POOR SIDELINED IN COMMUNITY FOREST- BHUTAN

Disharmony has arisen among the people of the Kalapang village in Saling, Mongar district in eastern Bhutan for the use of community forest. Poor and disadvantaged people cannot collect forest resources as they cannot pay membership fee in community forest to harvest forest products.

August 7                                      

http://www.kuenselonline.com/community-forest-sows-discord-say-local-leaders/#.U-O0n1WSyQ8

HUMAN LEOPARD CONFLICT- INDIA

The human-leopard conflict in Uttarakhand, northern India is on rise especially in the mountainous regions of the state as it has killed two people in a month. The locals are demanding that the big cat should be declared a man eater by the Forest Department and should be killed.

August 7                                             

http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/dehradun/human-leopard-conflict-continues-in-uttarakhand.html

SEIZED RED SANDALWOOD ROTS- NEPAL

About 20,000 kilogram of seized red sandalwood (Pterocarpus santalinus) in the District Forest Office Birtamod, Jhapa, eastern Nepal has started rotting. The problem arises due to lack of clear policy on its sale as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) bans the auction of seized red sandalwood. According to CITES, seized red sandalwood should be destroyed or returned to the country from where it is smuggled.

August 8

http://www.ekantipur.com/2014/08/08/national/seized-red-sandalwood-rots/393296.html

FOREST ENCROACHED IN KAILALI- NEPAL

Nearly 22,000 ha of forest land have been encroached in Kailali district, far-western Nepal. The district has the highest proportion of forest land with 62 per cent among 75 districts in the country. The forest area was encroached in different parts of the district in the name of free-Kamaiya, squatters, flood-affected, schools and temples.

August 7

http://trn.gorkhapatraonline.com/index.php/nation/11805-22,000-hectares-forest-area-encroached-in-kailali.html

WATER QUALITY TEST OF RIVERS- NEPAL

According to the water quality test conducted in three major rivers of Nepal Koshi, Narayani and Karnali  by Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, Nepal in 2013-14, the river water were found to be unsafe due to the presence of total coliform and E-coli. The count of E-coli in Rupa and Begnas Lake were zero but total coliform counted 30 and 250 MPN per 100ml respectively. Although the physical parameters like color, turbidity, conductivity, total dissolved solids and chemical parameters like chloride, ammonia, nitrate, iron etc. were found to be within the permissible limit of national drinking water quality standards, 2062 in the tested area. 

August 5

http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullTodays.php?headline=Water+samples+from+rivers%26sbquo%3B+lakes+across+Ne pal+tested&NewsID=423304

LACK OF RAW MATERIALS- NEPAL

Jute industries in Sunsari and Morang districts, eastern Nepal are dependent on raw materials from India and Bangladesh as there is reduced jute cultivation due to lack of government support, irrigation facility, low market price and increased migration of youths for foreign employment. Nine jute industries in the region require more than 70,000 tones of jute in a year. However domestic production is only 17,400 tons.

August 5

http://www.ekantipur.com/2014/08/05/business/jute-factories-dependent-on-imported-raw-materials/393169.html