ICIMOD News

Reducing the Risks of Flash Floods

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 05:00:00 +0545

wenty-two professionals from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan are taking part in an intense ten-day training workshop on flash flood risk management in the Himalayan region. The training workshop, organised by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), will equip trainees with the practical knowledge and tools needed to help manage flash flood risks. It is a major landmark in a project (Capacity Building for Flash Flood Risk Management and Sustainable Development in the Himalayas) designed to spread this knowledge across the countries of the greater Himalayan region.

The Himalayas are one of the youngest mountain ranges on earth and are very much prone to natural disasters. High relief, steep slopes, complex geological structures with active tectonic processes and continued seismic activities, and heavy seasonal rainfall, all combine to make natural hazards, especially water-induced disasters, common phenomena.

Flash floods – sudden unexpected waves of water and debris – are among the more devastating types of hazard. They occur rapidly with little time for warning, and transport tremendous amounts of water and debris very fast. In the Himalayan region, flash floods can occur as a result of very intense rainfall, outbursts of glacial lakes and lakes formed behind landslides dams, and rapid melting of snow and ice. Failure of man-made dams and other hydraulic structures can also lead to flash floods.

Flash floods affect thousands of people in the region every year – destroying lives, homes, and livelihoods, along with expensive infrastructure – and the threat is likely to increase in the face of climate and environmental change. The capacity to manage flash flood risks is low; knowledge of the processes causing flash floods and of measures to manage the risk is still limited.

Natural disaster management is a multi-dimensional issue and requires broad-based learning. From 1 to 10 August, the workshop trainees will become familiar with the geophysical and climatological processes causing flash floods, the different types of flash floods occurring in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region, social and technological aspects of disasters, and different tools for flash flood risk management including both community-based and technology based-approaches. When they return to their home countries, they will be able to help their own organisations and others plan and implement measures to reduce the risks from flash floods.

For further information contact:
Dr. Arun B. Shrestha
Climate Change Specialist
ICIMOD
E-mail: abshrestha@icimod.org
Phone : 5003222

Mountain regions at stake ? International conference in Lucerne

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 05:00:00 +0545

source: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation - SDC

Climate change, water shortages and loss of biodiversity are global phenomena that not even the highest peaks on the planet can stop. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) seeks to find cross-border solutions to such issues in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region while improving the sustainable livelihoods of the people who live there. The extraordinary ISG Conference, scheduled to take place in Lucerne from 27-29 June 2007 should pave the way for future developments.

more at: http://www.deza.admin.ch/en/Home/News/News/Close_up?itemID=156605

ICIMOD joins the world in celebrating World Environment Day 2007 and the theme: 'Melting Ice - ...

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 05:00:00 +0545

Resonating the theme of World Environment Day celebration in Norway (this year’s host country), and around the world, ICIMOD observed World Environment Day 2007 by organising several programmes jointly with the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, Government of Nepal (MOEST/GON), and the United Nations Environment Programme, Regional Office for Asia and Pacific (UNEP-ROAP) around the theme: ‘Melting Ice – A Hot topic?’. Although the theme focused on the polar region, it is a subject equally important and relevant for this region where the Himalayan glaciers, known popularly as the ‘third pole’, are found. Following are some of the highlights of this year’s World Environment Day celebration in Nepal.

Inter-School Environment Quiz Contest
Twenty-six schools from Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur districts participated in the ICIMOD-MOEST/GON, and UNEP-ROAP sponsored Inter-school Environment Quiz Contest on the theme, ‘Climate Change and related topics’ as a part of World Environment Day celebration. The three-day quiz was closely coordinated by the Team for Nature and Wildlife (TNW) Nepal, and aired live by Radio Nepal.

In conducting the quiz contest the organisers aimed to cultivate environmental awareness among students in Nepal so that they will act positively to protect this part of the planet where they live. The subject areas of the quiz also aimed to highlight the importance of climate change, especially the melting of Himalayan glaciers, and its impacts.

The quiz consisted of five preliminary rounds held on 31 May. Ten of the 26 schools made it to the second round, of which six made it to the finals. The final round was held at the ICIMOD Headquarters on June 3. Birendra Sainik Awasiya Mahavidhyalaya School from Sallaghari, Bhaktapur bagged the first place, with Panga Secondary School, Panga, Kirtipur, Kathmandu and St. Mary’s High School Jawalakhel, Lalitpur as first and second runners-up, respectively.

