what can we do?

Today we the public of Nepal mainly kKathmandu valley are facing lots of problems related to environment.Lack of drinking water ,loadsheding,pollution,etc. This has created huge problems in our day to day life .Water comes after four days,loadshedding of 16 hrs daily,lack of other daily requirements and the next major problems is the heat of global economic crisis that has taken the job of thousands of people in Nepal too.

#In order to solve such problems ,please give your valuable comments that can direct or solve those problems.

Good garden sanitation prevents plant disease
Proper preparation and sanitation can ensure a disease-free, productive garden, according to Steve Vann, assistant professor-Extension urban plant pathologist for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
"Some of the more common diseases that we see each and every year are powdery mildew, black spot, and several anthracnose diseases on our woody ornamentals," Vann said. "Most disease organisms overwinter on dead plant debris around the garden and infect plants as the growing seasons begin.
"So many of these organisms are actually lying in wait for the right environmental conditions," he said. When spring rain comes and temperatures warm up into the 60s or 70s, "many of these organisms come out of hibernation."
Composting the fallen leaves and plant debris or sending it off to the garbage collector will reduce the chances of disease. If composted properly, the heat from the compost will kill the disease organisms. The sanitation should be done before spring to reduce the chances of the disease spreading to living plants. Dead plant material on woody shrubs and trees is also a potential source of disease. Annually pruning dead plant material and removing it from the area will eliminate sources for many disease organisms.
Another option is to choose disease resistant varieties of plants for the garden. Varieties such as "Brandywine" tomatoes and "Carolina" cucumbers are adapted to be resistant to many of the common garden diseases.
Crop rotation is also a good way to prevent plant disease. If different crops are planted in different areas annually, it is more likely that disease will be unable to find a host and die.
"Prevention and sanitation of disease before it becomes a problem is easier than eradicating it," Vann said.
For more information, contact your local County Extension or Conservation District Office. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

global warming

How are trends in emissions related to changes in GDP?
February 20th, 2009 at 5:58 pm EST
The relationship between economic growth and rising carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is the chicken or the egg question of the climate change debate. A growth in industry, and hence emissions, will no doubt stimulate a country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Conversely, a higher GDP will often lead to a greater disposable income and higher standards of living which could manifest in more cars, more residential energy use and more consumption all of which will impact on a country's total emissions.
Can Counting Food Miles do More Harm Than Good?
February 6th, 2009 at 4:51 pm EST
For those of us trying to make more sustainable choices within our daily lives, the decision to buy local produce appears to be an obvious next step. The transportation sector contributes nearly one quarter of greenhouse gas emissions in developed countries. It seems logical then that cutting down on the distance between consumers and producers should also have a direct impact on emissions. For this reason the last few years have seen a push for food miles labeling particularly in Europe. However, many critics of food miles feel that this system is at best tokenistic and in some cases does more harm than good. The food miles debate highlights a clash between differing sustainable development agendas. From an environmental perspective, encouraging consumers to alter their purchasing patterns and limiting transportation emissions can only be a good thing. However, from an economic development point of view, food miles labeling can damage important industries in poor countries.
Ocean layers launched on google earth
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:17 pm EST
Around 80% of all life on Earth can be found in the oceans, which cover more than 70% of the planet's surface. Despite this wealth of life, less than 10% of our vast oceans have been explored by humans. This week, Google has released a new version of their popular Google Earth program which will give users the ability to discover the depths of our oceans.
How Can the Study of Demographics Help to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals?
November 5th, 2008 at 5:23 pm EST
Sustainable development supports the concept of lifting populations out of poverty without endangering resources and the environment for future generations. A wide range of past projects have attempted to achieve these objectives, but the United Nations Millennium Declaration in 2000 established for the first time an extensive partnership among nations to reduce global poverty through a specified framework of time-bound objectives. These goals and objectives, which are to be met by 2015, were agreed upon by 189 nations and have come to be known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (Table 1).This year marks the halfway point in efforts to achieve the MDGs, and progress has been promising in some areas such as primary education and vaccination rates. However, demographic trends are interfering with efforts to achieve other goals. For example, increasing population exacerbates extreme poverty even as work is being done to mitigate it. Organizations such as the Center for Global Development (CGD) have recognized this impediment. Last month, CGD launched an initiative that calls for more adequate consideration of demographics in the formation of development policy.

