Extreme Sways
At a time when the country has been facing extreme weather events in the country, your cover story Climate Change: Adaptation is the Key (March 20 April 02) raised a very valid question. Since Nepal produces very nominal amount of emission, its contribution is very nominal and Nepal cannot support the efforts by following the policy of mitigation. Since the pattern of weather change has been affecting the life of common people, the country must develop a strategy for adaptation. As you mentioned, the rise of temperature has already affected the crop system, what the country needs to do is to provide the alternative to present system. I hope the government will introduce new crops to cope with the situation.
Samjhana Rai
Via email
No Panic
Your cover story Climate Change: Adaptation is The Key (March 20 April 2) seems to be a biased story. I don’t think we need to be in such a panic on the basis of just a warm or cold temperature is just a matter of few years. Even you mentioned that there were fluctuations in temperature and rain fall from time to time in the past. Your argument indicated that the change of weather in one season cannot be enough to predict that this is a result of climate change. One needs to do intensive study of more than decades to know what is really happening in the country. After reading your article, I came to realize that all news appearing in media intended to create havoc in Nepal. This is not an issue at all.
Subodh Rimal
Via Email
Mercury Worry
The cover story Climate Change: Adaptation is the Key (March 20 April 2) is very interesting one. I agree that the mercury rise has not only affected vegetables and fruits, even wild fruits like strawberry, which is supposed to grow in mid March and April, flourished in second week of February in Dadelhura district. This indicated that climate change is affecting the life of common people. As climate change is going to be a serious problem, the country must adapt certain policy to cope with the situation. As you said, the change in the weather pattern is unavoidable; the only way to minimize the effect in agriculture sector is to prepare a new adaptation strategy. Despite knowing these kinds of challenges lying ahead, it is unfortunate to say that nobody seems to worry about the future prospects. The time has come to act in accordance with changing situation.
Kabita Karki
Via Email
Right Suggestion
Indian lawyer Sona Khan has rightly pointed out that to have a federal structure or redefine the state boundaries based upon Janjatis is a dangerous situation. At a time when Nepal is gradually integrating with the global economy through the WTO, there require more people with high calibre and broader and global perspective. However, some of our so called leaders of Janjatis have been making efforts to localise their people. Of course, there is a need to protect the identity of minority and Janjatis but it does not mean that Janjatis should be left out in the name of localization and indigenous rights. I don’t understand what kind of right our leaders want. As most of the children of Janjatis leaders are pursuing their education in foreign countries, they don’t need the country at all. What about people living in remote parts of Nepal? As a citizen of India, a close neighbour of Nepal, Sona Khan’s experience is more useful and practical for us rather than the so called federalists from the west.
Jhanka Lala Shrestha
Via email
No Change
Whoever may win the election, it does not make any difference to the life of common people. In the last one month, members of Constituent Assembly did a futile exercise in the name of collecting public opinion. I don’t know whose idea it was to seek public opinion handing over 21-pages long questionnaire to illiterate mass of Nepal. If CA had really shown the guts, it should have sent the draft of the constitution to the people for a referendum. These kinds of system are just a futile exercise with the expense of public money.
Junar Karki
Via email
