YOUTH AND BIODIVERSITY

WILDFIRE RAGES IN COMMUNITY FOREST- NEPAL

Wildfire is becoming an intense issue in Mahabhir Hariyali Community Forest in Baruneshwor of Okhaldhunga, eastern Nepal as all the efforts to control it have failed. According to the concerned authority, almost 250 ha forest area is likely to be destroyed. Attempts to control the wildfire have been hampered by the difficult topography and lack of easy availability of water in the vicinity.

January 21

http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Wildfire+rages+in+community+forest+&NewsID=441925

WILDLIFE IN DANGER- NEPAL

The protected blackbucks (Antilope cervicapra), at Krishnasar Conservation Area (KCA) in Bardiya, mid-western Nepal are in danger due to poaching and more seriously by leopards. Within the past one month, six blackbucks were killed by leopards while about 40 blackbucks were killed by flood in August, last year. Similarly, tigers in Kanchanpur districts are also in danger as they are being poached for their bones and hides. One Indian poacher was caught by the district police recently and seized tiger hide eight feet long and 2.3 inch wide, 19 kg bones and two pistols.

January 21

http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2015/01/20/nation/leopards-kill-six-blackbucks-in-one-month/272262.html

AGRICULTURE APPS HELPS FARMERS- NEPAL

Advances in information and technology have eased the farmers of Banepa district, central Nepal to obtain information related to farming technologies, livestock, pest, weather, market price and even prospective buyers. According to the farmers, use of such applications has saved their time and money. Project for Agriculture Commercialization and Trade (PACT) and Agriculture Management Information System (AMIS), under the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD) are working to increase the access of farmers to such mobile applications in Nepal.

January 20

http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=90697#sthash.q3tyRfC7.dpuf

BIRD POPULATION DECREASING- NEPAL

A week long bird counting in the wetland in Chitwan district, central Nepal has shown decrease in the bird population due to water pollution. According to the ornithologists, five species of bird have vanished in a year and human activities are responsible for this situation. Altogether 44 species of bird have been found in the wetland in Chitwan district in the current bird census.

January 20

http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Bird%27s+population+goes+down+due+to+polluted+water+&NewsID=441682

HYENA SPOTTED IN WESTERN NEPAL- NEPAL

An endangered hyena has been captured at Kalapani Community Forest located at Sisahaniya VDC, Dang of mid western Nepal. The study is an initiative of Tarai Arc landscape Programme which was conducted in about half dozen forests located in Sisahaniya and Lalmatiya VDC for the study of possible wildlife habitats. The study shows that about one- third of rare animals of the area had disappeared due to illegal poaching and smuggling of animals a decade ago.

January 19

http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Endangered+hyena+found+in+Dang+forest+&NewsID=441528

HIGH LEAD LEVEL- NEPAL

Kathmandu valley in central Nepal is found to be exposed to the hazardous lead far beyond the permissible levels putting at risk the health of local people. Three consecutive studies of lead in paint carried out by a non-governmental research organization, from 2010 to 2013 found that over 70 per cent of paints contain high levels of lead. Similarly, as per the study conducted by Center for Public Health and Environmental Development (CePHED), the maximum level of lead exposure in schools of the area was 108 µg /ft²in 2014.