Hair
The hair follicles [which the hair grows from] produce oil which keeps the hair smooth. You also have sweat glands in your scalp, and dead skin cells come off the scalp. The oil, sweat and dead cells all add together and can make the hair greasy and look dirty unless you wash it regularly.
To keep your hair clean:

wash regularly with shampoo (cheap ones are often as good as very expensive ones).

massage your scalp well. This will remove dead skin cells, excess oil and dirt.

rinse well with clear water.

conditioner is helpful if you have longer hair as it makes the hair smoother and easier to comb, but hair doesn't need to have conditioner.

use a wide toothed comb for wet hair as it is easier to pull through.

sustainable development

Healthy life is an outcome of sustainable development, as well as a powerful and undervalued means of achieving it. We need to see health both as a precious asset in itself, and as a means of stimulating economic growth and reducing poverty. -Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland Director-General Emeritus, WHO.
Principle One of the Rio Declaration states that "Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development. They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature". The World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, South Africa, August 26 - September 4, 2002) was an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen the role of health in sustainable development.
Health is both a resource for, as well as an outcome of, sustainable development. The goals of sustainable development cannot be achieved when there is a high prevalence of debilitating illness and poverty, and the health of a population cannot be maintained without a responsive health system and a healthy environment. Environmental degradation, mismanagement of natural resources, and unhealthy consumption patterns and lifestyles impact health. Ill-health, in turn, hampers poverty alleviation and economic development.
Development policies and practices need to take into account current and future impacts on health and the environment. Strengthened partnerships and alliances are needed both inside and outside the health sector to address the emerging challenges. The World Health Organization, through its involvement in the WSSD process and follow up, is working to meet these needs, with the ultimate goal of making health more central to sustainable development.

Sustainable Development for Nepal

The over-arching goal of sustainable development in Nepal is to expedite a process that reduces poverty and provides to its citizens and successive generations not just the basic means of livelihood, but also the broadest of opportunities in the social, economic, political, cultural, and ecological aspects of their lives. This begins with the pursuit of increased per capita income afforded by a stable population size that generates a viable and environmentally sound domestic resource base to create and nurture institutions of the state, markets, and civil society, whose services can be accessed equitably by all Nepalis. Basic development processes are to be overseen by accountable units of government with representation of women and men of all ethnicity and socio-economic status, whose management of resources, including the environment, is to be governed by an imperative that the ability of future Nepali generations to sustain or improve upon their quality of life and livelihoods is kept intact. A corollary inherent in viewing sustainable development in Nepal in these broad terms is a national resolve to pursue happy, healthy, and secure lives as citizens who lead a life of honor and dignity in a tolerant, just and democratic nation.

2008-12-21
Statement of Minister in Rome, 3092008
Minister for Environment, Science and Technology Ganesh Shah represented Nepal at Ministerial Meeting of the Fourth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade. This conference was held in Rome 30 to 31 October 2008. The Convention was adopted on 10 September 1998 by a Conference of Plenipotentiaries in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The Convention entered into force on 24 February 2004. Nepal became a party to the Convention on 2007. Some 50 Environment Ministers from around the world were attending the Meeting. Beyond the ministers, high level delegates of the different countries attended the Conference. The objectives of the Convention are: 1. to promote shared responsibility and cooperative efforts among Parties in the international trade of certain hazardous chemicals in order to protect human health and the environment from potential harm; 2. to contribute to the environmentally sound use of those hazardous chemicals, by facilitating information exchange about their characteristics, by providing for a national decision-making process on their import and export and by disseminating these decisions to Parties.

Glitter Graphics

automobiles

WATER RESOURCE

New York-based lawyer, Jenik Radon, teaches international business and investments at Columbia University. He is a regular visitor to Nepal and was in Kathmandu recently to consult with the constitution-drafting committees. He spoke to Nepali Times about managing Nepal's natural resources.
Nepali Times: Despite being blessed with water resources, Nepal has not been able to exploit this to raise living standards. As someone who's worked in Nepal, and taught international investments and business, why do you think that is the case?

