Resources Himalaya Foundation and Environmental Graduates in Himalaya organized Guff-Gaff program on August 17, 2022. The guest speaker of this session was Prof. Amulya Ratna Tuladhar, Visiting Faculty of Environmental Science at various universities and institutions including Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu University, and Pokhara University. He presented a talk on current issue “Nijgadh Airport: Lessons for Building an Effective Environmental Movement in Nepal”.
Taking the case of Nijgadh International Airport, Prof. Tuladhar conferred the lessons for building an effective environmental movement in Nepal. He pointed out errors found in the Environment Impact Assessment report of Nijgadh Airport including cutting down of 2.4 million prime forest trees. The recent decision of Supreme Court to cancel government’s decision on building this largest infrastructure project (Nijgadh International Airport) was demonstrated as the milestone in effective environmental movement, besides some criticisms and other many views. Prof. Tuladhar insisted, Nijgadh environmental movement must be broad and deep with maximum energy with no focus on win and lose; the best and most long lasting full energy concern must come from public at large scale. In addition, he emphasized that we must make big stakes in knowledge, information, research, discourse, laws, and ultimately public perceptions where people connect their daily livelihoods with environment and their security are threatened by anti-environmental development. Along with the knowledge and education, people should have love with nature and should cherish the environment for its intrinsic right to exist and thrive, was the take home message by Prof. Tuladhar. The talk followed by discussion session, ended with vote of thanks and closing remarks from EGH coordinator.
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