2 4 9 10 EcoCircularawsassets.panda.org/downloads/10__october_december.pdfPRO-POOR TOURISM (PPT) aims to deliver increased net benefits to the poor as a goal in itself. It aims to

InsideWWF in the Mountains of Nepal 2Sacred Himalayan Landscape 42005 Highlights 5Harvesting the Mountains 9Climate Change Research 10Smiles for Sunita 12

for a living planet ®

EcoCircularVOL 38 NO. 6 OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2005 W W F N E P A L P R O G R A M N E W S L E T T E R

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Sustainable Tourism forPoverty Alleviation in Mountain Areas

INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN DAY SPECIAL

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WWF, the global conservation organization, ishonoured to be part of the International MountainDay celebrations.

The theme for this year is especiallyimportant for us in Nepal as tourism is vital tothe livelihoods of many communities both in themountains and in the Terai. For visitors to keepreturning to our nation, we must promotesustainable tourism to ensure the safety ofthe rich natural beauty with which we havebeen blessed.

WWF Nepal Program believes thatconservation and sustainable livelihoods are

interlinked – one will not succeed without theother. From our Northern MountainsConservation Project in Dolpo to the SagarmathaCommunity Agro-Forestry Project in Solukhumbuand the Kangchenjunga Conservation AreaProject in Taplejung, we actively promote wise-use of natural resources and income generatingactivities like tourism in partnership withcommunities, local NGOs and other partners.

The fragile ecosystems of our mountainsshould not be jeopardized. Let us all redouble ourefforts to safeguard our hills and mountains forfuture generations to enjoy a living planet.

Message from Dr Chandra GurungCountry Representative

EcoCircularVol. 38 No. 6October - December 2005

2 INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN DAY SPECIAL

Of Nepal's 16 protected areas, 11 are inthe mid-hills and high mountains. WWF NepalProgram has projects in several mountainregions that encompass three WWF Global 200Ecoregions. To address the tremendous bioticpressure on scarce forest resources in the highmountains and the ensuing threats toendangered species, WWF Nepal Programtogether with His Majesty's Government ofNepal implement the SagarmathaSagarmathaSagarmathaSagarmathaSagarmathaCommunity Agro-forestry Project Community Agro-forestry Project Community Agro-forestry Project Community Agro-forestry Project Community Agro-forestry Project (SCAFP)in Sagarmatha National Park, Northern Northern Northern Northern NorthernMountains Conservation Project Mountains Conservation Project Mountains Conservation Project Mountains Conservation Project Mountains Conservation Project (NMCP)in Shey Phoksundo National Park andDhorpatan Hunting Reserve, andKangchenjunga Conservation AreaKangchenjunga Conservation AreaKangchenjunga Conservation AreaKangchenjunga Conservation AreaKangchenjunga Conservation AreaProject Project Project Project Project (KCAP) in Taplejung District.

Our work in the mountains ranges fromcapacity building for good governance, towildlife monitoring with local communities andpromotion of income generating activities liketourism. With regard to sustainable tourismsustainable tourismsustainable tourismsustainable tourismsustainable tourism,the following have been undertaken in ourproject sites:

KCAPHotel Management training for hotel ownersEstablishment of Tourist Information CentreTourism Plan developed and submitted togovernment for endorsementCampsite developmentSnow Post installedKCA Tourist Guidebook publishedConservation signboard installed

SCAFPTourist Information CentreConservation signboard installed

A high tourist rate in Sagarmatha hassecured the presence of organizations likeTRPAP working closely with local communitiesto develop tourism sustainably. WWF NepalProgram complements income generatingactivities with programs that focus especially oncommunity-based agro-forestry.

NMCPDistribution of trekkers code (general parkrules and values)Tourist Information CentreEco-tourism related capacity building activitiesCampsite development

WWF in the

Situated on the southern slopes of thecentral Himalayas, 86 per cent of Nepal is

hills and high mountains. The mid-hills have thegreatest diversity of ecosystems and specieswith nearly 32 per cent of the country's forests.The high mountains are characterized by alarge number of endemic species although theyare relatively less diverse in flora and fauna incomparison to the mid-hills and lowlands.