Jenik Radon: Water resources are not a fungible global asset. It is not like oil that can be sold throughout the world. It is like gas which is more of a local product to be sold domestically in a nation and to neighboring nations through an integrated pipeline system. For example, Quebec sells electricity to the state of New York. But that sale was the result of a well thought-out water resource development program in Quebec.
Nepal needs to develop an overall strategic plan for national water resource development. Then it needs a business team that will market and sell it to prospective purchasers. In short, Nepal has to see itself as being in business, and has to treat the subject as such. This means that it needs to create a national water resource development company that functions as any private company does, subject to regulations.
So the main reason Nepal has not succeeded in commercialising the usage of its water resources is that there is no strategic business plan and no national business office to implement it. Nepal needs to think and act commercially with respect to water resources and not view water resource development simply as a political issue.
One mental block in Nepal is the fear of being cheated in a future deal. How can we tackle this?There should be no mental block. Commercial negotiation is a skill. For example, Georgia, a country smaller than Nepal, engaged my services to negotiate a multi-billion dollar oil and gas pipeline transaction. The way to remove this block is to realise that professional assistance is globally available. With such support, you build a team, and since water is a national asset, the team keeps its work transparent. Nepal needs to realise that it does not have to engage in such complex transactions alone, but can acquire the necessary professional assistance globally.
What are some of the issues that a nation must be careful about when negotiating international deals on the usage of natural resources?Agreements for the development of natural resources are very complex. This is evidenced by the fact that there will be many agreements and that they will be long.One issue is price. Is the price that is agreed upon now increased or adjusted over time? It should be flexible to provide for negotiated and predetermined price adjustments. Nepal will need to develop a risk mentality-it captures increases in the downstream prices but may have to accept decreases if the market collapses. So the first major issue is to realise that water resource is part of a supply chain and the value of the water resources needs to be considered accordingly. As water resources contracts and development are long-term, it can never be forgotten that such contracts must be flexible to adjust to the invariable changes that will occur over the lifetime of thecontracts. People who live in the area of natural resource development must be treated fairly and must also be compensated. Further, if the developer of natural resources does not abide by its commitments there must be an effective legal way to enforce obligations.
The penalty provisions of a contract must be strong. For example, if a company violates environmental regulations, certainly repeatedly, it should its license. Accordingly, the issues range from price to enforcement. They are many and they must all be negotiated.
What lessons from Estonia and Georgia are relevant for Nepal today?There are many lessons. Commercial undertakings must be pursued professionally with a team that combines many different skills, including international lawyers and local expertise. In addition, they must be based on strategic policy and plans. Third, there must be a realisation that if international companies wish to enter into agreements, that's because you have an asset. This means you need to be fully aware of the assets you have and their value. And such knowledge should give the confidence to go forward. In sum, you need a strategy, which is a vision and outlook based on facts, policy, tactical implementation and openness so that you have the support of your nation. Estonia and Georgia did that. Nepal has a valuable resource and it must mobilise local and international skills to commercialise it.

