World Environment Day being observed with several programmes

Kathmandu, June 5: Today is June 5 or World Environment Day. The day is being celebrated in different countries of the world with the slogan ‘Alleviating plastic pollution: our responsibility’.

It is also being marked in different parts of the country by organizing different programmes.

The United Nations (UN) has called for the celebration of World Environment Day on June 5 every year since 1973.

Today, this day is being celebrated in South Korea with a special programme, as stated by the United Nations.

According to the United Nations, 400 million tons of plastic waste are produced in Earth every year, with only 10 percent of the waste being recycled, and 11 million tons of plastic being discharged into rivers, lakes, and oceans.

Today is also the International Day for the Fight Against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. This day has been observed since 2017, at the invitation of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

To address the issue of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activities, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) declared 5 June as the International Day for the Fight Against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing.

The FAO emphasizes that the trend of illegal fishing must be ended to achieve sustainable development goals. Every year, 11 million to 26 million tons of fish are caught illegally, resulting in loss of billions of dollars, the FAO reported.

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President calls for adopting nature-friendly lifestyle

Kathmandu, June 5: President Ramchandra Paudel has emphasized on adopting nature-friendly lifestyle.

President Paudel said this in his message of best wishes to all Nepali sisters and brothers at home and abroad on the occasion of the World Environment Day (June 5) on Thursday.

“The haphazard and unscientific use of plastic polymers has created plastic waste, which is becoming a challenging environmental issue. In accordance with the concept that development and the environment are complementary to each other, I sincerely urge everyone to adopt a nature-oriented lifestyle and promote activities for environmental improvement”, the Head of the State noted.

On the World Environment Day being marked with the slogan ‘Reducing Plastic Pollution: Our Responsibility’, now is the time to pledge for the improvement of environment around our homes, making ecological relationships between forests, water, vegetation, agriculture, and wildlife live and meaningful and uphold every citizen’s right to live in a clean and healthy environment, the message reads.

The President has emphasized the need for all of us to focus on how to maintain interdependent relationships between the environment and nature sustainable, urging all Nepali sisters and brothers to unite and engage in activities to improve the environment while reducing pollution caused by plastic use.

He also expressed gratitude to all associated actors, including government and non-government organizations, development partners, and others involved in the profound responsibility of environmental conservation and enhancement,

President Paudel wished that the day may provide additional solidarity and enthusiasm for the implementation of the matters that Nepal has raised in various national and international forums and the commitments made to mitigate the environmental impacts arising from air, water, and land pollution.

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KUSOED launches Environment and Social Learning Centre for enhancing national capacity

Kathmandu, June 5: The Kathmandu University School of Education (KUSOED) has launched the Environment and Social Learning Centre (ESLC) on its premises in Hattiban, Lalitpur. The ESLC plaque was also unveiled on the same occasion.

The launching event held on Wednesday coinciding the advent of the World Environment Day (June 5) brought together educationists, environmental activists, representatives of development partners, civil society and private sector, students, and policy-makers.

The ESLC is a national initiative supported by the World Bank to strengthen Nepal’s capacity in Environmental and Social (E&S) risk management, KUSOED Dean Prof Dr Bal Chandra Luitel shared.

“The ESLC – a collaborative initiative of the KU and the World Bank focuses on building professional competencies in areas such as environmental protection, social safeguards, climate adaptation, and stakeholder engagement”, he noted, adding, “Strengthening institutional capacity and human resources by bridging policy implementation gaps and developing qualified professionals in environment and social risk management”. 

Delivering inclusive, gender-responsive academic and professional training aligned with national and international environment and social frameworks is the thrust of the initiative, it was stated during the launch event.

Presenting the big picture of environment and social capacity building, WB’s Senior Social Development Specialist Gloria Malia Mahama said the ESLC would work to address social and environmental challenges of Nepal through strengthening country systems, including legal, regulatory and institutional frameworks along with skills and capacity development. “The key strategy would be to bring together multiple stakeholders, including civil society, academia and market to pursue the objective”.

On the occasion, Chair of ESLC Working Group, KUSOED, Dr Suresh Gautam highlighted that it is designed to address the limited capacity through awareness, training programmes, and environment and social curriculum. “ESLC curriculum will incorporate concepts and examples from national and international good practices standards on environmental and social risk management, safeguard tools, case studies, clinics, field visits, course exercises and presentations, and assessment”, he shared.

Gautam, also the Head of the Development Education Department at KUSOD, mentioned that the ESLC would emphatically deliver high-quality E&S training, enhance capacity and performance of project stakeholders (Project Implementation Units, E&S professionals), align programmes with international E&S standards and build a skilled pool of E&S experts nationwide.

Delivering her remarks on the occasion, Associate Professor of KUSOED, Dr Lina Gurung shared that the ESLC would contribute to establish the narrative that protecting environment is development.

In regard to the sustainability standards, the initiative as shared will provide guidance to identify environmental and social (E&S) risks and impacts with measures designed to avoid, minimize, reduce and mitigate the adverse environmental and social risks and impacts.

Among the standards considered are assessing and managing environmental and social risks and impacts from project/business, integrating in development financing, banking and financial institutions, private equity and venture capital, sustainable investing, proactively engaging stakeholders and devising framework to identify and realize value creation opportunities.

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Bridge construction begins over Modi rivulet along Mid Hill Highway

Parbat, June 5: An ‘arch bridge’ is to be built over the Modi rivulet in Parbat district under the Pushpalal Mid-Hill Highway project.

The construction comes two years after the completion of the blacktopping of the highway in the section.

The bridge is being constructed to connect Modi Municipality-2, Patichaur and Dimuwa, project office informed.

According to engineer Kalpana Mishra, the bridge department under the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development has approved the construction of the arch bridge.

Mishra also informed that the removal of electrical equipment from the bridge construction site is underway.

A contract has already been signed for the construction of the bridge with the length of 58 meters and breadth 11 meters at a cost of Rs 75 million.

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