Habitat destruction and over-exploitation ofnatural resources are the main drivers behindthe rapid loss of biodiversity in this fragileecosystem. Also of critical importance is therole of climate change in environmentaldegradation.

Mountains of Nepal



EcoCircularVol. 38 No. 6

October - December 2005

3INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN DAY SPECIAL

What is sustainable tourism?

'Sustainable tourism development meets the needs of the presenttourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing the opportunityfor the future. It is envisaged as leading to management of all resourcesin such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled,while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes,biological diversity and life support systems'.

World Tourism Organization (WTO).

Models of sustainable tourism

ECOTOURISM is designed to counter the trend towards mass tourism,and is widely regarded as a valuable tool for protecting ecologicallysensitive areas and species, as well as providing sustainable economichelp for often impoverished communities.

COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM initiatives aim to increase localpeople's involvement in tourism.

CONSERVATION WITH TOURISM this approach emphasizes theneed for broadly distributed local benefits (often cash) as incentives forconservation, or they may support activities that provide an alternative tounsustainable actions.

PRO-POOR TOURISM (PPT) aims to deliver increased net benefits tothe poor as a goal in itself. It aims to strengthen the linkages betweentourism businesses and poor people, so that tourism's contribution topoverty reduction is increased and poor people are able to participatemore effectively in product development.

RESPONSIBLE TOURISM is a growing movement committed to theprinciple that all forms of tourism can be more responsible, all forms oftourism need to be managed by government, communities and theprivate sector to enhance positive impacts, particularly economic andsocial, and to minimize the negative impacts of tourism.

Source: www.fao.org

A sample of natural and cultural diversity inKangchenjunga Conservation Area (KCA),this has information on regular trekkingtrails and the area's rich natural heritage.The tips on tourist facilities along the trailwill serve as a guide to visitors and functionas a database to track changes in thesefacilities and commodity prices overthe years.

Proceeds from the sale of the book willbe channeled into constructing andmanaging the Child Care Center at Hellokvillage in the KCA.

Kangchenjunga Conservation AreaKangchenjunga Conservation AreaKangchenjunga Conservation AreaKangchenjunga Conservation AreaKangchenjunga Conservation Area(KCA) Tourist Guidebook(KCA) Tourist Guidebook(KCA) Tourist Guidebook(KCA) Tourist Guidebook(KCA) Tourist GuidebookJanita Gurung, Ghana Shyam Gurung withValerie StoriISBN 99933-94-05-X2002, 57 ppNRs 350






The landscape level approach to conservation has beencarried through into the Sacred Himalayan Landscape

(SHL), which extends 30,021km2 from Langtang NationalPark in central Nepal through the Kangchenjunga region inSikkim and Sikkim in India to Toorsa Strict Reserve inBhutan. The initiative comes under the greater vision of"Transboundary Partnership for a Sacred HimlayanLandscape in the Eastern Himalayas".

HimalayanLandscape

The SacredThe SacredHimalayanLandscape

NEW INITIATIVE:NEW INITIATIVE:

In Nepal, the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation isleading the SHL initiative in partnership with WWF, ICIMOD,TMI and IUCN. With the formation of the core team, thispartnership has extended to include the National PlanningCommision, DoF, DNPWC, Eco Himal, UNDP, SNV andDFID. A stakeholders consultation was held in Kathmanduas part of the design phase in April 2005. It was part of aseries of meetings to develop a better understanding andpartnerships for the conservation of the landscape and to findways to address the issues of local livelihoods through theproposed initiative.

The vision for the Sacred Himalayan Landscape is toconserve the rich biodiversity and enhance local livelihoodneeds and sustain diverse cultures and traditions in theglobally important Eastern Himalayan Region.