climate change in himalayan

Climate Change inHimalayan meltdown-' Mountaineers worry about glacier retreat in the Himalaya '
BILLI BIERLING
MAGIC HIGHWAY: These ice towers on the Rongbuk Galcier on the north side of Chomolungma were twice as big 20 years ago. The Khumbu Icefall on the southside of the mountain (below) has also become easier to traverse because the seracs are smaller.
Global climate change is affecting the Himalaya much faster than previously thought, and mountaineers have been the first to notice the changes: more frequent avalanches, more crevasses and exposed rock faces where there used to be snowfields.
Cho Oyu and Chomolungma used to be considered the easiest of the eight-thousanders to climb, but have become more difficult in the past 25 years.
"There are certainly more crevasses than there used to be on Cho Oyu and climbers have to take a new steeper route than before," says Phil Crampton, who has been leading expeditions to Cho Oyo and Chomolungma for the past seven years.
Mike Roberts, a mountain guide from New Zealand, has also seen changes on the mountain: "I think the upper section of Cho Oyo is getting steeper and more difficult, and expeditions will have to start putting ropes there."
At 8,201m, Cho Oyu is the sixth highest mountain in the world, and this year hasn't been kind to mountaineers. Normally the success rate on the mountain is relatively higher than other mountains, but this year most expeditions had to turn back due to bad weather.
Mountaineers have also noticed a change in weather patterns, with more frequent late monsoon storms. Russell Brice, a guide from New Zealand, says: "Even though the last two monsoon seasons were very heavy, there was hardly any deposit of snow on Cho Oyu."
Sections that were snow and ice when George Mallory and Andrew Irvine climbed the north face of Mt Everest in 1923 are now mostly bare rock. In fact, this was probably one reason Mallory body was found in 1999 because the ice had melted, exposing the body. (KOICHIRO OHMORI
New Zealander Russell Brice first went to the Tibetan side of Chomolungma 20 years ago, and he thinks that the mountain has become drier. "In 1988 I was climbing on green ice to gain access to the northeast ridge, today it is shingle scree," he says. The route to the North Col at 7,000 m has also become more difficult as two or three crevasses now block the way.
On the area leading up to the bottom of the col there are now small lakes and ice slush rivers forming during the spring season, says Brice. The ice walls of the 'Magic Highway' leading to Advanced Base Camp are now half the size of what they used to be 20 years ago. On the Nepal side, Chomolungma has also changed dramatically since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first climbed it in 1953.
"When my colleague Guy Cotter first guided an expedition to Everest the Hillary Step was completely covered in snow and ice.in 2004 it was just rock," says Mike Roberts, who has led expeditions to Everest since 2002. "The entire stretch from the south summit to the true summit is now pure rock."
But both Roberts and Brice think that the Khumbu Icefall has actually become safer in the past few years. This could be because of 'Icefall Doctors' (Sherpas who fix ropes and the ladders) or due to global warming.
Says Brice: "The ice fall is probably moving faster now than it did about 20 years ago, and now it is not as steep, so I think that there is less serac fall."
Pumori and Ama Dablam, on the other hand, have become more treacherous. A few years ago Pumori was considered one of the easiest 7,000-metre peaks but that has changed.
Giampietro Verza, an Italian mountain guide who knows Ama Dablam well, says the mountain is no longer what it used to be since a huge block of ice broke away just above Camp 3 and swept six climbers to their deaths last November.
"This spring there was hardly any snow on Ama Dablam, and climbers had to manoeuvre over rock in places that are normally an easy walk on snow," says Verza, "the mountain has become much more technical in the past few years."
Ama Dablam at 6,812m is one of the most challenging and popular mountains in the Himalaya, but this spring none of the 14 teams climbing it via the normal southwest ridge succeeded: the first time since 1996 that nobody reached the top via the normal route in one season. The Ama Dablam glacier itself has retreated more than 500 metres in the past 50 years.
Receding glaciers
The Imja Glacier below Lhotse is the fastest receding glacier in Nepal, and is melting at 70 m a year as seen in these pictures taken in 1956, 2006 and 2007 (above).
The melting has created huge lakes on Imja Glacier which are expanding alarmingly, and scientists are concerned there will be catastrophic glacial lake outburst floods in future that could kill thousands of people downstream.
The Kathmandu-based mountain research institute, ICIMOD, estimates that the Khumbu Glacier is also retreating at an average of 20m per year. The length of the glacier has shrunk from 12,040m in the 1960s to 11,200m in 2001 and Everest Base Camp has actually dropped from 5,320m to 5,280m since Hillary and Tenzing first set up camp there. All these glaciers are seen in this NASA photograph of Chomolungma taken in 2000 from the Space Shuttle (right).
Global average temperatures are rising at 0.06 degree a year, and scientists say snowlines especially of mountain regions close to the equator are most affected. But scientists at ICIMOD which monitors the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region says there isn't enough proof that receding snowlines are directly the result of climate change.

Climate change in Nepal

'Climate change may change Nepal'
-Surendra Shrestha(UNEP)




