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Kathmandu Saturday October 13, 2001 Ashwin 27, 2058.
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Bio-diversity plan to be launched in west Nepal
Post Report
MAHENDRANAGAR, Oct 12 - Nepal Bio-diversity Landscape Project is to be
implemented soon with a view to preserving bio-diversity of the Chure mountain range from
Bardiya to Kanchanpur in cooperation with Global Environment Fund (GEF). The Royal Shukla
Phanta Reserve will also be included in the project as a major component of the five years
of environment preservation plan.
GEF coordinator for the Asia Pacific Region, Dr. Tito Santos, said
that the landscape project will start from January, 2002. Tito arrived here to give a
final touch to the feasibility study of the project. GEF, which came into being during the
1992 Earth Summit in Brazil in order to protect bio-diversity all over the world, has
already launched various programmes on environment in Chitwan and Mustang districts.
Tito, after inspecting the Shukla Phanta Reserve, said that one of the
major problems of the reserve is the widespread encroachment of the extended forest area.
Other objective of the Nepal Bio-diversity landscape Project is to link up the Chure
mountain range of Nepal with that of the Jim Karbit National Park of India and develop it
as a major corridor for the wildlife movement.
Talking to The Kathmandu Post, he said that all living creatures,
including the wildlife should have the right to live and added that this programme will
help reduce poverty in the region as well. Tito also held discussions with the local
representatives and government officials regarding effectiveness of the programme.
The Shukla Phanta Reserve is the densely populated habitat of the
endanger Royal Bengal tiger in terms of the size of the reserve, which was extended from
155 to 305 square km about seven years ago.
Chief warden of the reserve, Surya Bahadur Pande, said that they have
not been able to evacuate the people from the extended area of the reserve which is the
major corridor for wildlife movement from Nepal to India. A similar programme has been
proposed for Makalu-Barun and Kanchanjangha regions, according to the reserve officials.
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