Sacred Himalayan Landscape in NepalSacred Himalayan Landscape in NepalSacred Himalayan Landscape in NepalSacred Himalayan Landscape in NepalSacred Himalayan Landscape in NepalProceedings of the National Stakeholders'Proceedings of the National Stakeholders'Proceedings of the National Stakeholders'Proceedings of the National Stakeholders'Proceedings of the National Stakeholders'Consultation, 5 April 2005 Kathmandu, NepalConsultation, 5 April 2005 Kathmandu, NepalConsultation, 5 April 2005 Kathmandu, NepalConsultation, 5 April 2005 Kathmandu, NepalConsultation, 5 April 2005 Kathmandu, Nepal

MFSC, ICIMOD, TMI, WWFISBN 99946-837-1-32005, 50 pp

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WWF NEPAL PROGRAM2005 HIGHLIGHTSJANUARYCLIMATECHANGEDOCUMENTARY:"Meltdown inNepal" launched aspart of InternationalClimate WitnessProject to createawareness among the public and policy-makerson the impact of climate change in Nepal

FEBRUARYRESEARCH CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTON HIMALAYAS: A Memorandum ofUnderstanding signed between WWF NepalProgram and Department of Hydrology andMeteorology for five-year period for research onclimate change impacts in Nepal

WORLD WETLANDS DAY: Importance ofwetlands in Nepal highlighted by WWF NepalProgram and partner conservationorganizations on 2 February 2005. Englishtranslation of National Wetlands Policy released

dropped from 544 in 2000 to 372 - a 31per cent decline in five years

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Conservation Ambassador Payal Shakya andDr Chandra Gurung applaud as former Secretary ofMFSC Ananta Raj Pandey releases the Englishtranslation of the National Wetlands Policy

A team of 25 wildlife biologists and technicians fromDNPWC, KMTNC and WWF NP used domesticelephants for the rhino count in Royal Chitwan NationalPark and its surrounding areas in March 2005

INFORMATION CENTRE INAUGURATEDby Dr Tirtha Man Maskey, Director General ofDNPWC, at Majhgaon, Shuklaphanta on29 March

APRILSTAKEHOLDERS' CONSULTATION ONSACRED HIMALAYAN LANDSCAPE:Organized jointly by WWF Nepal Program,MFSC, ICIMOD and TMI on 7 April 2005

WILDLIFE WEEK: 10th year of celebrationstogether with DNPWC and other partnerorganizations to promote conservationawareness.

MARCHRHINO COUNT 2005: New figures reveal thepopulation of endangered Greater One-hornedrhinos in Royal Chitwan National Park has

Kathmandu valley school students rally in support ofwildlife conservation EcoCircular

Vol. 38 No. 6October - December 2005



10,000 BIOGAS PLANTS: MOU signedbetween WWF Nepal Program and BiogasSector Partnership - Nepal for five years toinstall 10,000 Toilet-Attached Biogas Plants in30 per cent of households in critical TAL areas

MAYKANGCHENJUNGA GOLDEN JUBILEE:Seminar on 'Adventure Tourism, Conservationand Development in Kangchenjunga' wasorganized by Nepal Mountaineering Associationin partnership with ICIMOD, TMI, IUCN,TRAPAP and WWF NP on 25 May.Kangchenjunga summiteers felicitated by HisRoyal Highness Crown Prince Paras Bir BikramShah Dev. Two books released on theoccasion

JUNEABRAHAM CONSERVATION AWARDS 2005presented to five institutions and threeindividuals for their outstanding contribution tobiodiversity conservation, conservationeducation and sustainable development byWWF Nepal Program in Kathmandu on 10 June

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A ghar-dailo program among the indigenouscommunities created awareness about anti-poachingactivities and laws against illegal wildlife trade

SAVE THE RHINO CAMPAIGN: Week-longcampaign themed "Ustai Prani Ustai Pida,Milera Jogaun Ek Singe Gainda" kicked off onInternational Biodiversity Day at Royal ChitwanNational Park. Successful involvement of localpeople, celebrities, farmers, journalists, schoolchildren and the business community

POLICING THE WATERS: Two inflatablemotor rafts to enhance ant-poaching patrols onthe River Rapti handed over by Dr ChandraGurung, Country Representative of WWF NepalProgram, to Royal Chitwan park staff on 15 June

12 YEARS AND COUNTING… on 19 May2005, WWF Nepal Program celebrated its 12thAnniversary

Dr Tirtha Man Maskey and Dr Chandra Gurungshake hands at the handover of the inflatablemotorboats.