Surendra Shrestha is the regional head officer of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Bangkok involved in supporting governments and civil society in negotiations at the United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC). He spoke to Nepali Times in Bali this week about the prospects of an international agreement on meeting emissions targets.
Nepali Times: How difficult is it to convince developed countries like Australia and the US to fulfill their responsibilities according to the Kyoto guidelines? The informed public in Australia has elected a new government which has made a commitment to sign up to the Kyoto Protocol. In the US over half the cities and states have taken actions to reduce emissions. I am sure the informed public in the US will also prevail and bring in the leadership that will take up the challenges of climate change. India and China talk about per capita emissions, but their total carbon footprints are pretty large. How successful have you been in convincing them about their role? The scientific evidence presented by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has prioritised climate change on the political agenda. There is more awareness and better understanding of the greenhouse gases. These gases stay around for 100 years and possibly more. Over 70 per cent of the greenhouse emissions are generated in developed countries. China and India are big countries with huge populations and challenges of poverty alleviation for over 600 million people. Development needs more energy that leads to increased emissions with present technology. Both China and India are taking national-level actions to increase energy efficiency and reduce emissions, and they are doing it internally without boasting about it. The current level of emissions is high, but in a few years both will be providing innovation in terms of energy efficiency. Are the countries of Asia taking seriously the melting of Himalayan glaciers? The Hindu-Kush Himalayas are the largest water towers in the world. They provide for over three billion people directly or indirectly. All the major river systems in Asia originate in the snows, ice and glaciers of the Himalayas.
The science shows that due to global warming the glaciers are retreating rapidly. In 50 or 100 years' time the glaciers may be gone. This message is beginning to be understood by increasingly more people. A quick look at our region where recent elections have taken place show the science and public are ahead of policy. With a gradual increase of public awareness, the electorate is deciding with votes. As a Nepali, how seriously do you think our own country should be taking this issue? Climate change will fundamentally change human civilisation as we know it. The increase in temperature is changing ecosystems. We are already faced with extreme weather events, and food, water and energy security issues. Climate change has received attention from the major development partners, and new financial resources as well as technology are being made available to less developed countries to address the challenges.
Few vulnerability assessments have been conducted in Nepal to date, but these highlight the vulnerability of the country's rich biodiversity and natural capital within a fragile mountain ecosystem. The other key sectors that are vulnerable to climate change in Nepal are water resources, agriculture and the health sector. The impact of climate change on water resources will affect Nepal through a number of pathways including disasters, hydropower, irrigation and domestic water usage. There is also a pressing risk to Nepal from the potential increase of climate-related disasters, particularly of glacial lake outburst floods.



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How to Win Friends and Influence People
( Guidelines from Dale Carnegie's " How to win friends and influence people" )
Fundamental Techniques in Handling People
Don't criticize, condemn or complain.
Give honest and sincere appreciation.
Arouse in the other person an eager want.
Six ways to make people like you
Become genuinely interested in other people.
Smile.
Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.
Win people to your way of thinking
The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say, "You're wrong."
If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
Begin in a friendly way.
Get the other person saying "yes, yes" immediately.
Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view.
Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.
Appeal to the nobler motives.
Dramatize your ideas.
Throw down a challenge.
Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing ResentmentA leader's job often includes changing your people's attitudes and behavior. Some suggestions to accomplish this:
Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
Call attention to people's mistakes indirectly.
Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
Let the other person save face.
Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be "hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise."
Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.