The winning team will represent Nepal in the SAARC Summit of South Asia Youth Environment Network (SAYEN) meeting in Ahmedabad, India in November 2007 and will be sponsored by UNEP-ROAP for the meeting. Read more at: http://www.icimod.org/home/news/news.content.php?nid=58

Press Release:
http://www.icimod.org/home/news/news.content.php?nid=58

4 June
Symposium on Climate Change Impact in the Himalaya, 4 June 2007
Still in connection with World Environment Day celebration in Nepal, ICIMOD together with MOEST/GON, and UNEP-ROAP sponsored a half-day symposium on ‘Climate Change and its Impact in the Himalayas’.

Mr. Surendra Shrestha, UNEP Regional Director and Representative for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand gave the keynote address on the impact of climate change, focusing in context on future challenges in South Asia. Six technical papers including, The Melting Himalaya: Regional Challenges and Local Impacts of Climate Change in the Mountain Ecosystems and Livelihood, were presented by ICIMOD staff and experts from the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Government of Nepal, DHM/GON.

The programme was chaired by Honourable Dr. Jagadish Chandra Pokharel, Vice Chairman, National Planning Commission, Government of Nepal and member of the ICIMOD Board. Mr. Mahantha Thakur, the Honourable Minister, MOEST/GON delivered the inaugural speech, while Dr. Andreas Schild, Director General, ICIMOD gave the welcome address. Mr. Bal Krishna Prasai, Secretary, MOEST/GON and Dr. Eklabya Sharma, Acting Deputy Director General/Programmes and Programme Manager, NRM/ICIMOD also spoke on this occasion.

The symposium was attended by experts as well as representatives from the media in Nepal. International wire services such as Reuters, Agence France Press, and PTI also interviewed the new ICIMOD Director General and the UNEP-ROAP Regional Director and Representative for Asia and the Pacific.

Read more at
http://www.icimod.org/home/news/news.content.php?nid=61

Press Release, 5 June 2007
Why should we be concerned about climate change and glacial melting?
http://www.icimod.org/home/news/news.content.php?nid=61

5 June
ICIMOD participates in the International Climate Conference in Norway
The host country for this year’s World Environment Day celebration, Norway, organised an International Climate Conference in Tromso on 4-5 June 2007 with the slogan, ‘Melting Ice - a Hot Topic?” Mr. Samjwal Ratna Bajracharya, representing ICIMOD, participated in the Conference where he also presented a paper on the ‘Consequences of melting ice in the Himalayas’.

Among the many eminent speakers at this august gathering at Teorifagbygget, University of Tromso, were Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, Norwegian Prime Minister; Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Norwegian Prime Minister; Mr. Erik Solheim, Norwegian Minister of Development; Ms Kristin Halvorsen, Norwegian Minister of Finance; Ms Helen Bjornoy, Norwegian Minister of the Environment; Archbishop Desmond Tutu, human rights and environmental activist; Mr Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP; Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, Chairman of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). All the presentations focused on issues relating to the theme.

During his presentation, Mr. Steiner of UNEP endorsed the just-off-the-press joint ICIMOD and UNEP publication, Impact of Climate Change on Himalayan Glaciers and Glacial Lakes before the distinguished audience. Any one interested in the impact of climate change in Nepal and Bhutan may refer to this recently published book, he said.

Read more:
http://leo.infotek.no/uit4/Catalog/?cid=90b1ea5f-d866-4122-ad78-c5d8ce7f3e3e

5 June
The Inauguration of World Environment Day 2007
The main day event of World Environment Day 2007 celebration in Nepal was held at the Birendra International Convention Centre (BICC) in Kathmandu on the morning of 5 June 2007, attended by dignitaries, high-level government officials, and representatives of international and local NGOs, community organisations, as well as teachers and school children in Kathmandu. World Environment Day is celebrated in Nepal and around the world June 5 every year, since its declaration by the UN, to stimulate worldwide awareness of environmental issues and encourage political action.

As an opening highlight to the Nepal celebration and reflecting on the theme, short documentary films by ICIMOD and UNEP tackling issues such as ‘Impact of Climate Change on Himalayan Glaciers and Glacial Lakes’, and ‘Melting Ice’ were screen. Parts of the film documentary ‘The Inconvenient Truth’ where former US Vice President and Climate Change advocate, Al Gore, discussed the phenomenon and its impacts for humanity were also shown.

Dr. Andreas Schild, ICIMOD Director General, described Nepal as a ’superpower in terms of biodiversity’ during the inaugural ceremony of World Environment Day 2007. World Environment Day is celebrated in Nepal and around the world June 5 every year, since its declaration by the UN, to stimulate worldwide awareness of environmental issues and to encourage political action.

