HEADLINE NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

HM inaugurates int’l seminar on mountains

Kathmandu, Mar. 6 (RSS): His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev inaugurated the international seminar on mountains organised by Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (RONAST) at the Birendra International Convention Center today.

Her Majesty Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah was also present at the inaugural ceremony.

The three-day seminar organised with the cooperation of EV-K2-CNR, Italy is being participated in by 250 representatives of 70 national and international organisations from 20 countries in the world.

More than 100 working papers on conservation of the ecosystem environment, bio-diversity, eco-tourism, wildlife conservation, health in mountainous region, agriculture in mountains, sustainable development, etc will be presented by distinguished scholars at the seminar.

Speaking on the occasion Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said that the International Year of Mountains-2002 declared by the United Nations creates opportunities as well as challenges for sustaibale development in mountainous countries like Nepal.

Deuba said that the international year of mountains is an opportunity to create ecosystem environment awareness among the people.

Mountains are important natural resources for countries like Nepal, he said, adding that our efforts should focus on conservation of the ecosystem and natural resources.

The International Year of Mountains-2002 should focus its attention on improving the living conditions of millions of people living in the mountain areas, Deuba said, adding that the people living in the mountain areas should benefit from the programmes to be launched by the International Year of Mountains and Eco-tourism Year which coincides this year.

Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Gopal Man Shrestha said that the concept of mobilising people’s participation in conservation of the natural resources has been very successful in Nepal.

Shrestha said that the International Year of Mountains-2002 should be used for making improvements for sustainable development.

Minister of State for Forest and Soil Conservation Bhakta Bahadur Balayar said as His Majesty’s Government has given importance to conservation of ecosystem environment, the international seminar on mountains would be beneficial for Nepal.

Italian senator Turroni Sauro said that Nepal and Italy were conducting a joint study and research in the Khumbu Region. Efforts should be made to safeguard the future of the people living in the mountain areas, he added.

Vice-chancellor of RONAST Dr. Dayananda Bajracharya said that the United Nations had declared the International Year of Mountains-2002 realising the importance of the mountains which covers one fifth of the total area on earth.

The international seminar on mountains co-sponsored by ICIMOD, IUCN, King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation, Swiss International Development Agency and World Wildlife Fund will issue the Kathmandu declaration on the final day of the seminar.

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