railway, part of the <a href="https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/tag/belt-and-road/">Belt and Road Initiative</a> (BRI), will link Kerung (Gyirong) in southern Tibet to Kathmandu, entering Nepal in Rasuwa district. The plan is to eventually extend the railway to India.The project is expected to cost $5.5 billion, and is equal to the entire annual state revenue of Nepal. And although only one-third of the total length of the tracks would fall on the Nepal side, this stretch would account for almost half of the costs due to the difficult geology and climate.“The feasibility study will do two important things: first it will determine the route, including ground and bridge proportion. And second will be the type of railway that needs to be built -– high speed or slow,” said Paribesh Parajuli, an engineer who worked as a consultant at the <a href="http://www.dorw.gov.np/">Department of Railways</a> until 2019.Experts say the feasibility study could be a defining move for the Tibet-Nepal Railway, which has been on hold for years with Nepal reluctant to pay for the study, and China reticent about funding it.In late 2018, China prepared a pre-feasibility study of the railway for Nepal and  estimated the total cost of the 72.5 km section in Nepal at $2.75 billion. The <a href="https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/nature/nepal-china-railway/">report</a>, which is not yet publicly available, suggested it was an extremely difficult project because of the terrain gradient, but not impossible.“Technically this will be one of the world’s most difficult feats of railway engineering since it needs to descend from 4,500m on the Tibetan Plateau cut through the Himalaya to Kathmandu at 1,200m."But China has the technological prowess it is possible, as they have already built railways at even higher altitudes in Tibet,” said Aman Chitrakar, spokesperson for Nepal’s Department of Railways.The 2018 pre-feasibility study was carried out by a Chinese team since Nepal lacks the expertise in railway engineering, and the same is expected with the feasibility study.“It’s their money and their expertise will be key, but we hope to be consulted during the study,” Chitrakar said.But some worry about Nepal’s lack of ability to even review technical reports as it does not have railway engineers. The department established a decade ago is dominated by road engineers, and runs only a 52km railway line in the plains connecting Bijalpur and Janakpur to the Indian border, and built with Indian assistance.“It was OK to rely fully on the Chinese for a pre-feasibility study as it was more of a kind of survey, but the feasibility study is a key project document if it’s going to be implemented, and Nepal must have serious eyes on it,” said Parajuli, who is one of the few railway engineers in Nepal.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/no-light-at-end-of-trans-himalayan-train-tunnel/">No light at end of trans-Himalayan train tunnel</a>In 2018 – the same year as the pre-feasibility study – the Nepal Department of Railways and China Railway signed a cooperation agreement. But the Department of Railways was not informed by the Foreign Ministry about any developments during China’s foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit in March and Nepal’s foreign minister’s visit in August.“We heard that our government had signed a MoU on technical schemes of the railway project during Wang Yi’s visit in March and now media reports have said a feasibility study will be carried out, but as an implementing agency we haven’t been informed about any developments that were made in the recent months,” said Chitrakar.<h3>Geopolitics over geology</h3>In 2020, China’s former ambassador to Nepal Qiu Guohong <a href="https://www.nayapatrikadaily.com/news-details/48495/2020-08-03">wrote</a> in a Nepali newspaper: “Our great leader Mao Zedong was the one who sowed the seeds of the Nepal-China railway dream. During Nepal’s late King Birendra Shah’s visit to China in 1973, Mao had mentioned Qinghai-Tibet railway. Even during that time Mao had thought about linking Tibet railway to Kathmandu in Nepal as he was a visionary.”In 2016, China signed a <a href="https://nepaltradeportal.gov.np/trade-agreement?p_p_id=utilportlet_WAR_tepc&amp;p_p_lifecycle=0&amp;p_p_state=normal&amp;p_p_mode=view&amp;_utilportlet_WAR_tepc_param=getDetail&amp;id=307">transit and transport agreement</a> with Nepal when K P Oli, Nepal’s former prime minister, visited China in the aftermath of a border blockade imposed by India because New Delhi <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-34313280">disagreed</a> with some clauses in Nepal’s <a href="https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/climate/analysis-how-decentralisation-in-nepal-is-undermining-climate-action/">new Constitution</a>.Two years later, the railway was a key agenda item when China’s President Xi Jinping visited Nepal. Wang Yi reiterated China’s interest in the railway project in March, and it is four months later that the announcement about the feasibility study has been made.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131144/637238b39c7e80680e0c739ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1703"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Besides the geological challenges, there are also geopolitical hurdles. India has been suspicious about the China-Nepal railway. Unlike Nepal, India is not a BRI signatory, and Sino-Indian relations are strained over their border disputes.Former ambassador Qiu wrote in 2020: 'It is both China and Nepal’s responsibility to convince India on the railway’s importance to link India and China and its mutual benefit for the region as Nepal is .. links mainland China and the South Asian subcontinent. So, if we can connect China’s railway network with India’s railway network then this could be an important transit point for the region.'In recent weeks, the cross-border railway project has been covered by Chinese media and elicited responses on Weibo. It has been cited as an important geopolitical project for China.A <a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzA5MzI1ODEzNA==&amp;mid=2650580859&amp;idx=2&amp;sn=de0b04ce21a41f306981f5c6c765d1cf&amp;chksm=8868af82bf1f269417a45620b4c92cb2fdbbc91f0d2f09bde53f9b028aa8481828229a499919&amp;mpshare=1&amp;scene=1&amp;srcid=0815ycNLQ1jYO5Gzs6VidOqD&amp;sharer_sharetime=1660541348589&amp;sharer_shareid=844200f2439c517375505c42c00cea8a&amp;exportkey=AcmdV3mUQYOiaVntN%2FeTJuA%3D&amp;acctmode=0&amp;pass_ticket=9fKa9XfjGBZNXaGj1ZMnGwa4YRzrH%2BmU4yRlgWH2t63e2FvaVTYvTmscIdmp8kYB&amp;wx_header=0#rd">commentary piece</a> published by Caijing Magazine’s WeChat channel suggested that a rail link through Nepal to India could both 'enhance China-India economic bonds when geopolitical tensions are at ease ... and increase China’s strategic manoeuvring space when tensions are on the rise'.Speaking at a recent webinar organised by the New Delhi-based <a style="background-color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.icsin.org/">Institute of Chinese Studies</a>. Constantino Xavier, a foreign policy and security expert at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress think tank said: “Greater Chinese influence in Nepal is not a bilateral or regional issue but a global one. India should be able to calculate its relations with global powers rather than just looking to Nepal-China relations or China’s presence in Nepal.”Ecological impactThe ecological impact of the proposed rail line is not being discussed in Nepal, and nothing has been said about what China’s 2021 <a href="https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/climate/china-2021-green-development-guidelines-belt-and-road/">green development guidelines</a> might mean for the project. Some experts say this is due to the Nepal government’s inability to work with the Chinese team.“Any trans-Himalayan project of this scale will have serious environmental impact and there should be more concern around the fragile geology of the region," said Basanta Raj Adhikari at the <a style="letter-spacing: 0.15px; background-color: #ffffff;" href="https://ioe.edu.np/research/centers/centre-for-disaster-studies/">Centre for Disaster Studies</a> at the Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University.He says the project also needs to factor in seismic risk since the track will pass through the <a style="background-color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.lyellcollection.org/doi/10.1144/0016-76492007-081">main central thrust</a> – a geologically weak zone in the Himalayas."It is important to use technical knowledge of geologists and other experts to minimise its environmental impact, but no efforts towards this have been made,”  Adhikari added.In fact, there have been some concerns in China over the ecological impact of the railway. Says one comment on Caijing Magazine’s WeChat channel: 'At a time when we are enduring extreme heat, many are concerned with the railway’s ecological impact on the world’s water tower. Railway maintenance is going to be very challenging in the Himalayan region. International relationships also depend on how we choose to act. Be cautious.”Nepal has a huge trade deficit with China, and Beijing is <a href="https://www.mfa.gov.cn/wjbzhd/202208/t20220810_10740338.shtml">encouraging</a> Nepal to export more to China. From 1 September, 98% of Nepali products were eligible for zero-tariff exports to China.'This will support the Nepalese side to make good use of this policy dividend to expand exports to China,' stated a communique after the meeting of the two foreign ministers in Qingdao last August.Nepal <a href="https://www.customs.gov.np/page/fts-fy-207879">imported</a> goods worth $1.7 billion from China between mid-July 2021 and mid-April 2022, but Nepal’s exports to China were worth just $5 million in this period.“The cross-border railway project, if eventually built, would surely augur well for Nepal’s economy, as the landlocked country’s transport connectivity with China currently relies on a few land ports that can’t operate amid heavy snow or geological disasters,” Long Xingchun, president of the Chengdu Institute of World Affairs, told the <a href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202208/1272804.shtml">Global Times.</a>The only functional Nepal-China cross-border road crossing in Rasuwa Gadi, northwest of Kathmandu, had been closed since the Covid-19 pandemic, and was only partially opened last week after the visit to Nepal by Li Zhanshu, Chair of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China.This piece was originally published on <a style="background-color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/culture/nepal-honey-hunters-cling-to-traditions-as-bee-numbers-fall/">The Third Pole</a> under the Creative Commons license, and was written by <a href="https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/author/ramesh-bhushal/">Ramesh Bhushal</a>, Nepal Editor at The Third Pole.Read more: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/which-way-will-the-tibet-nepal-railway-go/">Which way will the Tibet-Nepal railway go?</a> Ramesh Bhusha'