nepal

ABC

Valley under hazardous Asian Brown Cloud

Sabin Chandra Acharya
Kathmandu, March 16:A few days after NASA’s Aqua satellite caught a glimpse of large-scale forest fires in the mountains of Nepal, weathermen and health experts have warned of more wildfires and health hazards they pose for the public.According to NASA, wildfires appear to be raging in or very close to some of the national parks and conservation areas, including Langtang National Park and Makalu Barun National Park, located along the northern border of the country. The forest fire raging in Langtang National Park in Rasuwa district for the last seven days is said to be the worst of all.According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, wildfires can affect climate and weather and have major impact on regional and global pollution.Wildfire contains greenhouse gases and a number of pollutants, which can have a substantial impact on human health. Asian Brown Cloud caused by smoke from wildfire, motor vehicle emission, factories and cooking gas has hit many cities in South Asia, including Kathmandu, said ABC expert Sundar Prasad Sharma.According to a NASA report today, there was a reduction of solar radiation to the surface by as much as 15 per cent in Kathmandu. Thirty-seven domestic flights were delayed due to poor visibility caused by hazy weather on Sunday.A weatherman also blamed the dust particles passing through the northern Indian and Pakistani cities coupled with thick wildfire smoke for the ABC. Apart from Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Pokhara, Dhangadhi and Bhairahawa have also been affected by the ABC, which is concentrated three km above the earth’s surface and can travel halfway around the globe in less than a week.Pulmonologist Dr Rajesh Nepali said, “ABC, which is composed of black carbon and ash, sulphates, nitrates and mineral dust, causes respiratory ailments and plant damage.” A forest official said it could also lead to massive drop in agricultural productivity.“There is no organisation to fight forest fires in Nepal,” said a senior official at the Department of Forests, “The department does not possess any special unit or team to deal with wildfires.” Unless forest fire surveillance and monitoring are carried out by satellite imagery it will be difficult to make a good assessment of the extent of damage caused by the forest fires.He said, “Forest fires occur annually in all the major physiographic/climatic regions ofNepal, including the Tarai and Bhawar, the Shiwaliks or the inner Tarai, the mid-mountains, and the high mountains.” Forest fires rage during the dry season from February to June.Department of Hydrology and Meteorology sources say much of the country has not received any rain since October and the dryness, coupled with high winds, was aiding the forest fires. However, Kathmandu and some other parts of the country were likely to receive rainfall by Monday night or Tuesday.
Health Tips
People usually say not to eat papaya during pregnancy? Why is that, does it lead to miscarriage? — Archana Pradhan
Yes, people usually say you should not eat papayas during pregnancy and it is believed to cause miscarriages...this is partially true.‘Unripe’ papayas contain a latex substance that may trig window.google_render_ad();
I’m a university student. I’ve noted a gap increasing in between my teeth in the upper jaw. Last year the gap was growing wider quite fast but this year the pace is slower. Is it due to the dearth of calcium and vitamins? Please do suggest me. — A Bosnet
There can be various reasons behind your problem. Most likely there is a problem the way your teeth comes to contact when you bite. Such malocclusion can cause the migration of your teeth.

asian blue cloud

Valley under Asian Brown Cloud

Sabin Chandra Acharya
Kathmandu, March 16:A few days after NASA’s Aqua satellite caught a glimpse of large-scale forest fires in the mountains of Nepal, weathermen and health experts have warned of more wildfires and health hazards they pose for the public.According to NASA, wildfires appear to be raging in or very close to some of the national parks and conservation areas, including Langtang National Park and Makalu Barun National Park, located along the northern border of the country. The forest fire raging in Langtang National Park in Rasuwa district for the last seven days is said to be the worst of all.According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, wildfires can affect climate and weather and have major impact on regional and global pollution.Wildfire contains greenhouse gases and a number of pollutants, which can have a substantial impact on human health. Asian Brown Cloud caused by smoke from wildfire, motor vehicle emission, factories and cooking gas has hit many cities in South Asia, including Kathmandu, said ABC expert Sundar Prasad Sharma.According to a NASA report today, there was a reduction of solar radiation to the surface by as much as 15 per cent in Kathmandu. Thirty-seven domestic flights were delayed due to poor visibility caused by hazy weather on Sunday.A weatherman also blamed the dust particles passing through the northern Indian and Pakistani cities coupled with thick wildfire smoke for the ABC. Apart from Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Pokhara, Dhangadhi and Bhairahawa have also been affected by the ABC, which is concentrated three km above the earth’s surface and can travel halfway around the globe in less than a week.Pulmonologist Dr Rajesh Nepali said, “ABC, which is composed of black carbon and ash, sulphates, nitrates and mineral dust, causes respiratory ailments and plant damage.” A forest official said it could also lead to massive drop in agricultural productivity.“There is no organisation to fight forest fires in Nepal,” said a senior official at the Department of Forests, “The department does not possess any special unit or team to deal with wildfires.” Unless forest fire surveillance and monitoring are carried out by satellite imagery it will be difficult to make a good assessment of the extent of damage caused by the forest fires.He said, “Forest fires occur annually in all the major physiographic/climatic regions ofNepal, including the Tarai and Bhawar, the Shiwaliks or the inner Tarai, the mid-mountains, and the high mountains.” Forest fires rage during the dry season from February to June.Department of Hydrology and Meteorology sources say much of the country has not received any rain since October and the dryness, coupled with high winds, was aiding the forest fires. However, Kathmandu and some other parts of the country were likely to receive rainfall by Monday night or Tuesday.
Health tips
People usually say not to eat papaya during pregnancy? Why is that, does it lead to miscarriage? — Archana Pradhan
window.google_render_ad();
Yes, people usually say you should not eat papayas during pregnancy and it is believed to cause miscarriages...this is partially true.‘Unripe’ papayas contain a latex substance that may trigger uterine contractions. This latex substance acts like a prostaglandin or oxytocin (which are substances that are also produced in the body to initiate labour and cause uterine contractions) Synthetic prostaglandin/ oxytocin are used medically to induce labour or augment natural labour.However this latex substance is not present in ripe papayas. Therefore unripe green papayas may cause miscarriage but there is nothing wrong in consuming ripe papayas.Ripe papayas are sometimes recommended during pregnancy for soothing indigestion. The enzyme in papayas that helps soothe digestion is called ‘papain’ (vegetable pepsin),various studies have been done on rats fed with ripe papayas and there have been found to have no abortificient effects. — Dr Kundu Yangzom
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Brief Overview
Pathivara Devi shrine (3794m) is a popular pilgrimage destination that is believed to fulfill the long-cherished dreams of her devotees. The animist deity at Pathivara is worshipped with equal reverence by both Hindus and Buddhist.
Pathivara, Goddess of Trust and FaithThe Goddess at Pathibhara is believed to fulfill the long-cherished dreams of her devotees, like sons for those without sons, and wealth for the poor. Pathivara Devi is considered one of the 'Shakti peeths'. Worshippers from different parts of Nepal and India flock the temple during special occasions, as it is believed that a pilgrimage to the temple ensures fulfilment of all that the pilgrim desires. The devotees of Pathibhara also include members of the Royal family from Nepal . The pilgrims sacrifice animals and bring gold and silver as offerings to the Pathibhara Devi.

