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| BOOK |
Conservation Critique A leading environmentalist
examines Nepal's challenges of environmental protection and sustainable development By A CORRESPONDENT Ensconced within Nepal's small landmass is a treasure trove of bio-diversity. As the country moves ahead with serious efforts at modernization, some decisions have hampered the natural course of the environment. One of the major challenges of the country is to strike a balance between development and the environment. Experience has shown that sustainable development is impossible without preservation of the environment. What is the environment all about? It is a holistic issue of the earth ranging from the air to soil, forest and resources and atmosphere. There is a clear need to strike a balance between the utilization and exploitation of natural resources to achieve the goal of sustainable development. Since the first United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Nepal has taken several steps to preserve the environment. By introducing a community forestry program, the country has witnessed mass participation of the people in forest preservation. Despite these efforts, one can see a very dismal situation in the areas of quality of air and water and garbage collection. The government has taken some policy decisions to implement environmental and developmental programs. Following the restoration of multiparty democracy, the government has started to accord higher priority to the environmental sector. There is a wealth of literature in the English language highlighting importance of environmental protection for sustainable development. However, few publications are available in Nepali. Batu Krishna Upreti, one of the well-known environmentalists of the country, has made a commendable effort in enriching the body of environmental literature in the national language. As Nepal has been facing multidimensional environmental problems, including deforestation, water, air and sound pollution and problems of hazardous chemicals, the majority of the people are ignorant about them. Because of language problems, many students do not understand the basic issues involved. Upreti's book is particularly valuable for students as it facilitates easy comprehension of major environmental problems. The problem of environmental degradation is very complicated, as one needs to understand various aspects of it. Issues related to the environment are interrelated. The depletion of forest cover has a direct impact on watershed management and land erosion. Air and sound pollution disrupt human life and the environment cycle. While elaborating the challenges before the country's environment, Upreti discusses the geographical and other conditions of Nepal, including the situation of energy, poverty alleviation, over population and major national environmental challenges. The book is divided into six chapters dealing with various aspects of environmental problems. In the introductory chapter, the author explains the geological and geographical position of Nepal, focusing on soil, land and water utilization. Upreti discusses major aspects of bio-diversity, greenhouse effect, forest and meteorology. He also analyzes the role of Nepal in the context of international environmental protection activities. Upreti discusses legal and policy aspects of conservation as well as institutionalized efforts toward this end. For students and general readers alike, Upreti's book provides a wealth of information on the environmental problems and challenges of the country. A major strength is its ability to explain the implications of international conventions and conferences in preserving the global environment. Environmental Protection and
Sustainable Development |
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editor: spotligh@mos.com.np |