Nepal and China to study trans-Himalayan railway

<figure><img width="960" height="540" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/637203f89c7e80680e0b2837jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>All photos: MITHILA WILDLIFE TRUST</figcaption></figure>Imagine living next to a tiny forest the size of a tennis court right in the middle of Kathmandu, which makes the whole neighbourhood look clean and green. The forest is dense and layered with several different species of indigenous trees, shrubs, fruits and herbs. Butterflies, bees and birds return to the vibrant ecosystem.This is not fantasy, but an actual possibility for an over-urbanised city where there are very few open spaces left.First developed 40 years ago by a <a href="http://akiramiyawaki.com">Japanese botanist</a>, the ‘Miyawaki method’ of reforesting allows densely packed carefully selected trees to grow in tiny plots of land in urban centres like Kathmandu, or even in household backyards.The result is a self-sustaining forest rich in biodiversity in a few short years that can serve as a network of new lungs for a polluted city. In <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/empowering-nepalis-during-covid-19-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dhanusa district</a>, the Mithila Wildlife Trust has become the first to successfully implement the Miyawaki method in Nepal. “These are high density forests which act as natural air conditioners, and they can bring down the ambient temperature by 2-3°C. And the ecosystem is so diverse that it also allows plants, insects and birds to thrive,” says Dev Narayan Mandal of the Trust.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-can-up-forest-cover-to-45-by-2030/">Nepal can up forest cover to 45% by 2030</a>, Nepali Times <img width="960" height="540" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/637203fb9c7e80680e0b2838jpeg.jpg" alt="">Mithila Wildlife Trust last month planted trees in 2,580 square feet of land in Janakpur using this technique, and there are already calls from forestry offices in Mahottari and Makwanpur who want to implement the technique in their districts.  “I even got calls from a few individuals in Kathmandu who want to use the method in their compounds,” says a visibly-enthused Mandal, a recent recipient of the International Environment Warrior and World Neem Warrior awards. Unlike traditional reforestation where trees of the same species are planted in bulk at a distance of 3-4m, Miyawaki prioritises native varieties and those most suitable to the specific climate of the area. The saplings are also packed densely together at a distance of 60cm from each other.This means the trees are densely packed, and quickly grow into forests that serve as oxygen generators for <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/breathing-can-kill-you/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cities with dirty air</a>. They also help revive indigenous plants, and since the canopy is multi-layered, it means the trees do not all mature at once.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/tree-mendous/">Tree-mendous</a>, Peter Gill <img width="960" height="540" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/637203fe9c7e80680e0b2839jpeg.jpg" alt="">Mandal says the forests can grow 10 times faster and are at least 20 times more diverse and 30 times denser than traditional replanted forests. But the real attraction is that they do not need large tracts of land, but can grow in small plots only 30m x 30m in city cores.Nepal is an international model for a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/who-now-owns-nepals-forests/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">successful community forestry </a> program that saw the country’s tree cover double in the last 25 years to nearly 40%, but in the cities the greenery has been replaced by concrete jungles.  Trees have been cut to make way for hard, dry surfaces like roads, sidewalks, pavement, buildings and parking lots, all of which <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/preparing-for-kathmandus-heat-waves/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">absorb and retain heat in ‘urban heat islands’</a>. And when residents rely on air conditioners to cool their homes, it becomes a vicious cycle as the outside temperature goes up even more.  What little is left of public land in Kathmandu and other major cities are being built over.  Communities rallying to turn open spaces into leafy parks are opposed by municipalities whose idea of a park is to have fountains, concrete pavements and shops.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/will-nepal-ever-be-paid-for-saving-trees/">Will Nepal ever be paid for saving trees?</a>, Mukesh Pokharel <figure><img width="960" height="640" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/637204029c7e80680e0b283ajpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Mandal sees immense possibilities for Kathmandu to replicate his pilot plot in Janakpur: “It can be replicated along the Bagmati, and other empty spaces. Government offices and corporate compounds can also use the Miyawaki model.”Following Mithila Wildlife Trust’s Miyawaki experiment in Janakpur, the team is preparing another 100mx100m abandoned plot nearby to plant with 30 types of native plants. After the initial investment to source saplings, fertilise the soil with compost and cow dung, the forest grows to be maintenance-free within two years.“In the long term, the Miyawaki method is more cost effective because it results in high yield layered forest as well as revive indigenous plants at the time of climate crisis with 100% survival rate,” says Mandal.The solution to air pollution, solid waste disposal and shrinking open spaces lies in urban reforestation, which in turn can beautify and clean up our cities.A simple cost-effective technology, the Mikawaki method needs support from communities and local governments – both of which Dev Narayan Mandal has garnered in Janakpur.  He says, “The best thing about Miyawaki is that it can turn urban wastelands quickly into lush forests.” Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/protecting-forests-is-crucial-to-cure-pandemics/"> Protecting forests is crucial to cure pandemics</a>, Melissa Vida

