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

Effect of Climate Change and Carbon sequestration in Chure range of Nepal Todays Hot Issue in climate change

Developing countries like Nepal has the potentiality to earn money from the carbon sequestration if the forest are managed properly but my research visit on the Chure of Terai area ( Dhanusa, Sharlahi ) has shown the massive deforestation in Dhanusa district. The ten days visit for the chure range area clearly denotes that no trees will be remaining after few years if the government became unable to take the serious action. The research basically focuses on the current situation of the forest and to calculate the total carbon sequestrated in the terrestrial environment. Scientists from the NAST (Nepal Academy of Science and Technology) and the students from TU along with me approached for the real research in Chure range. Let’s know about the carbon sequestration and different perspectives on the carbon sequestration.

Simply, it’s very easy to understand about the carbon. We people are exchanging the oxygen and carbon-dioxide during respiration. Thus, Carbon is the foundation of life. All living tissues have carbon atoms in their composition and the cycle of this element is basically the cycle of life in our planet. The carbon cycle involves the soil and all vegetation and animal life on earth. Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and through photosynthesis, capture the carbon molecules for energy and build up of structural components. Part of this carbon returns to the atmosphere soon after being processed through respiration. Other parts stay as standing biomass for some time, returning to the cycle as organisms die and decompose. Some of the standing biomass will eventually be eaten by animals, with half of it exhaled immediately, the other returned as bodily wastes to the soil later in time. Once in the soil, microorganisms metabolized them, gradually returning them to the atmosphere, or leaching out as carbonates through the soil.

Forest ecosystems have essentially three carbon pools: the living biomass, detritus (debris from dead plants and animals) and soils. Soils contain almost twice as much carbon as the aboveground vegetation and the atmosphere carbon combined (Brady 1996). Through the decomposition and the accumulation of organic matter, soils have a major effect on the regulation of the carbon cycle. When soil and aboveground organic matter decline, atmospheric carbon increases, with global consequences, such as the greenhouse effect. Potential mechanisms for reducing net carbon emissions through increased carbon sequestration include the forest ecosystem together with the forest socio-economic system, with both of those systems dynamic's affecting the carbon cycle. Conservation and adaptive management of existing forests, the establishment of new forests (forest ecosystem level) and the substitution of fossil fuel based energy and products by wood biomass (forest socio-economic system) could further increase the fixation of carbon from the atmosphere (Kohlmaier et al 1998). 

Forests store carbon as they accumulate biomass, but forests are also commercial sources of timber and wood fiber. In most carbon accounting budgets, forest harvesting is usually considered to cause a net release of carbon from the terrestrial biosphere to the atmosphere (Houghton et al 1983, Harmon et al 1990). As the debate about controlling or mitigating atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations moves from the study of the scientific issues to a search for practical solutions, a central question becomes whether commercial use of forests could be managed to contribute to terrestrial sequestration of carbon. Can forest management practices be developed so that they meet the multiple goals of providing wood and paper products, economic returns from natural resources, and also sequester carbon from the atmosphere? In managed forests, the amount of additional carbon sequestered will be determined by three factors: the increase of standing carbon biomass due to land use changes and increased productivity, the amount of carbon remaining below ground at end of rotation, and the amount of carbon sequestered in products and energy, including their disposal (Johnsen et. al. 2001). 

As stated previously, forests represent a huge storage of carbon since they hold about 80 % of the carbon fixed in the living biota, and much interest and effort has been put into their study, because of the possibility of being directly altered by human activity (Apps & Price 1996). The role of forests, as sink and sources of carbon in the carbon cycle, is not static at any spatial or temporal scale. Temporal changes in the forest ecosystem carbon pools are mainly driven by the dynamics of the carbon pools. Keeping track of the ecosystem processes, including population dynamics, is a crucial part of the carbon assessment. This assessment should be done at the stand level, which is believed to be the appropriate scale for such analysis (Apps & Price 1996; Harmon 2001). Forest ecosystems are complex, dynamic and diverse. Forest stands can be complex, dynamic and diverse. They all have however, three carbon pools: the living biomass, detritus and soil pools. All of these components have a role in the carbon cycle dynamics. The soil, a natural body of organic and inorganic materials and living forms, provide the substrate for plant growth. Detritus, the debris from dead plants and animals, is a source of storage as well as a source of food. The live biomass, which includes above and below ground pools, composed of coarse and fine roots, under story and canopy, captures carbon dioxide while releasing oxygen, and also respires, releasing part of the carbon dioxide previously absorbed. A more detailed literature review will be given first for soil, followed by above and below live biomass. Lastly, the detritus component will be explored, including plant debris (litter fall) and harvest residuals (slash).

