We must rise above petty matters in the larger national interest and work cooperatively and collectively

Mingma Norbu Sherpa (Monju)
Masters Landscape Management

A holder of a Master’s degree in "Protected Landscapes Management" from the prestigious department of International Center for Protected Landscapes Management which is also affiliated with the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom, Mr Sherpa hails from Solu-Khumbu district and has served as an Executive Director for the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), a non profit making Environmental Organisation based in Namche Bazar, for nearly a decade.

As a well-mannered and soft-spoken person Mingma thinks globally and yet prefers to act locally. 

TGQ1: Mr. Sherpa. Please let our valued readers know about your thesis on conservation matters of the Sagarmatha National Park. What is this all about?

Mr.Sherpa: As part of the M.Sc. Programme, I undertook the research on Sagarmatha National Park (SNP) in view with assessing the impacts of the park policy which has brought changes in the livelihood of the 4,000 people residing in the periphery (Pharak reion) of the Park. The title of the dissertation is " The View Beyond the Park: Managing the impacts of Sagarmatha National Park and its tourism on the adjoining region of Pharak, Nepal. This dissertation highlights the impact of the SNP and its associated tourism on the adjoining region of Pharak. In doing so, the thesis addresses issues that are of critical concern, not just to this case study, but to many instances around the world where regions adjoining protected areas face environmental, economic and social consequences as a result of the designation, and of the attraction that these highly valued areas often hold for tourists. Not only is the issue one of concern for the wellbeing of the surrounding areas per se, but critically, it is widely recognised that in the long-term, protected areas themselves cannot maintain their ecological integrity if they become "islands" within a sea of degradation.  

TGQ2: Nepal, to the best of my knowledge took part in the Rio summit. What impact could you watch in the area of sustainable development carried out here after the Summit? Whether it is consistent with the resolutions of the Summit or have we failed to address the issue altogether. If it has failed then who should be held responsible? Your comments please.

Mr.Sherpa: First of all, it is very much encouraging that His Majesty’s Government of Nepal adopted principle of sustainable development through the preparation of Nepal Environmental Policy and Action Plan (NEPAP), 1993, which sought to accommodate those philosophy into Nepalese context. Resulting from this, the national and international non-government organizations have played vital roles in implementing this globally accepted approach. Take for instance, international organizations, such as UNDP, WWF, IUCN, Mountain Institute, ICIMOD, GTZ and various others have launched different programs in this field. Most encouragingly, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC), responsible for the management of the protected areas in Nepal has recently amended its Act and formulated a policy of involving local communities in conservation and development through the designation of Buffer Zone Management Programs. In addition, numerous national and local NGOs are effectively integrating those principles into their mandate and implementing the Agenda.

The Chapter 13 of the Agenda 21 states sustainable Mountain Development. Nepal is only the country, that the whole of the Kingdom is included as a mountainous country. Therefore, aforementioned national and international organizations are effectively working in this field. However, the bureaucratic government systems and the political instability have created difficulties to achieve this goal as it is expected.  

TGQ3: How effective a role can Nepal play and whether Nepal too can act as a major actor whose contributions in the international community be praised in this matter.

Mr. Sherpa: Nepal is the only country in the world whose elevation ranges from 75 to 8848 meters from the sea level. Because of this geographical variation, she is bound to be rich in biological diversity. WWF international has also identified 234 most endangered eco-regions in the world, out of which four are found in Nepal. Therefore, Nepal cannot be excluded from the global conservation arena. In order to protect these globally recognized eco-regions, 16 different protected areas in the Kingdom have been designated as national parks, wildlife reserves, conservation areas and hunting reserve under the conservation act 1973. These facts alone are evident, to what extent Nepal can contribute to these global aspirations. There must be a shift in our paradigm at the earliest or else be ready to face the grave consequences that will follow soon. Our weakness lies not in our geopolitical realities but in our inherent weaknesses to see things in perspective. We must build a collective consensus based upon long-term visions, which can benefit not only Nepal but the entire international community as a whole.  

TGQ4: How you Mr. Sherpa assess the ongoing national politics? Your remarks please?

Mr.Sherpa: First of all, I tend to disassociate with politics and political activities. However being a citizen of this country it is my responsibility to abreast myself with the political development, which also has a bearing upon the conservation and development activities. It is unfortunate that the democracy is not functioning properly over the decade as was expected. Although, a decade has passed, the country has not been able to gain any substantial achievement in any field under the democratic system. Moreover, cases of corruption like in Lauda Air disappoint all quarters of the Nepalese Society. The political instability in the country indicates that there is not much to be expected. 

TGQ5: Mr. Sherpa, finally tell us what are your future plans? How do you plan to utilize your experience and the academic training in the context of prevailing socio-political atmosphere? Is there anything that you wish to tell our readers through this column?

Mr. Sherpa: I am hoping to pursue further study in any field that is related to environment, conservation, development, natural resource management and ecotourism and undertake further research if any opportunities arise. Otherwise, I will live in Nepal and serve the country in whatever capacity I can.

One of the burning issues of Nepal is the poverty. Although, it is very complex to address this problem, I strongly believe that to some extent it can be reduced through the conservation of life supporting systems, such as forest and non-forest products and wildlife. This is possible through promotion of tourism in and around protected areas. There is a growing interest of people from all over the world visiting to different protected and wilderness areas for recreation. This brings greater opportunities to the people of Nepal in developing this country as an eco-tourism destination. I will use my gained expertise in these fields and help to uplift the socio-economic condition of Nepal.

I wish to tell all the readers of telegraph that we Nepalese must rise above petty matters in the larger national interest and work cooperatively and collectively regardless of our political affiliation and biases.(Reproduced)

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