Sonia Awale

Mini forests to make Kathmandu more liveable

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114091156/637203569c7e80680e0b2802jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2802" height="1904"/> After watching Don’t Look Up on a bootleg channel this week, the Ass has come to the happy conclusion that compared to a direct hit with Planet Earth by a comet in the not too unforeseeable future, all our current travails in Nepal seem far away.We worry about many things in Kathmandu: the tragic state of politics, the sewage flowing out of water taps, and the daily commute through Jadibuti Intersection. But in the cosmic scale of things, however, these are inconsequential. And that makes me feel much more upbeat about Nepal.Even a global crisis like climate change pales into insignificance when we contemplate the impending impact with the planet of a heavenly body the size of Dasrath Rangashala.In fact, if you believe in reincarnation like some of us do, then global warming will cease to be a worry since some of us may be reborn in a much cooler place next time round.So, the choice is between sitting idly by waiting for the world to end either with a bang, or a whimper. Or, as a poet once put it so eloquently, whether the earth will end in fire, or ice.Don’t know about you, but I would still rather work to reduce the impact of climate change so that the end is swift. For which we must:1. Breathe sparingly. Every breath we take consumes precious atmospheric oxygen and gives off carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas. Make every molecule count by being breathless.2. The Himalaya will warm 0.7 degrees faster than the global average this year because of all the hot air generated during the party conventions. Nepal must immediately pledge to the UNFCCC a renewed Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to limit all political harangues to less than 5 minutes.3. Organise tantric rituals and make animal sacrifices to appease the gods. Oh, wait, can’t do that. We’re secular.4. Create an artificial shortage of petrol, diesel and LPG, but I notice that our hyperactive grabberment has already thought of that.5. All sodas contain dissolved carbon dioxide, so at happy hour this evening, quaff your double whiskey neat.6. Burping releases greenhouse gases so burp in moderation.7. There are an estimated 32 million flatulent cattle in Nepal, and if all of them felt free to pass wind at will, our glaciers do not stand a chance. And we are not even counting yaks and water buffaloes here, and we all know how embarrassing those two can be in polite company. The Ass is willing to make any sacrifice necessary to reduce its carbon footprint.

