Curbing Environmental Pollution
For A Dynamic Society

By Shankar P. Rajbhandari

AIR POLLUTION has becoming one of the severe environmental problems in Kathmandu. Such a problem is gradually expanding in the other urban areas of the country. Curbing such an acute environmental problem of the major cities of the Kingdom has become a burning issue of all — policy makers, environmental activists, social workers, development planners, and attentive citizens.

Crucial

Although the government has taken some of the crucial measures in the recent years they are in no way sufficient to overcome the undesirable situation of air pollution in the major urban areas of the country. The ban on diesel tempo in Kathmandu and in major cities; the provision of emission tests for vehicles; and efforts for promoting electric vehicles are certainly some of the positive steps initiated by the government to control air pollution in urban areas. But the present efforts are not sufficient.

Air pollution controlling programmes for environmental protection should come up with broad-based vision and tangible outputs. Many countries in the world have recently introduced air pollution management programmes. Italy has envisaged a pilot plan to ban private cars from the centre of Rome and over hundred and fifty other towns and cities for at least ten hours on Sundays, making the public transport free during those periods. Similarly, Bangkok, one of the world’s most congested cities, has currently introduced a rapid transit system, called Skytrain which is supposed to curb Bangkok’s air pollution to some extent.

These efforts of pollution control mechanism cannot be a one shot approach. Rather it should be an ongoing process providing continuity even from the government level. In Curitiba in Brazil has been cited as a model of public transportation since 1974 and now move almost seventy five per cent of its commuters through public transport systems. In Nepal, there is a lack of continuity and consistency in pollution control mechanism. Sometimes, emission tests of the vehicles are strictly checked up and the other time the concerned administration becomes inactive for some time. Many public and private vehicles are found to be beyond the emission standard and still they are running in the streets of Kathmandu. What will happen to that system when the rule makers themselves become rule breakers? Who are to be blamed for all these pitfalls? These are some crucial issues that the government should pay attention to.

In 1950, there were seventy million vehicles in the world. Today, there are over five hundred million vehicles with major growth in the developing world. A survey shows that the number of vehicles in China almost double every five years. The annual growth rates of vehicles in Delhi during the years 1970 and 1980 were twenty per cent. The number of vehicles in Nepal is speedily increasing in accordance with the growing trend of the world. But transportation management activities are developed accordingly.

As per the Department of Transportation the total number of vehicles in 2055/056 B.S. was 252,828 whereas this figure was 211,097 in 2054/055 and 235236 in 2055/056 respectively. In 2056 B.S. out of the total number of vehicles, 73.67 per cent were private, 16.45 per cent taxis and 5.61 per cent government owned cars. This increasing trend of vehicles is quite high in Kathmandu Valley. Almost half of the vehicles of the country remain only in Kathmandu Valley. In 2056, Bagmati Zone had about 52.10 per cent of the total vehicles, (131732 in number). This figure was 119,174 in 2055 B.S.

Nonetheless, such an increasing trend of vehicles in a small developing country like Nepal is not only a matter of worry but also calls for good planning and concrete programmes in order to ensure a healthy Nepalese society.

Lack of good public transport services is one of the root causes of the growing number of vehicles in the urban areas of the country. Once the public transport services become improved the use of private vehicles will be reduced automatically. Japan where large number of people often use public transport systems even being one of the leading nations for cars export, is a case in point.

The absence of urban planning is another core factor for increasing the number of vehicles in the main cities. This is because, institutions relating to basic public utility services like health organisations, academic institutions, government offices, etc., are haphazardly situated in a scattered manner without planning. This has caused an unnecessary mobility of the general mass.

Lack of environmental consciousness, anti-eco-friendly tendency of the general people, and carelessness are also some of the major causes of air pollution in Nepal. No matter how qualified the persons are, these ill tendencies are largely found even among many educated persons of the nation.

Lack of sound public policy, plans, and systems are some of the main reasons of a polluted environment. The violation of rules and regulations is the root cause of environmental pollution. Lack of commitments and continuity of the government initiations in this process are also equally responsible for generating air pollution in Nepal.

In order to mitigate the air pollution problems in Nepal, several measures can be duly suggested for future direction. First, public transport services should be improved in terms of quantity as well as quality. To this end, government should undertake effective measures — even encouraging the private sector to support in this scheme. Also, government must come up with a vision. Besides, efforts should be made to enhance the level of awareness of the people towards curbing air pollution and improving environment. In view of this, awareness programmes should be widely launched from the government level.

