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| Vol 1, Issue 2 |
March – April 2007 |
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Welcome to the March/April
e-newsletter.
In this issue. |
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| Working Arrangement Signed |
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A working rangement was signed between Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation (MFSC), The Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) Nepal and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Nepal on 6 March 2007 at WTLCP office. With this, it is expected to speed up WTLCP planned activities and strengthen the synergy among the partners. |
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Working Arrangement being Signed at WTLCP . |
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Agreement Signed for Construction Activities in
Protected Areas and Buffer Zones |
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WTLCP Bardia signed agreement with Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve (SWR) and Bardia National Park for construction and maintenance of four bridges. Similarly, Bardia field office signed and agreement with SWR for constructing watchtower, installation of motorized tube well and maintenance of three watch towers in Babatal, Ranital, Pipraiya site and Suklaphanata old machan areas. Similarly, with the aim to build infrastructure facilities to institutionalize buffer zone institutions, an agreement was signed with Buffer Zone Management Committee of SWR to construct two rooms for Buffer Zone Management Committee building. |
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| M&E Training |
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A two-day training on Monitoring and Evaluation was organised for 9 Buffer Zone User Committee (BZUC) representatives from Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve. A total of 24 participants, including 3 women, participated in the training. The training programme was mainly aimed to develop capacity of participants in project planning formulation, monitoring and evaluation, report writing, participatory monitoring and evaluation. |
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Participants of M&E Training, Kanchanpur. |
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| Livelihood Promotion in the WTLCP Areas |
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WTLCP provided seed grant to 78 people in Mahendranagar municipality, Dekhatbhuli, Dodhara, Chandani, Beldandi, Rautelibichuwa, Manau, Gola, Patabhar and Pashupatinagar. The seed grant, provided through cooperatives, was to support livelihood improvement of poor and Dalit community. As WTLCP is also promoting pro-poor leasehold plan in community forestry targeting pro-poor people of the Community Forest User Group, WTLCP supported Sagarmatha User's Comittee (UC), Himalaya UC, Patavar UC and Bindra UC in buffer zone of Suklaphanata Wildlife Reserve and Bardia National Park. WTLCP signed agreement with user committees to improve livestock breed in Manau, Gola, Pashupatinagar and Rauteli Bichuwa VDCs in buffer zone of Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve. |
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| Wildlife Farming Feasibility Study |
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In order to explore feasible sites and accordingly piloting wildlife farming in Kanchanpur district, a team comprising of Biodiversity Conservation Officer, Forestry and Livelihoods Advisor/SNV, Assistant Conservation Officer/SWR and Field Manager/WTLCP visited and interacted with community Forestry User Group and Buffer Zone User Committee representatives in Dodhara, Chandani, Jhalari and Krishnapur VDCs. Questionnaire survey is being conducted for detailed of the socio-economic, environmental, cultural and geographical implications of proposed wildlife farming. |
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WTLCP team having discussion with the community members to explore possibility of wildlife farming. |
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| DFCC Meeting Held in Bardia |
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District Forest Coordination Committee (DFCC) meeting was held in Bardia on 22 March 2007. The meeting, chaired by the Local Development Officer Mr. Basanta Prasad Bhandari, unanimously endorsed the Annual Work Plan 2007 of WTLCP. The meeting was participated by the Federation of Community Forest Nepal, major political parties, and district line agencies including District Forest Office, District Agriculture Office, District Women Development Office, NGO Federation and Journalists. |
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| Landscape Coordination Committee Meeting Held |
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Landscape Coordination Committee meeting of WTLCP was held at Dhangadhi on 30 March 2007. The meeting, chaired by Far Western Forestry Regional Director Mr. Gopal Kumar Shrestha, was attended by the Chief Wardens of Bardia National Park and Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve, Acting Director of Mid Western Regional Forestry Directorate, National Project Coordinator of WTLCP, TAL Managers and Kanchanpur District Forest Officer as special invitees. WTLCP Field Managers presented WTLCP progress of first quarter. The meeting discussed on a wide range of issues and decided to form a joint monitoring team led by the Regional Forestry Directorate to monitor WTLCP activities in a regular basis. |
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| Landscape Coordination Committee Meeting, Dhangadhi |
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| Entrepreneurship Development Training to Special Targeted Groups |
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Entrepreneurship development training was organised for 23 locals from special target groups at Beldandi VDC of Kanchanpur district for nine days. The initiation of locals after the training was encouraging as one of the participants already established small local cement tile factory after attending the training. For his initiation, WTLCP/Bardia provided the seed money in the form of soft loan to initially establish the factory through Kalikich cooperatives. |
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| CITES Workshop |
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Chief District Officer of Kanchanpur Mr. Netra Prasad Sharma inaugurating the CITES workshop |
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With the objectives of creating awareness on Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of fauna and flora (CITES), two workshops on CITES were held in Kanchanpur. A total of 44 Participants, representing government line agencies, civil society, journalists, representatives from buffer zone institutions and local authority attended the workshops. Mr. Diwakar Chapagain from WWF facilitated the workshop.
