Eminent scientists, geographers, environmentalists and policy makers from the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region (HKH) and other countries, gathered at a two-day symposium organized by International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), have expressed serious concerns over environmental degradation and effects of global warming on the ecosystem of the highlands. They have also called for urgent policies to address the problems of the highlands, which includes a host of environmental issues as well as the need to improve living standards. The HKH region extends over 3500 km from Afghanistan to Myanmar, and is home to 150 million people. "The impacts of global warming and climate change are visible on glacial lakes, soil, vegetation, farming, industry and tourism in the highlands," R.R Rajamani, former secretary at Ministry of Environment and Forests, India, said on his paper. Prof Bruno Messerli from the Institute of Geography at the University of Berne Switzerland stressed on formulation of policies and the need among HKH nations to combat the effects of global warming and climate change.

Dr. J. Gabriel Campbell, director general of ICIMOD, however, underlined the need to further accelerate efforts aimed at sustainable development of the highlands and to improve the livelihood of the people living in the region as present efforts are insufficient. He said "We have failed to improve livelihood, and provide peace and security to the people. We must redouble our efforts and learn how to make them more effective." Massimo Antoninetti, stressed the importance of advanced technology for mountain environment research, sustainable management of the highlands and to and reduce environmental problems.

OTHER NEWS

• Phuket Air to begin service to Nepal: Phuket Air, a private Thai airline, is beginning thrice-weekly flights on the Bangkok-Kathmandu-Dubai route from this January 17. The forthcoming flight to Nepal will be its fourth international flight. The airline has been operating flights to Yangon, London and Dubai, at present. Moreover, the airline has plans to launch service on 10 new international destinations, including Moscow, Sydney and Indonesia. PA has appointed Gurans Travels and Tours Pvt Ltd as the General Sales and Service Agent (GSSA), which is active in the travel-related business for the past several years. Its operation to Nepal, connecting two tourists hubs-Bangkok and Dubai- is expected to increase the flow of tourists in Nepal, thereby helping to boost the ailing tourism industry.
  
  
• Concerted efforts a must to curb wildlife crime: Expressing serious concern over the increasing illegal trade of wildlife in the Kathmandu Valley, conservationists, police officers and bureaucrats on Tuesday stressed on the need for more concerted efforts to bring this under control. Participating in a national workshop on "Fighting Wildlife Crime in the Kathmandu Valley", they called for co-operation among the various stakeholders involved in wildlife conservation to curb the illegal practice. Inaugurating the workshop, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said, "Despite laws and regulations, illegal trade in wildlife is still going on. Depletion of biodiversity is also growing. We need to take these seriously." Speaking on the occasion, Dr Chandra Prasad Gurung, Country Representative of WWF, Nepal, a global conservation organization, said that conservation in the country was at a critical junction and needed cooperation and partnership of all concerned.
  
  
• Kathmandu lauded at air quality meet: The significant decline in the air pollution level of Kathmandu has been appreciated recently in the fourth Better Air Quality Workshop being participated by 650 experts from 35 Asian countries in Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal. The air pollution level in Kathmandu has decreased markedly as the PM10 (particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter), a major air pollutant, has gone down by seven percent. Derek Langgons, environment specialist, Snowy Mountains Engineering Cooperation, who visited several South Asian cities including Kathmandu, appreciated the city's efforts to control the urban air pollution. "Kathmandu has the best air pollution monitoring system, other cities can learn from it," he said.
  
  
• Himalayan herbs & medicinal plants: Knowing the names of 900 different herbs is a feat in itself. Plus being able to identify each of them, and keeping a record of where they grow, what medicinal values do they have, and how can they be consumed for effective treatment is again something extraordinary. Yagya Bahadur Ojha, a former resident of Chitwan Valley, has prepared a list of those herbs which he plans to bring them together in a publication when he identifies 300 more medicinal herbs from the different parts of Nepal. He set out on his herbal quest some 24 years ago when he himself contracted some stomach ailment so serious that even his family members started to ostracize him.
  
  
• 49 films from 21 countries at KIMFF: The third edition of the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF) kicked off at the Russian Cultural Center in the capital recently. Forty-nine films, documentaries and features from 21 countries, including seven from Nepal, will be screened during the four-day festival. Seven documentaries were screened on the inaugural day, including Kesang Tseten's "On the Road with the Red God: Machhendranath" that was premiered after Nawang Tenzing Jyangbu, Rimpoche of Tengboche Monastery, inaugurated the film festival. Tseten's documentary offers a comprehensive insight into the grand chariot festival of the deity Rato Machhendranath, which is held every twelve years.Also screened today was "The Forbidden Team", a remarkable documentary on the footballing aspirations of Tibetan exiles. Directed by Rasmus Dinesen and Arnold Kroeigaard, the documentary is a thrilling account of a national team without a nation striving to participate in an international match. Through football, the directors have successfully brought out the essence of what it means to be a Tibetan. Three films from Nepal are being screened on Friday, including Mohan Mainali's "Six Stories", Dhruba Basnet's "Schools in the Crossfire" and Raghuwar Nepal's experimental feature "Peace into Pieces".
  
  
• Scenic Pokhara hopes to smite Goa: With New Year just round the corner, tourism entrepreneurs in Pokhara are gearing to market the enchanting beauty of Fewa Lake as an alternative tourist destination to Goa - South Indian tourist spot famous for it's pristine beaches. With the theme of 'Pokhara: New Year's Destination', local tourism entrepreneurs have already started their promotional campaigns through website and other means to promote their 'renewed' events, which kicks off with a grand Road Festival from Dec 28 to January 1. "We are aiming to attract international tourists as well as local ones," said Shri Lal Subedi, general secretary of Pokhara Branch of Restaurant Business Association of Nepal (REBAN). As such, Subedi added that local tourism entrepreneurs have already started sending invitations via e-mail and other website to both foreign and local tourists. "Our main objective is to promote Nepal as holiday destination for upcoming New Year," added Subedi. Goa, a former Portuguese colony, is one of the most popular holiday destinations all around the world. Moreover, large numbers of tourists arrive at Goa each year, and according to reports, it attracts around 300,000 tourists during holiday period of Christmas and New Year.
  
  

By Hari Shrestha, Resident Representative in Kathmandu