THE SMALL EARTH NEPAL

2 February 2011

On the occasion of the World Wetlands Day, Graduates’ Workshop on Wetlands was organised on Wednesday to share the research findings in wetlands of Nepal and motivate young researchers for intensifying data on wetlands.

The 2nd February each year is celebrated as World Wetlands Day. It marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands (known as Ramsar Convention) on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar. Every year various programs are organized to raise the awareness of the general public on the importance of wetlands, to review the effect of the programs, and to raise the issues and problems in the field. Conservation of wetlands is important as they are the means of sustaining livelihood for more than 13% people in the context of Nepal and are considered as the potential source for carbon sequestration. Wetlands of Nepal cover around 5% of the area which are hot spot of biodiversity.

The program was jointly organised by The Small Earth Nepal (SEN) and the Central Department of Environmental Science (CDES), Tribhuvan, University with the support of WWF Nepal, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and National Lake Conservation Development Committee (NLCDC).

In the workshop, eight research papers were presented in different aspects of wetlands of Nepal. The program was attended by more than 70 graduate students from half dozens of colleges in Kathmandu Valley and beyond. In the same program, Mr. Dhiraj pradhananga, the president of The Small Earth Nepal made an announcement of research grant to be given to the young researchers with the help of UNESCO in the field of water and climate change.

The workshop was chaired by Prof. Dr. Surya Ratna Gubhaju from Central Department of Zoology, Tribhuvan University and experts Dr. Dinesh Raj Bhuju from Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Mr. Ukesh Raj Bhuju from National College and Mr. Sailendra Pokharel from National Lake Conservation Development Committee had presented their papers along with five research papers from younger researchers.

The workshop was concluded with the message that there exists research gap that needs to be addressed at earliest to make the researches on wetlands more systematic so that the knowledge sharing would be wider among all the young researchers, graduates, and stakeholders. Indisputably, the young graduates are the power for the knowledge transformation if empowered with constructive energy. This approach could be motivated and mobilized for the research conservation and sustainable utilization of the wetland which could help to bring several research concepts on wetland sector.