Conversion of natural to agricultural ecosystems has lead to drastic perturbations in the processes governing the soil organic carbon dynamics. Deforestation, biomass burning, plowing, residue removal, fertilization and single crop cycles have been depleting the earth's soils in most agro-ecosystems by 50 to 70% (Lal 1995). The effects of forest management on carbon soil storage are not as clear nor as well understood as in agricultural systems. Estimated carbon storage in below-ground components is known and has been measured (Brady 1996), but it is mostly how harvesting and management affects the soil carbon where knowledge is lacking. 

World perspective in accounting for the sequestered carbon

The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1998) prescribes that net flows into or out of the biosphere will be represented by the changes in carbon stocks. This notion simplifies the measurements and accounting processes. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2000) is consistent with this prescription, defining carbon sequestration as an increase in carbon stocks anywhere but in the atmosphere. The important issue is "additionality" (Chomitz 2000). Additionality addresses the idea that carbon sequestration or reduced emissions can result from a management change. Management alternatives can be compared against a base line, to measure the change from "business as usual". Afforestation of grazing land for example, is a one time huge addition of carbon pools and if reforested after disturbance, the carbon pools can be maintained through a long period of time. 
How do we measure carbon and how can we estimate the variations in the different terrestrial pools? Biomass is one of the key characteristics of forest ecosystems because it contributes in the definition of carbon flux and nutrients, as well as the potential standing and dead organic matter in a particular site. Biomass studies are essential for understanding ecosystem dynamics. Biomass studies are static however, describing and estimating living and dead material in a particular stand at a particular time (Santantonio et al 1977). Combining biomass studies with growth models seems to be the most straightforward manner for estimating component masses at different points in time at the stand scale. The carbon storage pattern simulated by the model is static, meaning productivity of site is assumed constant as embedded in the original inventory in question, without possible changes associated to different temporal scales, like the global warming issue. The Kyoto Protocol specifies integration of greenhouse emissions with corresponding offsets credits if carbon is removed from the atmosphere on a 5-year commitment period. Integration over spatial scale might be used as well to decrease the costs in accounting, monitoring and verification.

Nepal’s perspective in carbon sequestration

Nepal contributes the least to climate change, yet is likely to experience the most severe impacts. The latest report on world’s most vulnerable region to climate change is truly abysmal. Nepal is the 4th most vulnerable country to climate change, according to British-based global risks advisory firm, Maplecroft. Nepal has lost 1.23 per cent of forest per year between 1990 and 2010 leaving only 25.4 percent of its forest cover. Model-based approach and satellite imagery tools used to study change in soil carbon stocks in different regions of Nepal show huge loss of SOC in terrestrial ecosystems primarily due to deforestation and land use changes. However, there are windows of opportunities to sequester carbon by managing forests and restoring degraded lands. There is limited research on soil carbon sequestration in Nepal. Past and present researches are concentrated on forest carbon stocks. The focus needs to be stretched out into other systems like grasslands or croplands. Carbon sequestration presents opportunities to receive credit under Kyoto Protocol. Similarly, Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) offers multiple benefit including carbon payments for carbon stocks (Source: Himalayan times, 2011)

The Kyoto Protocol recognized the importance of forest in mitigating the greenhouse gas emission (i.e. carbon dioxide, methane and other compounds) and has included forest and soil C sequestration in the list of acceptable offsets (UNFCCC, 1997). Thus, reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation has emerged as an incentive mechanism for developing countries. However, updated national forest inventory data and technical capacity is poor and accounting of changes in forest cover biomass stock, carbon emission and carbon removal are limited in the developing countries like Nepal (Dangi and Acharya, 2009). Therefore, this study has endeavored to assess the carbon of the Chure range.