Likewise, social systems should be adapted, based on congenial eco-systems. A case in point is Singapore. Societal norms in the developing countries cannot be transformed without bolt steps or strict measures of the government. It is therefore, suggested that the government should be strict enough to control the environmental hazards by way of introducing effective rules and systems. Meanwhile, it is essential to keep in mind that the formulation of rules and systems may not be enough to achieve the intended goals. What is required is to put the theories in practice.

The government should largely encourage for the promotion of eco-friendly vehicles such as L.P. Gas-operated vehicles, solar vehicles, and various electric vehicles — trolley buses, battery-operated vehicles, cable cars, etc. In order to promote these electric vehicles in the country, government should provide subsidy in electricity.

Collaborative

Nevertheless, government efforts towards environmental protection and controlling air pollution in Nepal are certainly positive. Yet, they cannot be accepted as adequate or sufficient as of now. For this, there is still long way to go and the government should come up with comprehensive plans and programmes which can successfully be implemented with the support of the people. In this sense, pollution control in the case of Nepal should be a collaborative movement.

Biotechnology To Conserve Biodiversity

By Khilendra Basnyat

IT IS obvious that world’s precious natural resources have decreased at a fast rate due to various human activities. The alarming rate of growth of population has led to widespread forest encroachment to feed the millions of people that come to this earth every year. The heavy deforestation along with various developmental activities have put tremendous pressure on the precious as well as limited natural resources, including land, water and forest.

Efforts

Since the equilibrium between environment and development has been disturbed by human activities in the name of development over the last few decades, several national and international efforts have been made to create awareness among the people about the importance of preserving the environment, ecological balance and biodiversity.

Usually, biological diversity is considered at three levels: the genetic diversity within species, the diversity of species within an area and the diversity of various kinds of ecosystems or habitats within a larger area. It has been found that the Asia-Pacific region has high biological diversity at three levels.

Tropical forests, which are very important to preserve bio-diversity in the world, have been under heavy pressure due to encroachment from increased human population. Consequently, many wild animals and species have lost their habitat.

In fact, the existence of all kinds of creatures is essential to maintain biological diversity which is being rapidly disturbed.

We could have climate, the atmosphere and the world’s resources regulated for the use of sustainable development of people. However, we never will recover the loss of fauna and flora. In reality, we are not deliberately trying to wipe out the creation, but are, by general agreement among experts on biodiversity, heading towards a grim scenario where as many as twenty per cent of species will be extinct in the next thirty years.

Each species is a masterpiece of evolution and depends on the species which have been evolving into its present state for millions of years.

Today, the world has already wit-nessed several negative consequences of the environmental degradation caused in the name of development. Hence, the world has realised the importance of natural environment and its protection for the cause of humanity. Consequently, the concept of sustainable development has been evolved which aims at carrying out development activities with the least damage to the natural environment of the area. This is the reason why the concept of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) although not implemented in all countries, has been in limelight.

In developing countries, where most of the world’s biodiversity is located — for example, in tropical rain forests — the damage to the biodiversity is so rampant that it has led to mass extinction of the species.

It is necessary to identify the world’s conservation hotspots and go all out in order to save them. In fact, spots are those natural environments that have the largest number of plants and animals found nowhere else and are themselves endangered.

The Eastern Himalayan straddling the rugged mountain terrain of Nepal, Bhutan, India, China and Myanmar consists of some of the world’s most diverse temperate forests, tallest grasslands, rich alpine meadows that exist nowhere else on earth and is home to various cultures whose lives are intertwined with the environment.

The diversity of physiography due to the latitudinal and climatic variation has made it possible to include almost all kinds of climates, especially tropical, temperate and alpine regions. For this reason, Nepal is popular for her biodiversity.

Due to the extended latitudinal climate and broad plant biodiversity, Nepal has a great potential of zoological realms. However, the harmonised population of the different species of birds and animals is obtained in minimum numbers.

There has been growing consciousness for the consumption of the environment since the last few years in Nepal. People are increasingly aware of the consequences of the environmental degradation on human lives. Endeavours for conservation and protection of natural environment have been made by both governmental and non-governmental sectors.

