workshop on problems of Hilly region

        One Day Interaction program Report

                                                                                                                            

1.     Background

       An interaction program on unplanned Road Construction and its Impacts on Mountain Environment was organized to share the recent problems of unplanned road construction on mountain environment. The program provided the platform to share the recent problems of road construction and the mitigating measures that should be taken for sustainable development. Different representatives from government, media, civil society, academicians participated in the program.  The program focused

·         To collect the information about the negative impacts on road construction.

·         To collect information on the problems of road construction in hilly areas

·         To find the planned way of road construction,

·         To find the loopholes on road developmental policy

The program was organized jointly by Global Green Mission (GGM), Youth Alliance for Environment (YAE), YONSED and Jana Sewa Nepal. It is supported by SGP/GEF/UNDP. Developing countries like ours, is in need of rapid development in its infrastructure and thus contribute to social well being. Government with its decentralized policy is constantly allocating fund for strengthening developmental networks at local level. To the present context, the fund allocated from the government to VDCs has been expended mostly in construction of road, mostly the feeder ones. 

Definitely road is the basic requirement for the development and priority has been given for the road development. But unplanned road construction has resulted natural disasters like landslide, soil erosion, watershed problem, and biodiversity loss. This type of road construction has raised the new environmental problems in Nepal. We need to change the present unplanned development activities towards the sustainable and planned way without disturbing the fragile mountain environment. We can gather the impacts of road construction during our workshop as there will participants from the different fields. This information may be helpful to minimize the impacts of road construction in hilly areas. Thus, everyone can get sustainable type of road without altering the natural environment.

2.     Opening session

      The program was started by Sushil Karki, the secretary of YAE. The program was chaired by coordinator of Youth Alliance for Environment Sanot Adhikari. Tek Bohara, the representative from Jana Sewa Nepal delivered the welcome remarks and explained the workshop objectives.  He highlighted the importance of such programs in local level and necessity of support from different donor organization to tackle the recent problems. Bijaya Poudel, Department of Forest, Dr.Prem Poudel, Department of SCWM, Charles Pradhan, Consultant of MOE( Ministry of Environment), SDE. Ganga Bahadur Basnet the representative from DoLIDAR and Robin Raj Niraula, Consultant of Nepal Swiss Community Forest Program was present during the opening session.

3.     Existing Situation of Road Construction in Khotang district

This session discussed on the recent scenario of road construction in Khotang district.

  The presentation by Robin Raj Niraula, infromed  participats that the road construction must be done after the Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) to tackle the recent problems of Khotang District. He highlighted that the road construction by using heavy machines have more vibrations that leads to instability of the road. Conventional methods of road construction, using heavy machines, equipment and explosives has an even worse effect on agricultural livelihoods, and to  date, usually without any attention on livelihood support programmes  for the project affected people, and few controls in maintaining the naturally balanced mountain environment. Past efforts of road construction by conventional methods show that we could neither attain a stable road nor control the negative effects on livelihoods due to increased mass wasting and sedimentation. Excessive use of explosives during construction has triggered a high rate of mass wasting and sedimentation, especially in the geologically unstable locations found so often in Nepal.     

The information was collected scientifically by GPS Survey (Global Positioning System), Camera Photography, GIS Analysis (Geographical Information System) and Key Informant Survey. The problems was highlighted as

Biological  Environment	Physical Environment	Social, Economic and Cultural Environment
Change in land use	Spoil Disposal	Population pressure and impact due to new settlement along the road alignment
Loss of forest	Slope instability	Impact due to loss of farmland
Impact on Vegetation and forest resources	Gully Erosion	Impact on local Economy and Society
Impact on biodiversity and natural habitat	Quarry and borrow pits	Impact in Community structure
	Loss of soil

Discussions:

The session discussed on the mitigating measures that should be taken during road construction. The session mainly focused on following measures.

a)     Spoil stabilisation

b)    Slope stabilization

c)     Gully Management

d)    Road side drainage

e)     Quarry site management

f)       Bioengineering:

§         (Trees, shrubs plantation)

§         (Grasslines)

§         (Bamboo)

§         (Fences)

§         (Vegetated rip rap)

§         (Check Dams)

§        Gabion (Retaining walls)

g)      Adaptation to change         

4.     Landslide Disaster in Mid-hill Region of Nepal, Some Consequences and Issues

The session highlighted mainly on the landslide hazards due to road construction. More than three quarters of Nepal lies within the Himalayan fold mountain chain. Dr.Prem Poudel presented that 30% of the world disaster occur in Himalayas. The topography, conventional agricultural practice and road construction leads the high range of disaster in the mid hill region. Phewa Lake is the best example which is being diminished due to road construction in the hills nearby.  The recent data reports that 55 districts out of 75 are affected by landslide. Thus, the session discussed on the recent issues for the problem. Dr poudel noted that lack of hazard mapping, lack of technical tools, seeking development for short term etc are the reasons why we are facing such problems related to landslide hazards. Sector wise approach Project (SWAP) is established for making work easy. The session discussed on the recent issues related to it and following solutions were finalized.