On this occasion, the Government of Nepal conferred the Environment Prize and the Environment and Development Honor 2007 to key institutions and individuals. UNEP, ICIMOD, and WWF Nepal received the Environment and Development Honour 2007 in recognition of these institutions’ contribution to environmental protection and the conservation efforts. Mr. Surendra Shrestha, UNEP Regional Director and Representative ROAP, Bangkok and Dr. Andreas Schild, Director General of ICIMOD received the awards in behalf of their respective institutions.
In accepting the award, Dr. Schild, citing the recently published MOEST-ICIMOD-Nepal Naturedotcom book, Nepal Biodiversity Resource Book supported by UNEP, described Nepal as a ‘superpower’ in terms of biodiversity and called on everyone to be conscious of this special status and how to protect it. Mr. Shrestha, accepting the award for UNEP-ROAP, urged the government to work with institutions like ICIMOD and WWF to plan for the continued protection of this wealth in biodiversity.
On the occasion three environmental books were launched.

Nepal Biodiversity Resource Book, a joint Nepalnaturedotcom, MOEST, ICIMOD publication supported by UNEP
For more on the book’s contents visit:
http://www.icimod.org/home/news/news.content.php?nid=62
Impact of Climate Change on Himalayan Glaciers and Glacial lakes, Case Studies on GLOF an Associated Hazards in Nepal and Bhutan, a UNEP-ICIMOD publication
And UNEP’s Global Environment Outlook on Ice and Snow

All the books are available online at ICIMOD Books On-line, a new service of ICIMOD which was also launched on World Environment Day. Accessible through the website www.books.icimod.org, allows the download of full-text and by chapter copies (in pdf format) of ICIMOD technical and scientific publications published from 2000 onwards.
Bidya Banmali Pradhan

5-7 June
Exhibition and Art Painting Competition for schoolchildren
ICIMOD also took part in a three-day exhibition held at the BICC in connection with World Environment Day celebration. ICIMOD displayed various products and posters highlighting the theme of Climate Change and its impacts on people and the environment.

Coinciding with the exhibition, ICIMOD sponsored an ‘on-the-spot’ art competition for schoolchildren from class grade levels 6-8 and 9-10. Aside from discovering budding talents among the schoolchildren, the painting competition hoped to create awareness among the young for environmental issues and to cultivate social responsibility towards our planet.

Rajesh Rai from the Bal Sewa Secondary School, Class 8, won the first prize; Daniel Chowdry from the South Point Boarding School, Class 8, and Sudarshan Gautam, Chahana International Academy, Class 8, won second and third prizes, respectively. The judges were Joyce Mendez and Asha Kaji Thaku of ICIMOD. An award-giving ceremony was organised on 8 June where the winners were honoured and Dr. Madhav Karki, Deputy Director General-Programmes of ICIMOD awarded the prizes. The winning entries are currently on display at ICIMOD.
Nira Gurung

5 June 2007
Books launch
Three books and a new online service was launched by the Honourable Minister Mr. Mahantha Thakur, MOEST/GON on the main day event at BICC.

Nepal Biodiversity Resource Book [MOEST, ICIMOD and UNEP prepared by nepalnature.com]
[A PDF version of the report is available at books.icimod.org]

Impact of Climate Change on Himalayan Glaciers and Glacial Lakes, Case Studies on GLOF an Associated Hazards in Nepal and Bhutan [UNEP, ICIMOD]
[A PDF version of the report is available at books.icimod.org]

Global Environment Outlook on Ice and Snow [UNEP]
[A PDF version of the report is available at http://www.unep.org/geo/ice_snow]

Press releases

5 June 2007:
Nepal Biodiversity Resource Book
http://www.icimod.org/home/news/news.content.php?nid=62

Impact of Climate Change on Himalayan Glaciers and Glacial Lakes
http://www.icimod.org/home/news/news.content.php?nid=63

Global Environment Outlook on Ice and Snow
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=512&ArticleID=5599&l=en

Launch of ‘ICIMOD Books On-line’
Also launched during World Environment Day is ICIMOD Books On-line, a new service from ICIMOD accessed through the website .
This new service provides direct online access to ICIMOD technical and scientific publications published from 2000 onwards in pdf format, with full-text and chapter-wise download options and selected earlier publications (in scanned form), and cover and table of contents files for the remaining publications. Books On-line will have a link for ordering hard copies (or photocopies of out-of-stock publications), or PDF files of those not posted in full (scan on demand). The collection can be searched using full-text contents, titles, year of publication, keywords, language, author, and broad subjects. ICIMOD Books On-line will be an open access online resource.
http://www.icimod.org/home/news/news.content.php?nid=59