Ass s

Things are looking up

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114091156/637202fc9c7e80680e0b27e3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1366"/><figcaption>Vehicles are one of the biggest emitters of PM2.5 and other pollutants in Kathmandu. Photos: AMIT MACHAMASI</figcaption></figure>It is that time of the year again when smog makes <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/air-pollution-is-more-dangerous-than-smoking/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kathmandu’s air hazardous to health</a>. Hospitals are swamped not with Covid, but COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).Once more, there is a flurry of media headlines about the dangerous concentration of suspended particles smaller than 2.5 microns from diesel exhaust.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/happy-new-air/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Happy New Air</a>, Sonia AwalePublic awareness about air pollution is at an all-time high, the average life expectancy of Kathmandu’s residents is reduced by at least four years. Yet, nothing happens. Why?“The awareness and knowledge have not translated into corrective action,” explains environmentalist Bhushan Tuladhar. “We know about vehicle emission tests but we ignore it, open burning is bad but we don’t stop, we have the opportunity to reduce air pollution with electric mass transport but we don’t invest in it.”<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114091156/637203009c7e80680e0b27e4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Air pollution was directly linked to at least 42,100 deaths in Nepal in 2019. Almost half of that was due to breathing in particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter which can cross the air blood barrier in the lung capillaries. Most of those particles come from <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/green-sticker-green-light-to-pollute/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">vehicle emission</a>.From 1990 to 2015, the number of vehicless in Nepal grew by 1,995,404 — most of them in Kathmandu Valley. In five years, that figure doubled to 3,987,267.This figure doesn’t include the exploding demand for cars and motorcycles after the end of the Covid second wave in mid-2021. Nepal spent Rs543 billion in importing vehicles, transport equipment and spare parts in four months from mid-July to mid-October, against Rs357 billion and Rs418 billion for the same periods in 2020 and 2019.“There has been an unexpectedly high demand for private vehicles in Nepal after the pandemic, especially two wheelers given the public’s hesitancy to use buses due to coronavirus fears,” says Dhruba Thapa of the National Automotive Dealers Association.<iframe style="border: none;" title="Total vehicles in Nepal" src="https://e.infogram.com/e0cdbfd0-0b3c-4f57-851e-7aced6e69116?src=embed" width="700" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><a style="color: #989898!important; text-decoration: none!important;" href="https://infogram.com/e0cdbfd0-0b3c-4f57-851e-7aced6e69116" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Total vehicles in Nepal</a><a style="color: #989898!important; text-decoration: none!important;" href="https://infogram.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Infogram</a>Raju Chettri, CEO of the MAW Enterprises that imports Yamaha bikes in Nepal has a similar observation. He saw a decline in the annual sales of two wheelers from about 250,000 units to 190,000 right after the pandemic. But this year, the sales went up to 350,000 units.“There are two reasons behind this: pent-up demand and reduced use of public transport because of Covid fears,” Chettri says.There are <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/poisoning-the-air-we-breathe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more than 3.1 million two-wheeers in Nepal</a>, over one million of them in Kathmandu. They are adding to the capital’s foul air, as they are up to 10 times more polluting per passenger kilometre than buses and cars.<iframe style="border: none;" title="Total Motorbikes in Nepal" src="https://e.infogram.com/ea449cd7-2598-4cd4-8ae2-cd91858f9553?src=embed" width="700" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><a style="color: #989898!important; text-decoration: none!important;" href="https://infogram.com/ea449cd7-2598-4cd4-8ae2-cd91858f9553" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Total Motorbikes in Nepal</a><a style="color: #989898!important; text-decoration: none!important;" href="https://infogram.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Infogram</a>Two-wheelers also emit invisible toxic gases like carbon monoxide, benzene and nitrous oxides, and increase the concentration of street-level ozone. Motorcycle exhaust may not be as visible as diesel exhaust, but they are highly poisonous — especially when there are so many of them. Besides exacerbating respiratory diseases, the gases are carcinogenic, causing cardiovascular diseases and Alzheimer’s.The solution is to shift rapidly to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-electric-transport-future-is-here/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cleaner electric vehicles</a>, not just for healthier air but also to meet Nepal’s net-zero pledge in Glasgow and to reduce the country’s burgeoning petroleum import bill.“The priority has to be on electric public transport and supporting infrastructure,” says environmentalist Tuladhar. “Electric buses are more expensive than diesel ones, so the government has to help with capital, and better manage Kathmandu’s public transport.”<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114091156/637203039c7e80680e0b27e5jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="480"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>This week, Nepal opened its first electric charging station powered by solar panels for the Lumbini Development Trust. Similar charging stations can be set up for public and private vehicles in existing bus parks across Nepal and along highways. Sajha Yatayat which is procuring 40 electric buses is also trying to turn the former trolley bus terminal into a charging station.Shilshila Acharya of the Avni Center for Sustainability agrees that the priority should be on <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/from-a-fossil-past-to-an-electric-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">electrifying public transport</a> and encouraging bicycle lanes. She says, “Replacing cars with more cars even if electric only promotes consumerism. We have to give people reliable alternatives.”Kathmandu Valley Air Quality Management Action Plan held its first implementation committee meeting this week, during which it discussed lunching of a USAID-funded project for air pollution and a forecasting system with technical support from ICIMOD.“The problem of air pollution will take some time to be solved but we have started our homework,” says Indu Joshi of the Department of Environment. “At the moment, our biggest challenge is controlling open burning.”<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114091156/637203069c7e80680e0b27e6jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2000" height="2625"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Apart from transport, garbage burning and biomass fuel for household heating and cooking are also contributors to Kathmandu’s dirty air. The problem is made worse in winter due to the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/how-weather-elevates-air-pollution-in-kathmandu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Valley’s topography that traps surface pollution</a> in an inversion layer.Improper <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/a-load-of-rubbish-kathmandus-garbage-problem,4039" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">solid waste management in Kathmandu</a> means locals burn garbage by the riverbanks near residential areas — while, as studies show, segregation of waste at homes can reduce the city’s garbage volume by up to 80%.There is no other problem that is so directly linked with the health and economy of the country as urban air pollution. The <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-lockdown-proves-air-quality-can-be-improved/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Covid-19 lockdown in 2020</a> is proof that Kathmandu can be cleaned up, it just needs <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/dirty-politics-dirty-air/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the right leadership and the political will</a> to back it up.Says Shilashila Acharya: “Our policies on mobility and air pollution have to be people- and culture-centric, instead of focusing only on technology. We must build public pressure to force the politicians into action.”A public opinion poll in this paper just before the 2017 elections showed that a majority of Nepalis were concerned about the health impact of pollution. Since 2022 will be dominated by campaigning for the next election, this could be turned into the main criteria for candidates to win votes.