TACKLING HUMAN-ELEPHANTCONFLICT: Sharing knowledge, experiencesand key lessons of human-elephant conflictand mitigation strategies was the main agendaof the regional conference in Kathmandu from12-14 June





SEPTEMBERSIGNING OF WTLCP: The implementationdocument signed for the Western TeraiLandscape Complex Project (WTLCP), aneight-year program for conservation andsustainable use of biodiversity, by AnandaramRegmi, Joint Secretary of Ministry of Finance,Dr Damodar Prasad Parajuli, Joint Secretary ofMinistry of Forests and Soil Conservation, andGhulam Isaczai, Deputy ResidentRepresentative of UNDP, on 31 August

LETTER OF APPRECIATION: At the 25thanniversary celebrations of the Department ofNational Parks and Wildlife Conservation, aLetter of Appreciation was awarded to WWFNepal Program by His Royal Highness CrownPrince Paras Bir Bikram Shah Dev

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JULYHIMALAYAN GLACIER PROJECT:A two-day regional strategy developmentworkshop to explore possibilities of scaling-up existing Himalayan Glacier Project into amuch larger regional project and integrateclimate change and freshwater programsheld in Kathmandu on 20-21 July

PUBLIC HEARING ON TALPUBLIC HEARING ON TALPUBLIC HEARING ON TALPUBLIC HEARING ON TALPUBLIC HEARING ON TALPROGRAMPROGRAMPROGRAMPROGRAMPROGRAM for good governance andfeedback overall project performance fromstakeholders at annual program reviewmeeting and public hearing session at Bardia

BRITISH EMBASSY SUPPORT for WWFNepal Program to raise awareness onclimate change among Eco Clubs inKathmandu Valley through financial aid

MOU WITH KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY:A Memorandum of Understanding signedbetween WWF Nepal Program andKathmandu University (KU) on 5 July 2005 touse resources of both organizationsefficiently and effectively in order to promoteconservation education and research



Dr Chandra Gurung and Professor Puspha RajAdhikary, Dean of School of Science, KathmanduUniversity, after signing the MOU

AUGUSTSIGNING OF GRANT AGREEMENTS:Five separate grant agreements amountingUS$ 1,754,039 signed between WWF NepalProgram, DNPWC and DOF on 15 August2005 to support biodiversity conservation andsustainable community development in WWFproject sites

CONSERVATION EDUCATION FORCONSERVATION EDUCATION FORCONSERVATION EDUCATION FORCONSERVATION EDUCATION FORCONSERVATION EDUCATION FORMISS NEPAL CONTESTANTS:MISS NEPAL CONTESTANTS:MISS NEPAL CONTESTANTS:MISS NEPAL CONTESTANTS:MISS NEPAL CONTESTANTS:Conservation Education session held for MissNepal - 2005 contestants, which included apresentation by Dr Chandra Gurung and abriefing from WWF Nepal's first ConservationAmbassador Payal Shakya, Miss Nepal 2004



DECEMBERRADIO COMMUNICATION SET IN RCNP:To enhance anti-poaching operations, the TALProgram is supporting the installation of a radiocommunication set. The masts at RCNPheadquarters and the Sauraha sector officewere completed in early December and thenext two towers will be finished by year end.The radio set will be effective throughout RoyalChitwan National Park

INTERNATIONALMOUNTAIN DAYcelebrated by Ministry ofForest and Soil Conservationtogether with partners like Nepal TourismBoard, TRPAP, KMTNC, ICIMOD, IUCN, TMIand WWF Nepal Program with the theme of"Sustainable Tourism for Poverty Alleviation inMountain Areas". His Royal Highness CrownPrince Paras Bir Bikram Shah Dev was chief guestat the festivities in Kathmandu on 11 December

