Environment issues in nepal

Environmental issues in Nepal are numerous environmental problems.

Sedimentation and discharge of industrial effluents are prominent sources of water pollution, and the burning of wood for fuel is a significant source of indoor air pollution and respiratory problems. Vehicular and industrial emissions increasingly have contributed to air pollution in urban areas.

Deforestation and land degradation appear to affect a far greater proportion of the population and have the worst consequences for economic growth and individuals’ livelihoods. Forest loss has contributed to floods, soil erosion, and stagnant agricultural output. Estimates suggest that from 1966 to 2000 forest cover declined from 45 to 29 percent of the total land area. Often cited causes of deforestation include population growth, high fuelwood consumption, infrastructure projects, and conversion of forests into grazing- and cropland. According to government estimates, 1.5 million tons of soil nutrients are lost annually, and by 2002 approximately 5 percent of agricultural holdings had been rendered uncultivable as a result of soil erosion and flooding.

Land degradation is attributed to population growth, improper use of agro-chemicals, and overly intensive use of landholdings that are too small to provide most households with sufficient food. Since the late 1980s, government policies have attempted to address these numerous and related problems, but policies often are hampered by lack of funding, insufficient understanding of Nepal’s mountain ecosystems, bureaucratic inefficiency, and sometimes contentious relations between the central government and local communities.
Nepal has been a pivotal country for WWF ever since the organization first provided support to conserve the Greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) and the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) in the late 1960s.
Today, the endangered rhino is no longer on the brink of extinction, and is in fact, the second largest population in the world. The Rhino Census of 2008 recorded 435 throughout Nepal. Nepal also has an estimated 121 adult Bengal tigers distributed in the lowland protected areas.

WWF's Priorities: people & communities
The priority of WWF's support for Nepal's conservation effort has changed with the shift in Government of Nepal's policy for biodiversity conservation.

In the early years the focus was on species conservation and research with strict law enforcement practices. There has been gradual change with the adoption of a more conciliatory approach and social mobilization for the participatory involvement of local people for conservation.

Over the years, support has been centered on integrating conservation and community development with an attempt to address the issues of livelihoods of local people living near protected areas. The aim is to win the support and stewardship of locals living in the fringe areas in wildlife conservation. Our focus has evolved to a landscape approach in conservation by building partnerships with donors, stakeholders, interest groups, and local people
Economic changes and population increases are threatening the ecology of the Himalayas. In recent year’s deforestation in the foothills and the Middle Himalayas and overgrazing on the high pastures have led to soil erosion and other environmental problems. Deforestation is a particular concern in the western Himalayas, where increased demand for firewood, extensive tree trimming in order to feed livestock, and construction of roads in the border regions have increased the destruction rate of forests and the number of landslides. Rapid population growth has accelerated pollution, and Himalayan streams that were once clear are now polluted with refuse and sewage. Hill people who use the water for drinking suffer from dysentery; cholera and typhoid epidemics are also common. Large lakes like Tilicho Lake, Dudh Koshi etc. which emerges from Himalayas have also become polluted. Regional variations in environmental degradation exist in the Himalayas. Conditions range from a critical situation in the Himalayas of Nepal to a moderately serious situation in Bhutan and the eastern Himalayas. If rapid development continues in Nepal and the eastern Himalayas without due regard for conservation, the problems there may assume critical proportions in the near future. The governments of Nepal are aware of the dangers of environmental degradation in the Himalayas, and environmental management concerns are being integrated in development projects in this region.