A senior regional UNESCO official recently said that UNESCO would soon come up with an action plan to reinstate the Kathmandu Valley to its previous status of World Heritage Site. The Cultural World Heritage Site comprising seven monument zones in the Valley is currently in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in danger. "An action plan to conserve the Kathmandu Valley will soon be introduced," Dr Richard A. Englehardt, Regional Advisor for Culture in Asia and the Pacific, UNESCO Bangkok Office, said at an interaction with the press, today.

He, however, did not elaborate the action plan. He nevertheless disclosed that a high-level team from UNESCO is visiting Nepal in September for this purpose. Replying to queries from journalists, Englehardt said the decision of the World Heritage Committee to put the Kathmandu Valley in the danger list was inevitable. This measure was needed in order to draw the attention of the international community to prevent the loss of the vernacular setting of the zones, he added.

The 27th meeting of the World Heritage Committee held in June had decided to redesignate the architecturally and archeologically rich Kathmandu Valley as the World Heritage Site. During the meeting it was pointed out that Kathmandu Valley is in danger of "uncontrolled urbanization." "Now UNESCO, the international community, professionals, Nepali government and municipalities are required to give special attention to preserve the Kathmandu Valley," he opined, stressing on carrying out awareness campaign at the grassroots level about the importance of conserving the monument zones. Meanwhile, reacting to the fire at the Pratappur Temple on the flank of the Swoyambhunath Stupa on Tuesday, Dr Englehardt said that the incident would not affect the status of the monument.

OTHER NEWS

• Tourism on recovery track: The tourism industry is witnessing better days lately, as the tourism inflow figures for the first seven months of 2003 show a significant surge. Tourist inflow via-air increased by 11 percent during the period as compared to the like period. According to the latest statistics disclosed by Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), the surge in inflow can be attributed to the continuous growth of Indian tourists since the past seven months. Indian tourist inflow grew by 35 percent during the review period.
  
  
• Motorcyclists aim world record: A seven-member motor biking expedition team is set to climb 5900 meter and break the world record of motor biking, the team leader Henning Bitsch declared today at a press conference organised in the capital. The team, including five Danish, one Swede and a Nepali, would start their biking on August 6 and expect to finish the expedition by August 19. The team will start its journey from Kathmandu and heads towards Everest Base Camp via Kodari, Zanghmu, Nyalam, Tingri, Lhatze, Shakya Monsatery, Shigatse, Gyantse, Lhasa, Shigatse and Xegar.
  
  
• Global meet on illicit trade in Nepal's rare flora and fauna: Conservationists from Nepal, India and the United Kingdom, government officers and CITES law experts have gathered here for a two-day workshop on discussing measures to check 'growing' illegal trade in and around the protected areas of Nepal. Scattered protected areas, insufficient awareness of initiatives, lack of coordination among anti-wildlife trade law enforcement authorities, population pressure on protected areas, poor anti-poaching units and insufficient laws are hindering efforts to curb illegal trade of wild flora and fauna in Nepal, they said. "Despite Nepal's commitment to bio-diversity conservation and success stories, fragmentation of protected areas, degradation of pristine wildlife habitat and rapid growth in human population, wildlife poaching continues to a major problem for park managers and conservationists," said Dr. Tirtha Man Maskey, director general of the Department of the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation.
  
  
• Historic temple on the brink of collapse: The 348-year old Pratappur temple flanking the eastern entrance of Swoyambhunath, declared World Heritage Site in 1976, could collapse any moment, as the devastating fire outbreak on Tuesday morning has left gaping fissures on its crumbling walls. The fire was completely doused only yesterday, four days after the outbreak. However, the fire combined with intermittent rain has considerably weakened the walls, and chunks of earth are falling down every now and then. "The cracks have developed dangerously," said Dr. Richard A. Englehardt, Regional Advisor for Asia and the Pacific, UNESCO Bangkok Office. He also expressed concerns about the delay in providing solid support to the temple's walls. "The temple requires immediate bracing. UNESCO is ready to provide financial and technical assistance if the government and the management committee deem it necessary," he added.
  
  
  

By Hari Shrestha, Resident Representative in Kathmandu