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TOP TIGER EXPERTS IN NEPAL:Dr John Seidensticker and Dr MahendraShrestha of Save the Tiger Fund visited theTerai Arc Landscape to observe and assessSTF-supported activities in Nepal. They werealso exploring new ways of strengtheningongoing partnerships to conserve tigers moreeffectively in Nepal

AWS FOR EVEREST: WWF Nepal Programpresented an Automatic Weather Station(AWS) to the Department of Hydrology andMeteorology (DHM), Ministry of Environment,Science and Technology of HMG/N on 5October 2005. A tripartite agreement betweenthe DHM, WWF Nepal Program and theSociety of Hydrology and Meteorology - Nepal(SOHAM) was also signed for research on theregional Himalayan Glacier and River Project


OCTOBERHIGH ALTITUDE WETLANDS IN NEPAL:An inventory of at least seven priority wetlandsin Nepal being prepared and a workshop wasorganized by WWF Nepal Program incoordination with Forum for EcosystemManagement to share information andrecommend future initiatives

GANGETICDOLPHINS INNEPAL: WWF NepalProgram's dolphinresearch teamcaught an elusiveGangetic dolphin oncamera. Study centered on Karnali River andtributaries in TAL-Nepal

NOVEMBERMICRO HYDRO IN SAGARMATHANATIONAL PARK BZ: Nearly US$ 200,000committed by Kadoorie Agriculture AidAssociation (KAAA) to WWF Nepal Programfor the Ghatte Micro Hydro project inSagarmatha National Park Buffer Zone on 10November. Its 70 KW capacity will benefitmore that 87 households when completed inSeptember 2006

AWS INSTALLED IN NGUZUMPAGLACIER by a team from WWF NepalProgram, Department of Hydrology andMeteorology and Ministry of Environment,Science and Technology to collect importantdata for the Himalayan Glacier and River Project

Dr Madan Lall Shrestha, Director General - DHMreceives part of the AWS equipment from Dr ChandraGurung




Nepal's mountains are rich in non-timberforest products (NTFPs) of high value and low

volume - therein lies the necessity for sustainable use ofthis important commodity. NTFPs are defined as all forestproducts other than timber, fuelwood and fodder.Medicinal and aromatic plants, abbreviated to MAPs, areof special significance to the Nepali economy because oftheir value to the local collectors, the small traders(villagers and middlemen), herb dealers, Ayurvedicpractitioners, pharmaceutical companies and essential oilproducing factories. They also have cultural and religioussignificance as they are used for herbal treatments andreligious ceremonies. Many local level enterprises arebased on NTFPs/MAPs like Juniperus indica (Dhupi),Daphne bholua (Lokta), Edgeworthia gardneri (Argeli) andGirardinia diversifolia (Allo).

The harvest and trade of NTFPs/MAPs are veryimportant to the livelihoods of communities in the highHimalayas. Surveys carried out in KangchenjungaConservation Area by WWF found that NTFPs/MAPscontribute between 25 - 90 per cent of the totalhouseholds' economy, with the poor benefiting more.Twenty NTFP/MAPs species are traded in a high volumefrom Dolpo, while Kangchenjunga Conservation Area isthe source and often a transit for 16 varieties.

Harvesting the Mountains:Non-timber Forest Products

It is estimated that more than 20,000 metric tones ofNTFPs/MAPs worth US$ 18 million is exported/tradedannually from Nepal. Trade is almost entirely controlled byIndia and Tibet. Nearly 90 per cent of the total volumegoes to India. While the demand exists, major benefitshave yet to trickle down to local communities that lackinformation and access to prices and markets.

There is immense pressure on the natural stock ofNTFPs/MAPs because of high demand. Unsustainableand unselective harvesting practices, livestock grazing,slash-and-burn farming, forest fires, illegal collection andover-harvesting further endangers these plant species.Policies that promote sustainable harvesting instead ofimposing restrictions and bans will also help address thelivelihoods needs and ecological integrity of these preciousmountain resources.