Millions of rupees are spent every year for biodiversity preservation. However, the expected objective has not been met due to the lack of proper harmonised cultivation and its preservation.

Masterplans of the forestry sector have been launched with different modifications to assist research and development but not much progress can be seen and the concerned authorities have not kept pace with genuine needs.

Although Nepal was an exporter of tropical timber till 1950, it has now become an importer. Since 1950s up to now the total forest coverage has been reduced. Due to high population growth, deforestation has accelerated. Consequently, biodiversity has been very much threatened.

Effective

Forests are considered very important in preserving environment and maintaining a country’s biological diversity. Although the topic sounds new to Nepalese people, the bio-technical method has been found most effective in restoring tropical forests. Therefore, experts working in the field of forestry and environment conservation should be familiarised with the use of biotechnology for the restoration of green forest and maintenance of biological diversity in the country.

Time To Act

By Premlal Chitrakar

NEPAL, along with the rest of the world is observing June 5 as World Environment Day- - with different pro-grammes and activities including an Environment Exhibition in Kathmandu.

Like in the previous years, this year too the government will be observing the World Environment Day-2000, under the leadership of the Ministry of Population and Environ-ment - as an anniversary Day of the United Nations Conference on Human Environment held in Stockholm in 1972.

Following the United Nations Stockholm Confe-rence on Human Envi-ronment and ever since the establishment of the United Nations Environment Prog-rammes in Nairobi, in 1973, the General Assembly of the United Nations on 15 December, 1972, designated, 5 June, as World Environment Day. On this day, every year the United Nations Systems and the Governments of the world, undertake worldwide activities to reaffirm their concern for the preservation and enhancement of the human environment, with a view to deepening environ-mental awareness throughout the world.

Accordingly, Nepal has been observing the World Environment Day with different programmes and activities.

Since that time, Nepal has been observing the World Environment Day on different given themes. The theme for this year’s world Environment Day-2000 is Environment Mille-nnium-2000, Time to Act.

The given theme in observing the World Environ-ment Day-2000 is very important for Nepal, its people and its decision-makers. It is important not only to highlight public awareness about the nature and dimensions of the increasing environmental problems that the country has been facing but also to develop the sense of international cooperation and solidarity among the member countries of the United Nations. This sort of cooperation and solidarity between the countries of the North and the Third World countries of the South including Nepal is important not only in sharing the knowledge and know how but also in generating needed resources to initiate mitigating measures in curbing the environmental problems.

Nepal has not only been observing the different days such as the world Environment Day but has also attended several international confe-rences and summit meetings in evolving new strategy options and policies to accelerate her development process as well as to reduce environmental problems that Nepal has been facing in recent years.

Among such confere-nces and the summit meetings that Nepal had attended have been the International Conference on Nutrition, held in Rome, the World Social Summit held in Copenhagen, the World Food Summit held in Rome, the United Nations Confere-nce on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio in 1972, to name but a few. The outcomes of these conferences and summit meetings have been very useful for Nepal either in streamlining her develop-ment process or in curbing the increasing environment problem that the country has been facing.

One of the outcomes of the Earth Sum1mit held in Rio in 1992 and participated in by Nepal was the Agenda 21—one of the most important conclusions of the Rio Earth Summit. It was also one of the most compre-hensive plan of actions to be adopted by the developing countries like Nepal. But the actions initiated in develop-ing our National Agenda 21 and in implementing them have been limited.

Nepal is at the cross-roads at present. Increasing poverty, dwindling agricul-tural productivity, increasing food insecurity, increasing malnutrition and under-nourishment have been some of the major problems being faced by Nepal. These situations have further aggravated due to the increasing environmental problems caused by increa-sing population and their increasing activities for their survival in all the agro-ecological regions in Nepal.

The strategy options, the policies and the pro-grammes adopted in our periodic Five Year Plans have had limited impacts either in reducing the increasing poverty situation or in reducing the increasing environmental problems that the country has been facing.

Under such a situation simply the observation of the World Environment Day-2000 is not enough for Nepal, which has been suffering from increasing environ-mental and developmental problems. Therefore, Nepal should think seriously on the given theme ‘Time to Act’ in observing the World Environment Day-2000.

While observing the World Environment Day-2000 Nepal must evolve new strategy options not only to shape the developmental process but also to initiate the measures in curbing the increasing environmental problems that are besetting the nation, the people and the nation’s development efforts.