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In the last 50 years increasing conflicts in
the mountains globally have not only taken their
toll on the lives of the people, but also depleted
precious biodiversity. Studies indicate that the
probability of conflicts in these areas is twice
as likely to increase. The entire global community
commemorated the International Mountain Day, with
this year's theme being "Peace: Key to sustainable
mountain development", today. The main objective
of the celebration, started since 2002, is to
increase awareness and draw the attention of the
global community to protect the fragile and vulnerable
mountain ecosystem. "The socio-political conflict
is resulting in the degradation of mountain biodiversity,"
says Sagendra Tiwari, acting country representative
of The World Conservation Union (IUCN) Nepal.
Over 70 percent of the economically active population
in the mountainous regions of Nepal have either
migrated or have been displaced due to conflict,
opines Tiwari. The mountains cover 24 percent
of the earth's land surface and are home to 12
percent of the global population. Countless species
of flora and fauna found in mountains are not
found in other ecosystems. It is estimated that
over 35,000 medicinal plants are found in the
Hindu Kush Himalayan region alone.
However, increasing conflicts in the mountain
areas in recent years are threatening the survival
of these species besides human beings. The displacement
of populations dependent on these resources is
also resulting in the loss of traditional knowledge.
"Loss of traditional knowledge possessed by the
indigenous communities is irreplaceable," warns
Tiwari. Use of mountain areas as battlefields
by both the warring sides is also contributing
to the loss of biodiversity. "Not a single species
of mountain fauna has increased in recent years,"
says Tiwari. Mountain regions in Chechnya, Kashmir,
Afghanistan, the Balkans, Peru and Nepal have
been the scenes of many of the most violent conflicts
in recent decades, states a report of Food and
Agricultural Organization.
OTHER NEWS
- Mountain films not just visual feast:
With one day left in the marathon four-days
screening of a staggering 49 films from 21 countries,
the third edition of Kathmandu International
Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF) has already offered
viewers with some chilling insights into the
realities of the mountains. KIMFF is not just
about recounting heroic expeditions in the Himalayas
and their hazards. It is also about the harsh
social realities of the hills, the region of
the world that faces conflict in its most brutal
form. Dhruba Basnet's Schools in the Crossfire
and Mohan Mainali's Six "Stories" are two documentaries
that capture the hardships of people living
in the hills of Nepal where a bloody war rages
with no signs of abating. "Both (of these filmmakers)
have seen straight into the eye of the storm,"
says noted journalist Kanak Mani Dixit. Schools
in the Crossfire narrates the plight of teachers
of government schools in the rural hills of
Khotang, Lamjung, Mugu, Doti and Bajura districts
where, like in most other remote districts of
Nepal, the presence of state government is largely
limited to the district headquarters. In such
places, schoolteachers are usually the only
representatives of the government and hence
the frequent soft targets of the rebels. Unfortunately,
they are also persecuted equally by the government
side. Both the sides suspect the schoolteachers
to be spies of the enemy. "We need a zipper
here," says a schoolteacher in the documentary
pointing at his chest, distressed by the inability
to prove his neutrality to the two forces.
- King's trip to bring forth Nepal's security
worries: As King Gyanendra's upcoming visit
to India from December 23 to January 2 will
focus on the security matters, it will have
a major impact on solving the nine-year-old
Maoist insurgency, a close confidant of the
Royal Palace said recently. "As the King is
visiting the bordering states in India, there
will be serious discussions on security matters,"
Raj Parishad Standing Committee member Satchit
Shumsher Rana told The Himalayan Times. "Indians
have a lot of information on the Maoists," Rana
said, adding that Indian authorities would probably
brief the King about their strategy in checking
Maoist activities along the border areas. After
a brief stint in New Delhi, the King is scheduled
to visit Dehradun, Lucknow, Patna and Kolkota,
the capital cities of Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh,
Bihar and West Bengal which share 1,800 km open
border with Nepal. Though the Maoists have said
they want to hold direct talks with the King,
the Royal Nepalese Army should be made more
stronger, argues Rana, the former Chief of Army
Staff. "This is important to force the Maoists
to come to the talks table." He said all constitutional
forces should find a national consensus to counter
the threat posed by the insurgency. Asked about
the speculations about the King taking over
all executive powers, Rana ruled out such possibility
saying lot has changed since 1960 when the then
King Mahendra took over. "The King has himself,
time and again, expressed full commitment to
constitutional monarchy and multiparty democracy,"
Rana further said. He, however, added that the
King should play more active role in running
the country. He said the present constitution
should be amended to give more powers to the
King for him to play a role of a guardian. Rana
was recently at the centre of controversy after
he held a central conference of Raj Parishad
which advised the King to play a more active
role. There should be someone to keep the political
parties under control, as the nation cannot
bear the indiscipline seen in them, Rana said.
"If the Prime Minister makes a mistake, the
King should have the power to do something,"
he said, adding that the politicians, in the
last 12 years, have shown that they lack acumen
to run the government. "Democracy in itself
is not a problem but the managers of the system
are."
- Children's club curbs smoking, drinking:
There has been a drastic reduction in the consumption
and sale of alcohol, cigarettes and other intoxicants
in Samudrikharka village of Hosadi VDC-5 lately.
Thanks to the efforts of the Gorlyang Children's
Club that has been spreading awareness about
the ill effects of drinking and smoking. Gorlyang
Children's Club (GCC) established on August
17, 2002 with the aim of developing the village
and spreading awareness about child rights,
has been taking strict action against those
who do not comply with their efforts to make
their village a tobacco- and alcohol-free zone.
The club, which had launched the campaign just
two months ago has been successful to a great
extent, according to club members.
- Nepal for international pressure on Bhutan:
Convinced that the Druk government is pussyfooting
on the Bhutanese refugee issue, the government
is thinking of abandoning the bilateral route
and formally opting for internationalization
of the problem to pressurize Bhutan. Bhutan
has not responded to Nepal's repeated calls
for resumption of the stalled bilateral process
to resolve the refugee stalemate due to India's
"tacit backing". "Curiously, India says we should
resolve the issue bilaterally, but it supports
the Bhutanese government, which is not willing
to go it bilaterally," said an official of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs who did not want
to be named. "So we are thinking of internationalizing
the issue to pressurize Bhutan, and India to
support such a move." But the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MoFA) is in a fix. "If we wait for
the reluctant Druk government to resume the
stalled process, it could take months, even
years," the MoFA official spoke of the dilemma.
- Industrial production slows to 3.81 percent:
The first quarter Manufacturing Production Index
(MPI), the key indicator to gauge industrial
activities of the country, continued to witness
a slow growth of nearly four percent, thanks
to record-low business confidence, shattered
by escalating insurgency and deepening political
turmoil. According to preliminary findings of
Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), the MPI,
during the period rose by 3.81 percent, whereas
such growth during same period last year was
4.92 percent. A close look at the report reveals
that slow growth in major sectors like chemical,
beverages, food, among others, is mainly responsible
for the overall slow growth.
By Hari Shrestha, Resident Representative in
Kathmandu
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