As per the provisions of Forest Act (1993), traditional forest users form a group to manage their adjoining forest.  To date, 14,500 community forest user groups (CFUGs) are managing more than 30% of national forests. They have access, use, extraction and management rights (Agrawal and Ostrom, 2001) over the forest. Alienation rights are still retained by the state, but more than 7,000 forestry staff and many NGOs support the preparation of forest operational plans and constitutions which are implemented by the local forest users. Forest  user  groups  have  also  formed  the Federation  of  Community  Forest  Users,  Nepal  (FECOFUN)  to  safeguard  their  rights  in  forest governance. The district forest officer hands over the tenure rights of forest management to forest user groups. The user groups then sustainably harvest forest products – fuel wood, poles, timber, grass and tree fodder, herbs etc. for their own use as per the operational plan. The plan specifies the amount of the annual  forest  harvest, which  is  usually  distributed  among  the  users  by  charging  a  nominal  fee. Surplus forest products are sold at competitive market rates.  The income  from  the  sale  of  forest products and from annual membership  fees  raised by the users  is deposited  in  a  fund managed by the  users  themselves.  A  preliminary  study  conducted  by  the  Community  Forest  Division  in  2004 showed that forest user groups of Nepal earn more than US$ 10 million annually (Kanel and Niraula, 2004;  Kanel,  2008). The income is used for community development, forest conservation and management, and livelihood promotion.  Nepal is preparing to collect the money from the developed countries but the scenario of the chure range of the country is totally different. Chisapani area in Dhanusa district has been affected due to massive deforestation. This area lies between the Kamala Mai river and Selar river.  Majority of the people of that area has been migrated from Sindhuli District. The major activity of the people is to cut trees. Length area about 50 to 100 meters area from the river bank has been encroached by the local people. With the 10 km by foot we reached in the Gaichi of Dhanusa district, there we saw massive deforestation. Many bull carts are carrying the timber; numbers of trees were fallen down, many trees area fired etc. Millions of naturally valuable property has been changed in ash and the fertile area is being converting into the desert. It’s difficult to imagine the situation of deforestation; the area may change into desert with in the year. Those locals threatened us saying that we may chase them. They encircled for more than an hour. They are repeatedly saying that the deforestation has increased and we are facing the problem. We realized the situation that without the support of them, deforestation would not be possible. They are pretending upon the situation. The preliminary research report shows that carbon sequestration amount is in decreasing trend. Thus, only 15 to 20 trees are found in the 25*25 m² plot area. This shows that the number of trees has been decreased. Different are being faced by the people in Chure range are scarcity of drinking water, shortage of fodder, increase in temperature, landslide, flooding etc.  The field visit and the informal questionnaires have proved the real scenario. In current situation, the forest of Chure range cannot get the money from Clean Development Mechanism but Nepal has to invest large amount of money to mange the environment of the Chure range with in few years or government has to bear the migrating population from Chure to different areas of Nepal. The area is very fragile in geographical condition. The haphazard extraction of the sand, stones from the river area has shown the real tragedy situation of the people and the environment. Nepal’s President has given interest to mange the problems of Chure but the government initiation is very slow and poor. Much news is being published in different daily news papers related to deforestation but Concerned Authorities hasn’t taken any initiation to control it. Government is beyond the real situation in Carbon sequestration of Chure range and it is only day dreaming to collect money. The concerned authorities are paving the ways on the same situation without the relevant data.

In conclusion, Government of Nepal is beyond the real situation of deforestation of Dhanusa district in Chure rage. The people’s short term desire to be rich, shifting of landless people, poor economic condition of the people, the politicians etc are responsible for the forestation degradation. The situation of the Sarlahi was comparatively satisfactory than Dhanusa district but proper management is to be done. If this type of forest management program is lunched then we can earn money if the forest are managed otherwise we need to invest money for the management of the forest in the real scenario.    

^{rsrajansubedi@gmail.com}

^{Environmental Science}