SCIENCENVIRO (Opinion) : Protecting the Himalayas

Protecting the Himalayas

• The ministerial declaration issued by India, Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh addressing food, water, energy, and biodiversity concerns in the Himalayan region is a welcome initiative to protect this biodiversity-rich mountain range.
• Some of the serious issues that need urgent attention are accelerated forest loss, soil erosion, resource degradation, and loss of habitat and biodiversity.
  

SOUTH ASIA: Nepal (Dialogue)

Think mutual benefit

• Three sets of issues present themselves to the two prime ministers.
• The first is about India’s attitude to the internal turbulence in Nepal.
• India’s Nepal policy, however, is not about choosing sides between the Maoists and other political formations
• The political chatter in Kathmandu about Bhattarai being “pro-India” and Prachanda (Pushpa Kamal Dahal) as “pro-China” has little policy consequence in Delhi.
• India is eager to hear from Bhattarai on how he wants to lead Nepal’s current political crisis by wrapping up the work on the drafting of the constitution and integrating Maoist fighters into the national army on reasonable terms.