6-7 June
Atmospheric Brown Cloud Consultation and Awareness Seminar
Also as part of World Environment Day, a two-day seminar on the Atmospheric Brown Cloud (ABC) was held at the Radisson Hotel in Kathmandu to inform stakeholders about the environmental challenges as a result of the ABC, and to foster interaction among professionals and institutions involved in air pollution studies and atmospheric research, and those at the policy making levels by bringing them together in a common platform. The seminar was also a platform for sharing information about ongoing ABC activities in Nepal and other regions and other related national and regional initiatives. It also aimed to raise awareness about the impact of the ABC and to mitigate adverse consequences on climate, precipitation and the hydrological cycle, agricultural productivity, and human health.

The first day was a seminar and consultation session attended by experts. The second day was a field visit to the ICIMOD Headquarters and the Demonstration and Training Centre, Godavari to observe the ABC stations.

The Atmospheric Brown Cloud (ABC) project has a network of over a dozen climate observatories located strategically across Asia and the Pacific, equipped with sophisticated state-of-the-art instruments that measure radiation, aerosols, precipitation chemistry, and meteorology. In Nepal, there are two ABC climate observatories: the Nepal Climate Observatory at Godavari (NCO-G) maintained by ICIMOD, and the Nepal Climate Observatory at the Pyramid (NCO-P) in the Khumbu Valley near Mt. Everest operated by an Italian Team from the Ev-K2-CNR Committee.

_____________________________
For further information contact:

Nira Gurung, Communications Officer
IMCO/IKM, ICIMOD
Email: ngurung@icimod.org

Bidya Banmali Pradhan, Environment Officer
MENRIS/IKM, ICIMOD
Email: bbanmali@icimod.org

Programme Advisory Committee+ meeting discusses ICIMOD?s new strategic framework for 2008-2012

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 05:00:00 +0545

ICIMOD organised a three-day meeting of the Programme Advisory Committee plus two special invitees (PAC+) from 9-12 June 2007 at the ICIMOD Headquarters in Kathmandu. (The ICIMOD Board formed the PAC+ Committee.) The main agenda of the meeting cum workshop was to review the draft strategic framework and related papers prepared by ICIMOD through interactive discussions with the Director General and select ICIMOD staff.

The meeting, chaired by the Board Vice-chair, Prof. Bruno Messerli, started with a detail presentation by the new Director General, Dr. Andreas Schild, of the proposed ICIMOD strategic framework for the next five years. The framework’s highlights are ICIMOD’s four new programmatic thrusts: i) Sustainable Livelihoods and Poverty Reduction, ii) Integrated Water Resource Management, iii) Environment Change and Ecosystem Services, and iv) Integrated Knowledge Management.

The PAC+ members expressed support and positive feedback for the new framework, and commended ICIMOD’s efforts. They stressed that the framework documents should have the key messages clear, namely: what are new; what are being added and dropped; what are continuing with new emphasis; what are the key deliverables and how will be they achieved. The meeting deliberated on the proposed content of the four new thrust areas, where the Board members made additional concrete suggestions. They stressed that the framing of the new strategic framework should give ICIMOD ‘a real strategic chance to do a groundbreaking work’. Emphasis was laid on better integration of social and natural science elements in programmatic work, and greater reference to international conventions and global processes; also that all four thrusts be conceptualised and designed in an integrated and transdisciplinary manner. Given the thrusts’ critical importance to the regional member country (RMC) partners, the meeting suggested to re-work the poverty thrust area. In revising the document, ICIMOD was asked to focus on meeting the expectations and priorities of the RMCs and international donors, most of whom would be participants in the Lucerne meeting.

Overall it was a productive and fruitful meeting. The PAC+ members expressed interest to continue helping to finalise the documents. PAC Chair, Prof. Messerli, thanked everyone. He and the Director General, Dr. Schild, both made special mention of the contributions of Dr. Anne Whyte, former PAC chair, to the meeting’s successful conclusion.

Contact for more information:
Dr. Madhav Karki
Deputy Director General, Programmes
ICIMOD
Email: mkarki@icimod.org

Andreas Schild is new Chair of Mountain Forum Board

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 05:00:00 +0545

source: Mountain Forum

Dr. Andreas Schild, Director General, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, was elected as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Mountain Forum at its Annual Meetings held in Kathmandu.

more at: http://www.mtnforum.org/rs/mfnews.cfm?newsid=13

Fast Melting Glaciers Could Raise the Likelihood of Floods and Water Shortages

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 05:00:00 +0545

Kathmandu, 5 June 2007 – The rapid shrinking of Himalayan glaciers, which has accelerated at a considerable rate over the past decade, could have catastrophic consequences for communities living downstream and the millions who rely on glacial melt water, a new report says. The report, with detailed case studies on the impact of warming temperatures on glaciers and glacial lakes in two glacial hot-spot areas in the Himalayan region, warns of the increasing likelihood of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) – when rising waters from glacial melt breach the dam holding back a glacial lake – and calls for early warning and mitigation measures to avert disaster.