Solutions

Ø      Clear land use policy should be developed

Ø      Detail  progress project record should be prepared

Ø      Heavy machinery equipments should be prohibited and human power should be used

5.     Current road problem situation in Nepal

                 Bijaya Poudel , under secretary, Department of Forest noticed that the problem of haphazard road construction is due to lack of submission of   Report of IEE and EIA. Similarly, lacks of policies to construct Green road and blasting of roads and use of heavy equipments have created much more problems in sustainable road construction. The session discussed on the problems and finalized the following solutions,

v     Watershed  conservation approach during road construction

v     Environmental plan should be made according to EIA

v     Environmental inspector should be provided

v     Road construction should be taken as green business

v     Facility of joint evaluation and code of conduct

Similarly, DOLIDAR/Senior Division engineer/Ganga Bahadur Basnet focused to decrease the haphazard road construction. He insured that the government is establishing the SWAp (Sector wise Approach) Project which will be helpful for the sustainable road construction. Since July 2009, trail bridge program is implemented under Sector Wide Approach (SWAp). The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the DFID, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank are the development partners of the program. He highlighted that the Government has also realized the impacts of such type road construction and is planning to do in the best way.

6.     Interaction on recent problems by Charles Pradhan

          Photo: Interaction by Charles Pradhan

Charles Pradhan, Consultant, MoE made the program interactive. He showed the recent road construction and disaster of road construction in Makalu- Barun, Khadbari. The program discussed on the overal  issues related to road construction and the solution mesastures for its control.

   Photo: current Roads-Infrastructure of  Sankhuwasava and Bojpur Districts

 The  occurrence  of a landslide  event marks  the  start of a period ofactivity  that  may  last  at  least  several  years,  during which time  thelandslide  grows.  The  duration of  instability depends  upon the  rock type  and  structure,  but  sliding eventually diminishes  as  the  landslide approaches  a stable  angle,  or  stable rock  planes  are  exposed. The main challenges to its management  are the absence of co-ordination of related stakeholders, the absence knowledge and lack of scientific EIA and IEE reports etc. The session finalized the following solutions.

v     Prepare District Road Master Plan

v      Reform in policy

v     Sustainable construction of road

v      Appropriate Hazard planning

v      Approach from Institutional level

The program coordinator, Sanot Adhikari, highlighted the necessity of this type of program to be lunched in the local level to reduce the problems of unplanned road construction. The program will be made successful by lunching it on the local level.

7.     Conclusions

Researcher, academicians, government officers, policy maker and subject experts working in road construction sector of environment were present in the workshop. The participants had a overview of recent problems of the unplanned road construction. The program mainly focused on the sustainable road construction. Lack of awareness in the local people is also the great problem. Most of the participants at their closing session highlighted that this type of program must be lunched in the local level for the control of unplanned road construction otherwise the problem will be serious. Participants highlighted on the importance of such program and appreciated the organizers for such type of programs that have serious environmental impacts on the environment for a long run.

8.     Annex- I

                            An interaction program on

Unplanned road construction and its impacts on mountain environment

On the occasion of world disaster management day 2010

  Jointly organized by Youth Alliance for Environment (YAE), YONSED, GGM and Jana Sewa Nepal in support of UNDP/GEF/ SGP.

Proposed Schedule

SN	ACTIVITIES	TIME
1.	Arrival and Registration	11:00-11:15
2.	Chairing session	11:15-11:20
3.	Knowing each other	11:20-11:25
4.	Welcome Speech and Program introduction	11:25-11:30
5	Environmental reporters eyes on  present mid hill road construction pattern Ramesh Pd Bhusal	11:30-11:35
6.	Remarks by Distinguish guest	11:35-12:15
7.	Presentation-1 Topic: Existing situation of road construction and its impact & solution by Rabin Raj Niraula Environmental Consultant, Nepal Swiss Community forest project	12:15-12:30
8	Presentation-2 Topic: Landslide disaster in mid hill region of Nepal, some consequences & issues by Dr. Prem Poudel, Department of Soil Conservation & Watershed management	12:30-12:45
8.	Interaction among the participants facilitation by Charls Pradhan	12:45-1:15
9.	Conclusion of the program by Chals  Pradhan, Consultant Moe	1:15-1:20
10.	Closing remarks by chairperson	1:20-1:25
11.	Refreshment	1:25 onwards

9.      List of participants

S.no.	Name	Organzation/ Adress
1	Bijaya Poudel	Department of Forest
2	Prem Poudel	Department of SCWm
3	Ganga Bahadur Basnet	DOLIDAR
4	Sajan Neupane	ECCA
5	Basanta Pariyar	Arthik Dainik
6	Rojani manadhar	YONSED
7	Kavita karkee	YAE
8	Sushil Kumar Karki	YAE/ RAC
9	Deep Pravat Ayadi	CAS
10	Lapka Tesering Tamang	CDES, Tu
11	Sheetal Rimal	GGM
12	Kavi Raj	Trichandra college
13	Tek B. Bohara	Jana Sewa Nepal
12	Rabin Raj Niraula
15	Dinesh Ghimire	GGM
16	Sagun Parajuli	CDES/ GGm
17	Prasant Chaudhary	CDES
18	Toyannath Newpane
19	Rajan Subedi	GGM
20	Sajan Neupane	ECCA
21	Ratna Raj Timilsina	NTNC
22	Nammy Hangkirat	Xavier International
23	Preed Bhattarai	YSE
24	Muna Thapa	GGIC
25	Sova Kafle	TC
26	Amrita Pokheral	TC
27	Shiva Raj	C.C.G, Nepal
28	Karishma Maharjan	CDES
29	Swasti Shrestha	CDES
30	Ashish Rai	CDES
31	Sanot Adhikari	YAE
33	Upendra Kc	GGM