Water Water Everywhere

Loadshedding is not a mystery to anyone living in the Kathmandu Valley.  It's a daily reality, even during monsoon when the rains come pouring down.  I have often wondered, with so many hydro-power projects established and in the works along the gravity-fueled rivers of the Himalaya, why does the Kathmandu populace suffer with 14 - 20 hours of power-outages per day in the dry winter/spring time?

Journalist Kunda Dixit sheds some light on this issue with these two articles in the Nepali times - White Gold  (2007) and No Light at the End of the Tunnel (2011).  Complications cited are lack of government, political instability, and poor implementation of energy development strategies.  Nepal is often compared to Bhutan who sells 80% of their generated hydroelectricity to India - many see Nepal's rivers as a gold mine when considered from this angle.  There seems to be a leak somewhere, however, as the fountains are hardly able to produce enough energy to support the existing consumption levels in the Kathmandu Valley alone.  The numbers do not seem to add up.

Another mystery linked to this issue is the interaction Nepal has had for years with foreign aid funding hydro-electric projects in the name of development.  Though now a few years old, this short paper by Kundan Pokharel Majagaiya sheds some light on Nepal's dependency but reticence to foreign aid.  

Malaria In Nepal

One teacher of mine often gives an "Intro to Nepal" talk that includes statements about pre-WWII malaria barrier that prevented the British from crossing the jungly Terai belt of southern Nepal and conquering the Rana regime in control of the Kathmandu Valley for the last 300 years. 

It is common knowledge that one of the first USAID projects in Nepal was the planned eradication of malaria in 1951.  The intended aim of which was to reduce mortality rates in this southernmost region.  Opportunity for hill tribes to move south to more arable, malaria-free land was an unforeseen consequence which leaves more than imprints of hostility on the Madeshi (native peoples) of this Terai area, complicating the constitution-writing process in various ways.

However, it seems that USAID was not successful - while malaria is not considered a risk in the higher-altitude areas of Nepal, including the Kathmandu Valley, there still remains risk in the terai belt. 

GLOF - Nepal

Information about geological happenings in the Himal including "Glacial Lake Outburst Floods" from IRIN. 

Good contextual information from ICIMOD and what has happened in the last 20 years or so in terms of preparing for natural disasters. 

Sinkholes. Ooh.

"Sinkholes form in places where the underlying ground layer consists of limestone, salt beds or other soluble rock, which dissolves in water. Groundwater coursing beneath the surface eats away at the rock, slowly eroding and destabilizing it. Often, new underground caves are created, which then collapse in catastrophic scenes like this one."

Article about this sinkhole in Guatemala here.

Global Tiger Initiative

In this year 2010, the Year of the Tiger, the Global Tiger Initiative launched with a conference including the 13 countries that govern tiger habitat.  The conference was in Kathmandu... (neutral ground? Or where the best facilitators are?) in late October.  During the four days, aims and objectives were established to protect tiger habitat which has reached 10% of the historical range, and make efforts for valuing live tigers rather than dead ones.

This HT article talks about Nepal's initiative to count their tigers starting next week.  Only full grown tigers will be counted.  Estimates were at 121 tigers in Nepal two years ago.

World Bank is involved: this is their tiger website.

Youtube has a page for GTI.



(read some of the reports on the gti website to see if any are appropriate for the Chitwan reader... final report summary?  other academic papers?  how can we link this in with lectures the students will hear?  ask anil and watch youtube pieces to see if any are appropriate for viewing with the students)

New Peaks open for Tourism in Ladakh

The Times of India published an article saying which restricted areas are now open to foreigners for mountaineering-type pursuits.  This is going to highly imact tourism in Ladakh.

I wonder if this is India's way to lay claim to previously restricted areas... if J & K state then makes tourism dollars off of peaks in the southeaster corridor of the Karakoram, Pakistan and China cannot very well claim any of that land is belonging to them, can they.  The closer India pushes toward the borders, the more tenuous the situation may get.

Don't know if this is such a good idea, India.
And Ladakh, it's time for you to dial up the sustainable eco-tourism business strategies.  Helena Norberg-Hodge, where are you when we need you!

India and Pakistan - Maps, resources , and glacier melt

Northern Border Conflict or Siachen Conflict refers to the elusive boundary issues in India's northernmost state Jammu & Kashmir.  Eruptions of war, armed conflict, ethnic aggression plague the region as China, India, and Pakistan figure out their stakes.  Other stakeholders are Gilit/Baltisani, Afghani and Tajik peoples living in and on the borders of the Karakoram.

Siachen Glacier
The highest battlefield in the world at 21,000 ft is the glacier set in the Saltoro range (northeast of the Ladakh range) in the Nubra Valley of Ladakh.

I always wonder about the impact of the military presence in Ladakh - benefits and drawbacks for the people, but also the landscape I read this interesting article the other day about environmental impact on this glacier given the melt caused by the military presence there.