Breathing can kill you

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161148/636d1e1f9c7e80680e0af3f3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1017" height="531"/><figcaption>Scene from the Czech film 'Its Bean Too Hot'.</figcaption></figure>Films on cultivating coffee sustainably, plastic pollution of oceans, and community media in India were among films that won prizes in 10 categories in the 2021 Global Sustainability Film Awards.The annual awards are given out by the London-based tve (Television Trust for the Environment) with Blockchain World to outstanding films made by corporate entities, activist groups and non-profits. The films are chosen for inspiring audiences with doable solutions for sustainable and equitable growth.The awards were announced earlier this month in London in ten categories selected from over 90 submissions from 27 countries. International jury panels shortlisted the films and the final awardees were selected by experts on environment and film.“I am delighted to congratulate the worthy winners of the landmark 10th tve-GSFA. The global participation in these awards is a matter of great satisfaction indicating the increasing concern organizations and individuals have for the environment,” said Surina Narula of the GSFA.The awards were judged on the basis of five criteria: creativity in storytelling, clarity of communication, audience engagement, relevance to current environmental concerns, and impact.The ten films were effective in raising global awareness, changing public perception and inspiring action, tve said. GSFA seeks to promote effective, credible solutions-oriented storytelling about environmental and sustainability issues.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161152/636d1e229c7e80680e0af3f4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1064" height="524"><figcaption>Scene from the Indian entry 'Fixing India: How Community Media Like Video Volunteers Changed During COVID-19'.</figcaption></figure>Among the winners was a documentary on how community video volunteers in India changed its activities to address the socio-economic challenges of the <a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag=Covid" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag%3DCovid&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1639809702867000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1liwGNQqif-K5yi7yxGkwb">Covid</a> pandemic that ravaged <a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag=India" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag%3DIndia&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1639809702867000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0D1URUCg7lisz_QLBIdO5j">India</a> earlier this year. The film, Fixing India: How Community Media Video Volunteers Changed During COVID 19 won in the the <a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag=Adaptation+and+Resilience+Short+Film" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag%3DAdaptation%2Band%2BResilience%2BShort%2BFilm&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1639809702867000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1K7niDr_GHC50fNw1k0z7W">Adaptation and Resilience Short Film</a> category.“It is unique and different from other awards in that it is both a film awards and a sustainability awards — entries are judged on the power of their storytelling and creativity, as well as on the credibility and impact of their content,” it said, adding that the award categories recognized various types of sustainability issues and storytelling formats that sought to address different audiences.The Young Filmmaker Award went to <a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag=Hedvika+Michnova" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag%3DHedvika%2BMichnova&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1639809702867000&amp;usg=AOvVaw082YodrMti-pmYfTz8AjA0">Hedvika Michnova</a> (Czech Republic) for It's Bean Too Hot (UK); Financing Sustainability Award to Our Planet: Too Big To Fail (UK); Transforming <a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag=Society+Award" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag%3DSociety%2BAward&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1639809702867000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2-ZktLuoVSZEjWQQ1eKI5s">Society Award</a> to S.T.O.P. (Stop The Ocean Pollution) (Czech Republic); and Documentary Impact Award to Thank You for the Rain (UK).The AI and Digital Innovation Award went to The Life Value of Energy (Singapore); <a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag=Nature+Based+Solutions+Award" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag%3DNature%2BBased%2BSolutions%2BAward&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1639809702868000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2P3eB7fbDGIf_FxL97WUDU">Nature Based Solutions Award</a> to Voice Above Water (US); <a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag=Energy+Transitions+Award" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag%3DEnergy%2BTransitions%2BAward&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1639809702868000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0ffasQknk7oVUSPGbTnVeD">Energy Transitions Award</a> to NORCAP Energy: A Commitment to Communities (Norway); and Clean Transport Award to Swytch Your Bicycle.The Founder's Award went to the film Passing, which shows how centuries on, race relations remain relevant in today's world. Jury chair <a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag=Nick+Nuttall" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag%3DNick%2BNuttall&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1639809702868000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1zcR4QFAa2ViTDywv6FWWF">Nick Nuttall</a> said the films captured the breadth of challenges facing the planet, but also the spirit and ingenuity of so many individuals and communities determined to chart a better future.“We believe our efforts will continue to add value to the resolution of climate change devastations,” tve Chair Mei-Sim Lai said in a statement.The Winners:Young Filmmaker Award Its Bean Too Hot (Hedvika Michnova, U.K.)Adaptation &amp; Resilience Fixing India: How Community Media Like Video Volunteers Changed During COVID-19 (Video Volunteers, India)Nature Based Solutions Voice Above Water (Turning Tides Films, U.S.; Directed by Dana Frankoff)Energy Transitions NORCAP Energy. A commitment for the communities (Panot Films and Norwegian Refugee Council, Norway)Clean Transport Swytch—Your Bicycle. Electric. The World’s Smallest &amp; Lightest eBike Conversion Kit (Swytch Technology, U.K.)Financing Sustainability Our Planet: Too Big To Fail (WWF-UK &amp; Silverback Films, U.K.)Transforming Society S.T.O.P. (Stop The Ocean Pollution) (Plastic Oceans International, Czech Republic)Documentary Impact Thank You for the Rain (Banyak Films, U.K.)AI and Digital Innovation The Life Value of Energy (Bittwatt, Singapore)Founder’s Award PassingYou can watch the films at: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYT7vD5He2VACQ-5jAzz54JXIIB5nVsD0" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list%3DPLYT7vD5He2VACQ-5jAzz54JXIIB5nVsD0&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1639809702868000&amp;usg=AOvVaw09JYgBs4NEvHkYOzwYry9y">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYT7vD5He2VACQ-5jAzz54JXIIB5nVsD0</a>