UNWTO

UNWTO Calls on Tourism Stakeholders to join Roadmap for Recovery
In opening this year's ITB Travel Trade Show (11-15 March, Berlin), Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General ad interim, underscored that "tourism means trade, jobs, development, cultural sustainability, peace and the fulfilment of human aspirations. If ever there was a time to get this message out loud and clear, it is now, as we meet at a time of overriding global uncertainty, but also of immense possibilities", Mr. Rifai said. He urged the G-20 leaders to take note of this message and to include tourism as a key component of their economic stimulus programmes and the Green New Deal. His keynote speech addressed the challenges and opportunities of the tourism sector in a time of global economic challenge.

tourism in Nepal

"Travelers will cross many rivers and climb many mountains. Plainsmen may always live within a valley. But only those seeking truth will ever reach the summit." — Anan, 11th century Indian saying.

Kathmandu
OK, I'm not going to say much about Nepal. First because I don't know much about it and second because there are books (and websites) with much better things than what I could write. We were not in Nepal long enough to have the time to learn much about the country, just playing tourists around Kathmandu for a few days before going on to Lhasa in Tibet and then to Cho-Oyu. Here are just a few pictures.
Nepal / Tibet. Katmandu / Lhassa. The same or different ? One on either side of the Himalaya. One city Indian at heart, the other forcefully Chinese. Late monsoon clouds drifting above bringing drizzles of rain. We spend some days in Katmandu, getting our gear ready in large heavy plastic drums that we roll all through the hotel, visiting Buddhist temples, sorting things out with the trekking agency. A hot an humid city, bursting with energy, cars surfing around the many pedestrians and bicycles. There we purchase our last missing pieces of equipment, try new foods, start getting sick too.
Like in many countries, the most interesting things to visit are the temples (Durbar Square in Patan, left). I wonder why... Looks like mankind has never been able to show much ingenuity for better things than religions (and war by the way)...<
Well, I don't want to criticize one of the only place in the world where two religions (Buddhism and Hinduism) manage to coexist peacefully. Some of the temples are even shared by statues of Buddhas (Right) and Hinduist gods (left). I know more than one country that could use their example...
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Another original characteristic of the temples there is that they often show couples doing... interesting things (left). OK, this is the country that gave us the Kamasutra, but still, I wish we had such decorations on our churches ! And if you arrived on this page through a search engine keyword thinking of free image, no such luck, but you might as well lose more time here...
Statues of cow are omnipresent (left), and many cows still roam the city. But it's sad to think that their main food is garbage and they usually die choked by plastic bags. The monkey statue (right) looked strangely weird to me and I don't have an explanation for it or the chains around it.