Bhesh Raj OliDistrict SupervisorTAL PA and [email protected]

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INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN DAY SPECIAL

Highly value NTFPs contributeenormously to local livelihoods.A few examples:

Maikopila (Saussurea tridactyla)

Bikh (Aconitum spicatum)

Panchaule (Dactylorhiza hatagirea)Yarchagumba (Cordyceps sinensis)

Kutki (Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora)

Jatamansi (Nardostachys grandiflora)

School children learn about traditional medicine andsustainable harvesting of NTFPs from an Amchi, atraditional doctor, in NMCP Dolpa



The US$ 12,000 Automatic WeatherStation (AWS) presented to the Department of Hydrology and

Meteorology (DHM), Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology byWWF Nepal Program was installed at Ngozumpa glacier (above 5000masl) in the Sagarmatha National Park on 22 November by a joint teamfrom WWF and DHM.

The AWS will record data like solar radiation, relative humidity, airtemperature, soil temperature, wind speed and direction, barometricpressure, radiant heat and precipitation. The constant data on glacierretreat will be recorded that will correlate climate change and glacierretreat in the Nepal Himalayas. It will complement research beingconducted as part of the Himalayan Glacier and River Project in India,China and Nepal. In the past few decades, global warming has had asignificant impact on the high mountain environment snow, glaciers andpermafrost are especially sensitive to changes in atmospheric conditionsbecause of their proximity to melting conditions.

Previous studies have shown that of the thousands of glacier lakes inNepal, more than 20 could result in Glacier Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF)events that have devastating consequences and is one of the mostprominent impacts of global warming that causes climate change.

Automatic Weather Stationin Ngozumpa GlacierAarati GurungClimate Change Campaign OfficerWWF Nepal [email protected]

The team (l-r): Hira Gurung - WWF, Mani RatnaChitrakar- DHM, Aarati Gurung - WWF, Dr ArunBhakta Shrestha - DHM, Rajendra Man Singh Dangol- DHM and Raju Aryal - DHM (not in pic)

Unpacking the Automatic Weather Station (AWS) onthe moraine wall between Ngozumpa Glacier andLake Gokyo

Ngozumpa Glacier (4,880m)

Almost set up and fenced in, the climate monitoringequipment is dwarfed by the Himalayas

The AWS with Lake Gokyo in the background

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The arrest of a dealer in illegal wildlifeproducts in September 2005 in Langtang

National Park once again revealed the gravityof the situation regarding international trade inwildlife products.

The major haul of five tiger skins, 113kg oftiger bone, 36 leopard skins and 238 otter skinsin a truck at Syabru Bensi in Langtang, whichborders Tibet Autonomous Region of China,exposed a new technique used by traders andmiddlemen to transport contraband. The illegalwildlife products were packed neatly in instantnoodle cartons and had passed undetectedthrough several check posts before a patrollingteam of Durga Bux Battalion of the RoyalNepali Army deployed in the national parkmade the discovery (see pic).

Two of the dealer's accomplices werearrested at Chhetrapati of Kathmandu. One ofthe accomplices is a Tibetan refugee who isalso reported to be a trader. The dealerarrested in Langtang also admitted of tradingtiger skin in the past. Another Tibetan nationalwas arrested on 20 June 2005 in ChitwanDistrict in central Nepal for poaching andtrading in rhinos. The arrest of four Indiannationals with tiger skins and bones inKathmandu on 10 August 2005 sheds furtherlight on how trade is conducted from countriesof source to demand.

"Illegal dealers make use of the open,porous border between Nepal and India totransport illegal wildlife products as a thoroughcheck of the hundreds of trucks and vehiclesthat enter Kathmandu every day is quiteimpossible," says Diwakar Chapagain of theDepartment of National Parks and WildlifeConservation (DNPWC), who works as acoordinator for the CITES Unit set up by WWFNepal Program. "The problem in the mountainsis that there are fewer check posts in remotemountain areas adjoining Tibet AutonomousRegion, and these are understaffed. Thestrategic pullout of security forces fromoutposts has further complicated matters."