Environment films get tve Award

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111016118/636d13d79c7e80680e0a9948jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="3000" height="2000"/><figcaption>All photos: NEPALI TIMES</figcaption></figure>The day my father brought home a shiny new motorcycle for the first time in Kathmandu, we were thrilled.After smashing a coconut and garlanding the bike, the blue Honda was our key to the city. I was taken on it to school, to relatives, and to hospitals. It was more than just a motorcycle — it was freedom on two wheels. It liberated my family from crowded and unreliable buses, and gave us control over our own lives.In the last 20 years, 22% of the Nepalis have graduated to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepals-class-divide-widens/">middle-class status</a>. There are now more Nepalis with disposable income than any time before. There are also new aspirations of comfort and levels of consumption. Cars, motorcycles, air conditioners, and even bungalows that were previously viewed as luxuries have now become accessible to a sizable proportion of people.But this has also increased the per capita carbon footprint of Nepalis. And worsening air pollution is already reducing average life spans by four years.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111016118/636d13db9c7e80680e0a9949jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000">The growing appetite of our <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/meat-money-and-the-middle-class/">newly minted middle-class</a> has become a cause for concern, not a feel-good story of economic growth. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/kathmandus-flash-floods-are-4-decades-in-the-making/">Haphazard urban growth</a> is already causing  massive changes to the environment, adding more carbon-emitters will only make it worse.Nepal may contribute only 0.5% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions, but it needs to urgently address intensifying <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/urban-heat-island/">urban heat island effect</a> – this is the tendency of built up areas to warm more than their surroundings. Cities absorb and re-emit heat from the sun, and also from industries, vehicles and household air conditioning. As cities expand and  green spaces shrink, cities get hotter.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/kathmandu-air-pollution-hits-record-high/">New Delhi</a> is a prime example: residents have been experiencing extreme heat wave conditions with increase of surface and canopy layer heat by 4-6°C during the day, and 2-4° at night. Kathmandu could soon follow, given the rise in vehicle numbers and concretisation.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111016118/636d13de9c7e80680e0a994ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000">Urban <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/toxic-bubble/">heat islands</a> (or ‘bubbles’) contribute to global warming, and if left unchecked, people can unwittingly become a part of the vicious cycle. When cities become hotter, people invest in air conditioners, which in turn further increase heat and carbon emissions.‘Urban land expansion will result in average summer daytime and night-time warming in air temperature of 0.5°C–0.7°C, up to ~3°C in some locations,’ states <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ab4b71/pdf">a study</a> published in 2019 in Environmental Research Letters. ‘This warming is on average about half, and sometimes up to two times, as strong as that caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.’Aside from the Tarai, a large part of Nepal has a temperate climate. Just a generation ago, installing air conditioners in Kathmandu would have been unheard of. Yet, studies have shown that just between 2000-2018, the average temperature in the Valley <a href="https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/IJE/article/view/22546">increased by 2.1°C</a>. The Valley’s heat bubble has further increased the demand for cooling solutions.Though research in urban island effects of other cities are lacking, anecdotal evidence point to a similar conclusion for Biratnagar, Birgunj and Butwal in the last 20 years.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111016118/636d13e09c7e80680e0a994bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000">Policymakers have a simple solution for this: hike taxes on vehicles and other big carbon-emitters. But this is short-sighted, part of the solution lies in the electrification of the transport. As it is, fossil cars are taxed at 260% in Nepal, further levy can restrict people’s freedom of choice.Motorcycles have become near indispensible for many Nepalis, especially in the cities. The public transit system is mismanaged and unsafe, which means two-wheelers have become the vehicle of choice.Hundreds of thousands of Nepalis belonging to the burgeoning middle-class have worked hard to earn enough to afford these luxuries, it is not right to restrict that either.Rising urban heat is a systemic issue. These are localised effects caused by local conditions, but need state-level action for mitigation – multidisciplinary and innovative urban planning solutions that not only control but also reduce urban heat, while reducing Nepal’s petroleum import bill, and cutting air pollution.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111016118/636d13e39c7e80680e0a994cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="760" height="484">First and foremost, we need to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-electric-transport-future-is-here/">reinvent public transport</a>, which is under the chokehold of <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/public-transport-syndicate,3531">private cartels</a>. Its unreliability is a primary reason why so many people gravitate towards private vehicles.Evidence from European cities has shown that increasing access to public transport systems, bicycle lanes and ride-sharing technology (think Tootle and Pathao) has reduced car ownership rates. When there is a viable alternative to private vehicle ownership, residents are more than willing to make the switch.For instance, a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0166046219302157">study done in Copenhagen</a> found that extending the metro line to its suburban regions decreased car ownership by 2-3% in the city. Nepal can similarly develop commuter bus routes as an alternative for private vehicles and create the same effect.Public transport also reduces waste heat because of fewer vehicles on the roads. Nationalising and regulating public transport system, and creating new and reliable inter-city routes make urban areas more liveable as well as decrease carbon burden of vehicle ownership.Cities can also be restructured so that most people are a walk away from hospitals, drinking water supply and vegetable markets. In times of emergency, many people in Nepal need to travel an incredible distance just to get proper medical attention, even in urban areas.In absence of <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=17110#.YZd031VByJA">zoning laws</a> which segregates parts of the city into residential, industrial, business, more and more peri-urban regions in the outskirts of Kathmandu have been converted into housing plots, further decimating green spaces.These laws not only help control the sprawl of the city by preventing <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/be-prepared/">unplanned development</a>, but also ensure residents are close to essential services and public transport networks.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111016118/636d13e59c7e80680e0a994djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1125">Nothing reduces urban heat more than trees, parks and water bodies. Plants, vegetation, and rooftop gardens sequester carbon released from vehicles in the ground as well as provide shades. Lakes and rivers form their own micro-climates in the surrounding region, creating cooling breezes.Even aside from their aesthetic significance and cooling effect, green and blue spaces act as a valuable centre for communities to come together. They provide spaces for children to play, for the elderly to exercise. Studies have shown that taking a walk in parks and surrounding oneself with plants and fresh air <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-46099-7">reduce stress and improve one's state of mind</a>, thereby improving the city's quality of life as well.These solutions require political will and investment. Furthermore, implementing these solutions in cities that have already been built or are in the process of expansion is going to be difficult and inconvenient for many.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111016118/636d13e89c7e80680e0a994ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1600" height="1067"><a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/disastrous-management-in-nepal/">Nepalis deserve better</a> cities and living conditions. Rather than a top-to-down approach where a central board decides all the policies, there is a need for participatory planning approach, where all the stakeholders have the space to not only discuss problems, but also decide how these issues should be solved.Nepal got a late start in development but the emerging challenges of the environment and climate give us an opportunity to learn from and improve upon the mistakes of developed countries.Increasing disposable income brings with it political power as well, and the people of Nepal are in a unique position to not only better urban life for their individual selves, but also for millions of other Nepalis.Avani Adhikari is a student of Economics and Urban planning in Singapore.

