Climate Change and Conflict
Nepal has been amazing. I met with a number of different people working in the field of Environmental Protection, Climate Change, Tourism, and Political Journalism - not to mention the random conversations with locals and foreign travelers I was able to chat with. All of it paints a picture of a country in transition, facing many problems. But for my topic, climate change is ever present and will only get worse.
I also had a chance to meet with others, though given my poor photo taking mentality, I failed to capture photographs with these insightful people; but with who's insights and guidence I was better able to understand the challenges facing Nepal especial in the issue of Climate Change and future possible conflict.
Thanks To: Raj Kumar GC - at iDE Nepal (http://www.idenepal.org/) His work and the work of iDE Nepal is out in the villages trying to bring sustainable electricity to rural communities utilizing Green Technology. It was fitting that that the brief converstaion I had with him was while he was attending a conference at the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), a strategic development center in Nepal (based in Kathmandu) focused on strategic/sustainable and green development of the mountain communities in Nepal. ICIMOD with iDE are at the forefront of Climate Change in Nepal, working to combat the effects while developing Nepal. Parsu Ram Rai - with BlueDiamond Society Nepal. Blue Diamond is the overall umbrella organization working on LGBTQ issues in Nepal and Parsu is their Development Expert/counselor/government liason/senior advocate/ and all around grand high BUMPA of LGBTQ rights. In all my talks with every different organziation/leader/ and worker - education and advocacy are at the top of the priority list to change Nepal, both in terms of Climate Change and to avoid future conflict. Nepal is a fairly undeveloped nation yet leads in the world in LGBT rights, recognizing 3rd Gender and minority rights at levels the same or beyond even the Developed world and certainly beyond the US. Talking with Parsu allowed me to see the advocacy challenges. The biggest question to alleviate conflict and deal with Climate Change both is to change peoples perception. Parsu is a leader in this with very insightful thoughts on the current government. Amrit Rai - Manager Traverse Trekking and Guides. Amrit was Amazing. Talking with academics is one thing but Amrit comes from a family of Trekkers (Mountain Guides) that have been taking people hiking through the Mountains of Nepal for over 60+ years. He is the Manager at a family run Trekking Tourism company and acts as a guide during the two trekking season. While academics and policy analysts review numbers and report, Amrit and his family/guides see the effects of climate change in there work. From the drastic decrease in snow cover on the mountain tops to the increasing shrinkage of Nepals over 2000 Glaciers to the terrible flooding caused by glacier lake collapse, he has seen it all. Talking with him was getting a first hand account of the accelerated climate/weather/and ground conditions facing Nepal.
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April 2015
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