The extended Himalayan mountain range feeds nine perennial river systems in the region which constitute a lifeline for nearly 1.3 billion people downstream. Nearly 15,000 glaciers and 9,000 glacial lakes have been identified across five countries in the region – Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and selected basins of India and China. Of these, some 200 lakes have been identified as potentially dangerous.

Observations of individual glaciers indicate that, in some cases, rates of retreat have doubled since the early 1970s, though they vary from basin to basin. The Dudh Koshi is the largest sub-basin and most densely glaciated region in Nepal and contains 12 of the 20 potentially dangerous glacial lakes identified in the country. The glaciers in this basin are retreating at an average of 10 to 60 m annually; the Imja glacier by as much as 74 m a year. Melting glaciers are also leading to some of the fastest-growing glacial lakes in the region; the lakes form in the gap left between the retreating glacier terminus and the end moraine.

In Bhutan, the Luggye Glacier retreated by 160 m between 1988 and 1993 resulting in rapid growth of the lake Luggye Tso. The Raphstreng Glacier retreated 35 m per year on average between 1984 and 1988; the retreat rate almost doubled to 60 m per year between 1988 and 1993.

Glacial lake outburst floods can have varying degrees of socioeconomic impact. Their impact can be quite extensive since they can destroy villages, agricultural land, roads, bridges, hydropower plants, and trekking trails, as well as causing loss of life. The Tibetan Zhangzhangbo GLOF in 1981 caused extensive infrastructural damage and nearly US$3 million in losses. The Dig Tsho GLOF in Nepal in 1985 destroyed a power plant with a loss of US$1.3 million, destroyed homes and land, and caused considerable loss of life. The Luggye Tso GLOF in Bhutan in 1994 damaged the sacred Dzong and cultivated land, and also caused loss of life.

The Hindu Kush-Himalaya glaciers are also an important source of freshwater for hundreds of millions of people living downstream. Glacial retreat is also causing long term loss of natural fresh water storage.

"The significance of these glaciers and glacial lakes to downstream communities is of particular importance. Changes in glacier ice or snowmelt affects water yield to downstream regions heightening the risk of water shortages, impacts irrigation water for crops, and may disrupt industry and power generation," said Dr. Andreas Schild, Director General of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development.

"We have to continue monitoring glaciers and glacial lakes to ensure sound management of these valuable water resources. In addition, the use of early warning systems like satellite-based techniques, dam breach, and hydrodynamic modelling are important for implementing mitigation measures to reduce risks to vulnerable mountain populations,” said Surendra Shrestha, Regional Director of the UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

The report, The Impact of Climate Change on Himalayan Glaciers and Glacial Lakes, was produced by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and launched during the World Environment Day regional celebrations held in Kathmandu, Nepal on 5 June 2007.

World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. The World Environment Day slogan for 2007 is ‘Melting Ice – a Hot Topic?’ In support of International Polar Year, the WED theme selected for 2007 focuses on the effects that climate change is having on polar ecosystems and communities, and the ensuing consequences around the world.

For more information, please contact:
Ms Bidya Banmali Pradhan
Environment Officer
MENRIS/IKM, ICIMOD
Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: + (977 1) 5003222
E-mail: bbanmali@icimod.org

Ms. Satwant Kaur, Regional Information Officer
United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Bangkok, Thailand
Tel: + (66 2) 288 2127
E-mail: kaur@un.org

New Plant, Bird and Mammalian Species and More Protected Areas in Nepal

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 05:00:00 +0545

Kathmandu/Bangkok, 5 June 2007 – Twenty new bird species and four mammals, and more than 700 flowering species were found in Nepal between 1996 and 2006, according to the Nepal Biodiversity Resource Book, released today in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The new bird species include the Moustached Warbler, Greater White-fronted Goose, Spot-winged Rosefinch, Pallas’s Bunting, Red-throated Loon, Black-and-yellow Grosbeak, and Rufous-tailed Wheatear; the new mammal species are the Binturong, Indian Mongoose, Himalayan Marmot, and the Tibetan gazelle. In addition, Nepal has increased its protected areas by nearly 9,000 sq km. These include the Shivapuri National Park, the Kangchenjunga and Manaslu conservation areas, and 11 buffer zones. Three sites - Bishazarital, Jagdishpur reservoir, and Ghodaghodital – were designated Ramsar sites in 2003.