Preparing for Kathmandu’s heat waves

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161132/636d19fb9c7e80680e0ac84ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640"/>It must be a cosmic confluence that just as the world leaders gather in Glasgow next week to try <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/un-climate-report-declares-planetary-emergency/">to save the planet</a>, we in Nepal mark the tragic death 10 years ago of conservation <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18683#.YXu2I1VBypo">visionary Pralad Yonzon.</a>Yonzon used to commute to work on his bicycle, and on 31 October 2011, as he was pedalling home from office along the Ring Road in Balkhu, a truck rammed into him.This was an enormous loss for Nepal and the country’s conservation community, adding to the dreadful void left by the deaths of Harka Gurung, Chandra Gurung, Mingma Sherpa, Tirthaman Maskey and many other conservation pioneers of Nepal in the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/remembering-nepals-conservation-heroes/">Ghunsa helicopter crash</a> of September 2006.Not only was Yonzon a brilliant and dedicated scientist, he was also a source of inspiration for the many youth whom he mentored. He was a passionate environmentalist and practiced what he preached – using a bicycle for his daily commute.After his death, <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=19147">road safety activists</a> and cycling enthusiasts have been campaigning for cycle lanes along the Ring Road. They <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/The-road-to-safety,873">painted murals dedicated to Pralad Yonzan</a> on the spot where he lost his life, built a model cycle lane and organised numerous interaction programs and meetings with officials. But so far, nothing has come of it.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161132/636d19fd9c7e80680e0ac84bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="400">Sure, promises have been made and studies have been done. Even the contract agreement signed on 18 December 2012 between the Nepal government and Shanghai Construction Group, the Chinese company responsible for the expansion of the Koteswor-Kalanki section included provisions for a bicycle lane on both sides of the Ring Road.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161132/636d19ff9c7e80680e0ac84cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1111" height="621"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161132/636d1a029c7e80680e0ac84djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="865" height="922">However, when the road was expanded from 2 lanes to 8 lanes, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/re-cycling-kathmandu/">all the lanes were devoted to cars.</a> There was no bicycle lane, and even footpaths are missing at many locations. As a result, the Ring Road continues to be a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/dont-go-quietly-into-the-night/">death trap</a> where many other cyclists have been killed since <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/thebrief/2012/03/25/killer-on-the-run/">Pralad Yonzon</a> lost his life.“Expanding the Ring Road without a cycle lane was a mistake,” admitted  Tulasi Sitaula, former secretary at the Ministry of Physical Planning and Secretary at an interaction program.Many other former government officials and transport experts also agree that Ring Road has not been designed properly. But no one dared to make any changes to it or to ask the Chinese to change the design.The Mayor of Lalitpur Chiri Babu Shreshtha, for example, has designated bicycle lanes in the city, and wanted to extend them to the Ring Road. He has even put it in his city’s annual program, and allocated budget for this purpose. But the Department of Roads is not allowing him to touch the Ring Road.I live across Ring Road in Kirtipur and I used to ride my bicycle to office along the same stretch of Ring Road where Pralad Yonzon was killed. But now my wife does not allow me to ride my bicycle along the expanded Ring Road. She says <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/murder-not-accident/">it is just not safe</a>, and I agree with her.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161132/636d1a059c7e80680e0ac84ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="429"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161132/636d1a079c7e80680e0ac84fjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="405">Even though I have been riding a bicycle for over 40 years in Kathmandu, I do not feel it is safe anymore. I have a bicycle at home and another one at office so that I can ride on either side of Ring Road in Kirtipur and Lalitpur but not from Kirtipur to Lalitpur.31 October 2021 is also the beginning of the most important international meetings conferences of our times -- the 26th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change (COP26) – is beginning in Glasgow.A big Nepali delegation led by Prime Minister Deuba is in Glasgow where he is making a speech urging developed countries to reduce their emissions and ask their support for vulnerable countries such as Nepal to adapt to the climate crisis. He will also raise the issue of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/nepal-needs-to-get-its-climate-act-together/">loss and damage</a> caused by the global emergency.But as the Nepali delegation negotiate on the complex issues surrounding the climate crisis, they will also tour Glasgow. I urge them to look out for the over 300km of bicycle lanes around the city of Glasgow, and the light projections set up by <a href="https://www.cyclinguk.org/cop26-cycling-fights-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cycling UK</a> that reads ‘Cycling Fights Climate Change’.European cyclists claim that if Europe cycled 5km a day and they would reach 50% of their targeted emission cuts from the transport sector for 2050. In fact cycling a 4 km (20 min) commute and back instead of driving would cut 1.1 kg CO2 per day, which is almost twice as high as switching to renewable energy or retrofitting insulation in an average home.But for an average Nepali, cycling is more about public health and the economy, rather than cutting carbon. Living in a city where the average air pollution level is 10 times higher than WHO guidelines, it is imperative to do whatever possible to reduce pollution level and improve health. Promoting walking and cycling is one of the most cost effective ways to achieve this.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161132/636d1a0b9c7e80680e0ac850jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="720">WHO in its recent report ‘The Health Argument for Climate Action’ says healthier diets, clean air and cycling would double the benefits of reducing disease and tackling climate change.Furthermore, with <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/blood-sweat-tears/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">oil imports</a> using up more than twice the amount Nepal earns from all its exports combined, cutting down on petroleum is essential for economic progress.But more importantly, prioritising walking and cycling is about social equity. As Enrique Penalosa, the former mayor of Bogota said during a visit to Kathmandu in 2018, “A protected bicycle lane is a powerful symbol showing that a citizen on a $30 bicycle is as important as one in a $30,000 car.”Ten years ago, I had written in Pralad Yonzon’s memorial, ‘We will miss him dearly. But I hope this unfortunate incident will inspire us to work for bicycle and pedestrian friendly transportation in Kathmandu.’Today as <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/cop26-special-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">COP26</a> kicks off in Glasgow, I hope our Prime Minister and the Nepali delegation realise that solutions to a complex issue need not be complex. A simple machine like the bicycle, which was invented just outside Glasgow almost 200 years ago, can be a solution to our changing climate.  Pralad Yonzon realised that and lived by it. I hope we can too.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/cleaner-air-with-greener-buses/">Bhusan Tuladhar</a> is an environmentalist and Executive Director of Sajha Yatayat.