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| Interaction Programme on Community Forest Management |
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With the support of WTLCP, Community Forestry Coordination Committee, Phulbari organised an interaction programme to discuss on local community forest management issues, its conservation value and hand over process in Phulbari of Kailali District. Total of 40 Community Forest User Group members took part in the programme. Kailali District Assistant Forest Officer explained community forest related policy, acts and regulations in Nepal |
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Foundation Stone Laid for a
Resource Centre |
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NPC of WTLCP Mr. Ram Prasad Poudel laying
a foundation stone for a Resource Centre. |
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On 30 March 2007, National Project Coordinator Mr. Ram Prasad Poudel laid a foundation stone of Resource Center at Buffer Zone of Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve amid a function in Majhgaun of Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve. Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve Buffer Zone Management Committee coordinated the function. |
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| Grassland Management |
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In order to improve wildlife habitat by maintaining quality of grassland and prevention from further degradation, treatments like cutting, uprooting and burning of invasive grasses, shrubs and trees and combinations of these treatments practiced in two Protected Areas. A total of 140 ha of grasslands have been managed in Bardia National Park and Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve. |
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| Chure Conservation Awareness |
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With the aim of raising awareness on the higher watershed and biodiversity value of Chure, NEFUG Kailali organised awareness training for local communities of Budi Tola area of Godawari VDCs with the financial support from WTLCP. A total of 34 participants, including 9 women and 2 Dalit benefited from the training. CARE District Coordinator Mr. Mitra Prasad Upadhyay and Mr. Sher Bahadur Chaudhari were the Resource Persons of the training.
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Participants of Budi Tola of Kailai at the Chure Conservation Awareness Training Programme |
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| Wildlife Week Celebration |
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On the eve of wildlife week, various programmes were organised in buffer zone areas of Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve and Bardia National Park. Different programmes including, quiz contest, volleyball tournament, cultural show, essay competition, jungle drive were also organised in other parts of Kanchanpur and Bardia districts.
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| Media Meet and Discussion Programme |
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A half-day stakeholders’ workshop was held on the occasion of 12th wildlife week to let the stakeholders’ know about the role of media in conservation. Similarly, a one day media meet and discussion programme was organised for the journalists of Bardia, Kailali and Kanchanpur in Dhangadhi. Senior journalists from Gorkhapatra Corporation, BBC Nepali Service and Federation of Nepalese Journalists made presentations on various aspects of environment journalism and the field situation. The discussion was also held in forming the network of journalists and its long-term sustainability.
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Environment Journalist Mr. Krishna Prasad Sigdel briefing on the role of media in conservation. |
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| Conservation Awareness Through Eco Clubs |
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On 26 March 2007, a meeting was held at Dhangadhi to review the activities of Eco club network and discuss on their future plan of actions. A nine-member Eco club network representing teacher and students of Phulbari and Gadaria was also formed on the same day. Likewise, a total of 30 participants, representing various school children, teacher and community forest user committees of Phulbari and Gadaria VDCs made a study tour to Lamahi, Khata and Thakurdwara. After visiting the sites, the participants had shown commitment for forming Eco-clubs in their respective schools and organising various environment conservation awareness activities.
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Eco Club members discussing on the Eco Club network’s future activities |
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| Publications (March-April) |
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This e-newsletter has been sent by the Western Terai Landscape Complex Project (WTLCP)
For your comments and suggestions, mail us at enewsletter@wtlcp.org.np
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Western Terai Landscape Complex Project
Foresty Complex, Babarmahal, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: +977-1-4262310, 4218458 Fax: +977-1-4225553 , P.O.Box: 24417
Web: www.wtlcp.org.np |
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