“Protected areas cover nearly 20% of the country's land. Under the Forest Act 1993, the Government of Nepal has banned the collection use, sale, distribution, transportation and export of three species since 2001. They are the Pancha ounle, Okhar ko bokara bark, and Kutaki. Similarly, the government has banned the export of eight species of plants and rock as well as the transportation, export, and felling of seven tree species for commercial purpose,” the report says.

The network of protected areas includes 9 national parks, 3 wildlife reserves, 3 conservation areas and a hunting reserve. Four sites – the Sagarmatha and Chitwan national parks and the Lumbini and the Kathmandu Valleys – have been included in UNESCO’s List of World Heritage Sites. Apart from conservation of species in the wild, efforts have been made towards ex-situ conservation and specimen preservation.

While Nepal has only 0.1% of the global landmass, it has a disproportionately rich diversity of flora and fauna. It has the 10th richest flowering plant diversity in Asia, and ranks 31st globally. Mammal species comprise almost 4% of the global total, and bird species almost 9%. There are 11 bio-climatic zones and 9 land-based ecoregions. Of these, three are classified under critical/endangered, vulnerable and stable/intact.

Nepal’s natural resources are important for its economy. These include agricultural land, wetlands, forests, and protected areas. Agricultural, which covers 20% of land area, is the major determinant of economic activities. Forests cover 29% of land area.

“The high demand for agricultural land, however, has led to considerable deforestation and loss of land cover. Forest cover in the Terai and hill areas decreased at an annual rate of 1.3% and 2.3% respectively between 1978/79 and 1990/91. Despite this, forest areas do contribute to the national economy. For example, the majority of protected areas comprise forested land and their contribution to the national economy is of major importance,” the report added.

A number of legal instruments govern management of protected areas. Of these, the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1973 is the principal legal instrument. The Act prohibits the hunting of any animals or birds, building any house, hut, or other structure, clearing or cultivation or harvesting, cutting, burning, or damaging any tree, bush, or other forest product, and mining in national parks, or protected areas. Additionally, 26 mammal species, 9 bird species, and 3 reptile species are protected under the Act.

Despite this, several species are listed as threatened. Among these, the pigmy hog the slender-billed vulture, pink-headed duck, and the white-rumped vulture are listed as critically endangered. It is believed that the pigmy hog and the Indian Chevrotain have probably become extinct in Nepal. Of plant species, the Andrewsianthus ferrugineus and Diplocolea sikkimensis are considered endangered.

The Nepal Biodiversity Resource Book was jointly produced by the Government of Nepal, Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and the United Nations Environment Programme and prepared by Nepalnature.com. The report focuses on the flora and fauna diversity in the Protected Areas, Ramsar Sites, and World Heritage Sites of Nepal as a means of having updated and comprehensive information on Nepal’s biodiversity profile.

For more information, please contact:
Ms Satwant Kaur,
Regional Information Officer
United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific,
Tel: + (66 2) 288 2127;
E-mail: kaur@un.org

Ms Bidya Banmali Pradhan,
Environment Officer
IKM/MENRIS, ICIMOD
Tel: + (977 1) 5003222;
E-mail: bbanmali@icimod.org

Notes to Editors

The Nepal Biodiversity Resource Book was launched during the World Environment Day regional celebrations held in Kathmandu, Nepal.

World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. The World Environment Day slogan selected for 2007 is Melting Ice – a Hot Topic? In support of International Polar Year, the WED theme selected for 2007 focuses on the effects that climate change is having on polar ecosystems and communities, and the ensuing consequences around the world.

The main celebrations will be held in Tromsø, Norway, a city with a living polar history which also hosts a centre for polar research. The highlights of the celebrations include an ecumenical service led by Archbishop Desmond Tutu in the Arctic Cathedral, the awards ceremony for the winners of UNEP's 16th International Children’s Painting Competition on the Environment, with prizes presented by Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, a scientific conference on the theme of climate change at Tromsø University, the Sophie Prize awards ceremony, and an art exhibition, as part of UNEP's art and environment initiative.
For more information see www.unep.org/wed/2007 and www.wed.npolar.no

A full programme of events can be found at http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/md/Press-Centre/Press-releases/2007/
Invitation-to-the-media-to-attend-the-in.html?id=465903

Why should we be concerned about climate change and glacial melting?