Cycle to fight climate change

<figure><img width="3071" height="2284" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161128/636d195f9c7e80680e0ac817jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Chanaute after the flood on the Melamchi River in 2021. All photos: RAJU PANDIT CHHETRI</figcaption></figure>On 15 June, the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/monsoon-hits-nepal-with-a-bang/">Melamchi River north of Kathmandu</a> saw a massive flash flood, killing 25 people and sweeping away 200 houses and 360 hectares of farmlands.Another debris flow on the river on 31 July added to the destruction and misery. The disaster was <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/the-monsoon-mess-in-melamchi/">unprecedented in the Melamchi Valley</a>, and caught residents, trout farms, shops along the banks by surprise. Before the communities got a chance to fully rise from the massive double-earthquake in 2015, the region was hit yet again with another disaster.As a resident of the Chanaute, I lost close relatives and neighbours to the flood. My own house and farmland were destroyed. The river sliced through the bazar town, and its 56 houses are now ruined and abandoned. The hopes of my hard-working community have also been dashed.Local entrepreneurs, small shop owners and farmers whose arable land have turned into a boulder-strewn wasteland are shattered. Damage to roads and bridges hascut the valley’s connection to the outside world. Nepal’s most expensive water supply project has been damaged. <figure><img width="1024" height="768" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161128/636d19639c7e80680e0ac818jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Any individual extreme weather event is difficult to directly attribute to the climate crisis. But the intensity and unpredictability of this year’s monsoon has been unprecedented. Manang and Mustang were hit by flash floods at the same time as Melamchi – even before the monsoon officially started. And even after the rainy season was formally over last week, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/post-monsoon-rain-ruins-nepals-crops/">parts of the country were hit by record-breaking rainfall.</a>For the past decade, my career has taken me to numerous international climate summits where we have discussed strong national and international advocacy to address the impact of the climate crisis – especially on developing countries like Nepal.At international climate negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), I have observed climate-vulnerable countries make urgent pleas for ambitious action in tackling the climate crisis. Small, low-lying island states like the Vanuatu, Tuvalu and the Maldives have tried to show the urgency of it all – rising ocean levels will soon submerge their countries.The Philippines and Bangladesh continue to raise concern about the increasing intensity and frequency of typhoons and cyclones. Fragile mountain regions of the world are trying to get their concerns on the agenda.Next week, heads of state from around the world will start arriving in Glasgow for the 26th annual climate summit of the UNFCCC (called COP26). Recent impacts of extreme weather events around the world (wildfires in Siberia and the western US, heat waves in Canada, floods in Europe, landslides and floods in Japan, India, China) are likely to focus everyone’s mind on the climate emergency, and the message that we are all in this together. <figure><img width="1500" height="1125" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161128/636d19669c7e80680e0ac819jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate impacts to avert and minimise some of the loss and damage will be at the forefront of the negotiations.  However, as the incoming president of COP26, the United Kingdom and the leaders of the industrialised world will have to face a new reality – to address the destruction unleashed by the climate crisis with rehabilitation, migration and financing.Industrialised countries have long brushed aside these issues, diluted their commitments to merely focusing on the weaker goal of reducing greenhouse gas emission, and providing token climate financing to allow low-income countries to adapt.In fact, addressing the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/disasters-in-nepal-come-in-waves/">loss and damage from disasters</a> like the one that hit Melamchi and parts of the Himalaya will be one of the main pillars of the COP26 in Glasgow. Nepal’s delegation will be led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, and he is expected to speak about this year’s climate-induced disasters starting with <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/wildfires-ravage-nepal-mountains/">winter drought</a>, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-is-going-up-in-smoke/">nationwide wildfires</a>, and floods.Nepal will have strong moral grounds to persuade world leaders that low capacity vulnerable countries need help to deal with a crisis that is not of our making. Himalayan glaciers are shrinking and receding fast, extreme weather trends are more pronounced, and this is impacting on infrastructure projects and threaten to undermine decades of progress in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. <figure><img width="4000" height="3000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161128/636d19699c7e80680e0ac81ajpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepals-glacial-lakes-in-danger-of-bursting/">A 2020 study by ICIMOD and UNDP</a> has shown that 47 glacial lakes in the Kosi, Gandaki and Karnali basins are in danger of bursting. Although 21 of these lakes are in Nepal, the others also drain into tributaries of rivers flowing into Nepal. These are ticking time bombs.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/climate-change-is-a-disaster-in-the-nepal-himalaya/">Glacial lake outburst floods</a> have been hitting Nepal’s Himalayan valleys with increasing frequency. In 2012, an <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Anatom-of-a-Himalayan-tsunami,1330">avalanche on Annapurna</a> unleashed a catastrophic flood on the Seti River that killed at least 70 people. In <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/kundadixit/2014/10/16/after-the-storm/">2014, a deadly post-monsoon blizzard</a> spawned by Cyclone Hudhud swept through the mountains catching many trekkers unawares. The Tarai have seen increasingly destructive floods in the past five years, and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/disastrous-management-in-nepal/">Bara district was hit by a rare tornado in 2019</a> that killed dozens.In Glasgow, Nepal will have to make a compelling case for <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/himalayan-floods-a-sign-of-worse-to-come/">loss and damage compensation</a> for disasters like these. COP26 will be a make-or-break summit for reducing global carbon emissions by 45% by 2030. Nepal will also need to do its bit to achieve its updated Nationally Determined Contribution target to reduce emissions by 2030 by switching to renewable energy, and attain net zero by 2050.Glasgow will be an opportunity to link global targets to local impact, and to find ways to address the disproportionate destruction caused by climate crisis on the poorer parts of the poorest countries.Raju Pandit Chhetri is a resident of Chanaute in Nepal’s Melamchi Valley and works on climate change issues.

environment