"Nepal's tiger and rhino population is

regularly monitored and the record of wildlifemortality is closely kept. The number of seizedtiger and leopard products and the mortality ofendangered wildlife in and around our protectedareas does not match." says Jhamak Karki, anecologist at DNPWC.

A stiff penalty of up to a 15 years in jail or afine of up to NRs l00,000 or both for wildlifepoaching and illegal trade in wildlife productshas not succeeded in completely deterringwildlife crime. The country witnessed a suddenrise in rhino poaching in the last few years,coinciding with the general breakdown in thelaw and order situation in the country. Veryoften poaching and illegal transaction takeplace outside the protected areas and isbeyond the jurisdiction of protected areamanagers. In such cases, district forest officestake on the cases.

Apart from providing support for thepreparation of a CITES Bill, which is presentlyawaiting approval from the Parliament, theCITES Unit conducts regular sensitizationtraining programs and workshops for NepalPolice, members of the Royal Nepali Armydeployed in protected areas, customs officers,postal staff, judicial officials and otherconcerned individuals.

"WWF Nepal Program has also joinedhands with DNPWC and initiated coordinationand cooperation with the India and TibetAutonomous Region of China, and shareinformation to deter wildlife related crimes in thetransborder areas," says Dr Chandra Gurung,Country Representative of WWF NepalProgram. The foresters and park mangers ofthe transborder protected areas of Nepal andIndia have also been holding periodic field-levelmeetings for a joint effort to curb wildlife crimesin the border areas.

Basanta Subba

Stopping IllegalWildlife Trade

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Her eyes crinkle up when SunitaChaudhary flashes an infectious

grin. This 24-year-old is the first Tharuwoman to study forestry and possiblythe first also get a Masters Degree inProtected Area Management, on a fullscholarship to the prestigious Universityof Klagenfurt in Austria. Her latestachievement is a testimony to the hardwork she put in the past. Theyoungest daughter in a family of six,Sunita grew up in a family whereenvironment issues were alwaysimportant. Her father, SukhdeoChaudhary, is a Professor at theInstitute of Forestry in Hetauda. Afterfinishing high school from Makwanpur,Sunita won a one year scholarship todo her Bachelor's in Forestry at the

For more information:Trishna GurungManager, Communications & Education UnitWWF Nepal Program

institute. She won two consecutivescholarships - the last a WWF PrinceBernhard Scholarship in 2003, andgraduated with excellent grades.When she had time to spare earlierthis year, Sunita decided to volunteerat WWF Nepal Program. She madesuch an impression that she wasasked to stay on as an intern to workon a database of camera-trappedtigers and snow leopard monitoringanalysis in the mountains. Thisremarkable young woman readstechnical reports for leisure and enjoysNepali pop music; Nima Rumba hasfound favour here. We asked her if shewas likely to return to Nepal in thefuture. "Of course I'll come back toNepal, but only after one more thing -a PhD! I really enjoyed my time atWWF, everyone was cooperative,helpful and fun, so perhaps you'll see mehere sooner or later," she says, laughing.As Sunita finishes her time at WWF andbegins a new chapter of her life, WWFwishes her a future as sunny and brightas her smile.

Smiles for SunitaThis WWF volunteer is the first Tharuwoman to study forestry!

WWF Nepal Programwishes you peace and prosperity for

2006!

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If you’d like to know more about ourvolunteer and intern programs, contact:Bandana Yonzon LepchaHuman Resources OfficerWWF Nepal [email protected]

WWF onyour Radio!HITS FM 91.25-6 PM every Thursday

Starting 5 January 2006

• Voices from the field

• Interviews

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• and much more

WWF Nepal Programwishes you peace and prosperity for

2006!

Documents

2 4 9 10 EcoCircularawsassets.panda.org/downloads/10__october_december.pdfPRO-POOR TOURISM (PPT) aims to deliver increased net benefits to the poor as a goal in itself. It aims to