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 05:00:00 +0545

Our planet is going through its warmest phase in history, the average temperature has increased by about 0.75°C over the last 100 years. Eleven of the warmest years have been recorded since 1990, with 2005 as the warmest on record.

The potential implications for society and life on earth are profound and complex and include changes in overall weather patterns (dryer/wetter) and the frequency and intensity of extreme events. The changes in temperature appear to be more pronounced at higher altitudes, and are being reflected to a varying extent in changes in the length and volume of mountain glaciers.

The Himalayan glaciers. The extended Himalayan region contains the greatest fields of ice outside the Arctic and the Antartic is the source of Asia’s nine biggest rivers including the Yangtse, Yellow River, Indus, and Ganges. Studies show that most Himalayan glaciers are receding. For example, the Gangotri glacier, source of the Ganges, has been receding by as much as 25m a year, and the Pindari glacier by 23m a year. Just recently, the environmental group Greenpeace released photos of the ice towers around Mt. Everest taken in 1968 and recently; and indication considerable loss in total ice.

The Himalayan glaciers provide a freshwater reserve affecting almost one-third of humanity in the river basins downstream. Loss of glacial mass can lead first to increased flooding and later to lack of river water, especially in the dry seasons, with potential adverse effects on agriculture, food supply, and supply of water for drinking and other uses.

But can we stop global warming and climate change? There is considerable evidence that the changes in climate and global warming are aggravated by and possible due in large measure to increased greenhouse gas emissions, especially from burning fossil fuels. The release of different gases has had a cumulative impact on the environment that exacerbates natural processes. Release of aerosols containing black carbon also has an impact; for example, when deposited on ice they absorb more sunlight leading to accelerated melting.

While we can do little to stop the weather and the forces of nature, we can curb some of the human activities that exacerbate the conditions, and explore alternative sources of energy to fuel human activities. Attitudes to resource use can be changed. These measures will need, first and foremost, understanding of the processes involved, so that future scenarios can be predicted, prepared for, and possibly avoided. Adaptation measures can be prepared to mitigate possible impacts.

Unfortunately, most people in the Himalayan region have little awareness of the potential impacts of climate change and are not prepared to cope with them. Scientific understanding of the processes and future scenarios is limited. The region lacks adequate policies to address the factors that aggravate climate change and little has been done to develop adaptation measures.

There is a need to raise awareness at different levels (from the general public to governments including policymakers), and to build policies to mitigate impacts and help people adapt. To initiate and support this process, ICIMOD and the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, Government of Nepal, with support from the United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, held a half-day policy workshop on Climate Change in the Himalayas with the objectives to:

share current understanding on the subject, its impacts on the Himalayan environment and the livelihoods of people residing in the region, and to discuss policy plans and action necessary to address the potential impacts of climate change;
disseminate the results and findings of ICIMOD and partner institutions’ work on the subject; and
disseminate a technical report to help raise awareness among policymakers and others in the region.

The workshop brought together climate change experts and other professionals from Nepal and elsewhere, including the special guest, Mr. Surendra Shrestha, Regional Director and Representative for Asia and the Pacific, UNEP Bangkok. During the programme participants discussed an assessment carried out by ICIMOD on glacial retreat and vulnerability assessment of glacial lakes in the Himalayas, as well as studies on the atmospheric brown cloud in the region, the impact and future challenges of climate change on mountain ecosystems and livelihoods, and future challenges faced by the Himalayas and the region as a result. The workshop was inaugurated by the Honourable Minister, Mahanta Thakur of the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, Government of Nepal, and chaired by the Honourable Dr. Jagadsish Chandra Pokharel, Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission of the Government of Nepal. The workshop is one of a number of events held to mark World Environment Day 2007, whose theme is ‘Melting Ice: A Hot Topic’.

For further information contact:
Mr. Pradeep K. Mool
Remote Sensing Specialist
Email: pmool@icimod.org
Tel: 977-1-5003222 Ext. 116

Ms. Bidya Banmali Pradhan
Environment Officer
Email. bbanmali@icimod.org
Tel: 977-1- 5003222 Ext.122

Dr. Arun B. Shrestha
Climate Change Specialist
Email: abshrestha@icimod.org
Tel: 977-1-5003222 Ext. 153

Ms. Nira Gurung
Communications Officer
Email: ngurung@icimod.org
Tel: 977-1- 5003222 Ext.115

Notes to Editors

ICIMOD is an international independent Mountain Learning and Knowledge Centre serving eight regional countries of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas and the global mountain community. Founded in 1983, ICIMOD is based in Kathmandu, Nepal, and brings together a partnership of regional member countries, over 300 institutions within and outside the region, and donors with a commitment for development action to secure the future of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas.

ICIMOD builds institutional capacities and facilities the development of mountain policy and regional cooperation through its four main functions as a multi-disciplinary documentation centre; focal point for problem solving by research; focal point for training; and consultative centre on sustainable mountain development.

The ICIMOD Overall Strategic Plan (2003-2007) has identified the following six integrated programmes - Natural Resource Management (NRM); Agriculture and Rural Income Diversification (ARID); Water, Hazards, and Environmental Management (WHEM); Culture, Equity, Gender and Governance (CEGG); Policy and Partnership (PP); and Information and Knowledge Management (IKM).

ICIMOD Member Countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan.

ICIMOD Books On-line

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 05:00:00 +0545

‘ICIMOD Books On-line’ ICIMOD publications available to all
http://books.icimod.org

ICIMOD Books On-line is a new service from ICIMOD, accessed through the website to enable wider distribution and use of the Centre’s publications. It s an open access online resource and provides direct access to all technical and scientific publications published by the Centre with full-text and chapter-wise download options (pdf format) for all books published from 2000 onwards and some selected earlier publications (scanned form). Cover and table of contents files for the remaining publications are available. Books On-line has a link for ordering hard copies or photocopies of out-of-stock publications or PDF files (scan on demand) of those not posted in full.

The resources in the collection include technical reviews, discussion papers, workshop reports and proceedings, training manuals and handbooks, and case studies. The collection can be searched using full-text contents, titles, year of publication, keywords, language, and last name of author.

The publications have been arranged under sixteen broad subject headings: advocacy and empowerment; agriculture, forestry, rangelands and biodiversity; climate change and response; energy; environmental hazards, mitigation and adaptation; environmental laws, policies and strategies; environmental pollution and urban issues; gender, equity and social inclusion; GIS, RS, and space technologies; ICT and knowledge management; indicators and maps; indigenous people and indigenous knowledge; pollinators, pollination and bees; poverty reduction and sustainable livelihoods; tourism; water, wetlands and watershed management.

The publications in the collection are mostly in English, with some in regional languages (Bengali, Chinese, Hindi, Nepali, Tibetan and Urdu).

For more information, please contact:
Sushil Pandey
Information Management, Communications and Outreach (IMC0)
IKM/ICIMOD
Tel: + (977 1) 5003222;
E-mail: spandey@icimod.org

Birendra Sainik Awasiya Mahavidhyalaya wins the Inter-school Environment Quiz

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 05:00:00 +0545

A three-day Inter-School Environment Quiz Contest among twenty six schools in Bhaktapur, Kathmandu and Lalitpur Districts concluded today with Birendra Sainik Awasiya Mahavidhyalaya taking away the winning shield along with attractive prizes. The quiz, to mark the World Environment Day 2007, was jointly organised by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, Government of Nepal, and the United Nations Environment Programme, Regional Office for Asia and Pacific (UNEP/ROAP), Bangkok in close coordination with Team for Nature and Wildlife (TNW) Nepal, and supported by Radio Nepal.

The First runners up was Panga Secondary School with St. Mary’s High School as the second runners-up. The contest was held at the ICIMOD Headquarters in Khumaltar. The event was covered live by Radio Nepal. Five preliminary rounds among the twenty-six schools were held on 31 May 2007 and a semi final round with ten schools on 2 June 2007.

The prizes were given away by the Chairperson and Secretary, Mr. Bal Krishna Prasai, Ministry of Environment, and Science and Technology, Government of Nepal, Chief Guest, Mr. Surendra Shrestha, UNEP Regional Director and Representative for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand and Dr. Andreas Schild, the Director General of ICIMOD. Mr. Shrestha also announced that the winning team from the Birendra Sainik Awasiya Mahavidhyalaya would be sponsored by UNEP/ROAP to attend a South Asia Youth Environment Network meeting in Ahmedabad, India in November this year.

The main objectives of the contest were to cultivate an environmental awareness among students and general public at large so that they will act positively towards protecting the planet; and to highlight the importance of climate change, and its impacts, especially melting of Himalayan glaciers.

World Environment Day is the United Nations’ flagship environment event and is celebrated 5 June every year in more than 100 countries. Environment day was established in 1972 by the United Nations General Assembly and its commemoration is entrusted to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), whose international headquarters are located in Nairobi, Kenya. The theme for this year’s celebration is Melting Ice - a Hot Topic?

For further information contact:
Nira Gurung
Communications Officer
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
Tel: +977-1-5003222
Email: ngurung@icimod