Climate Change and Conflict
I am not sure what I expected when I came here, but what I found is very different then anything I even remotely imagined. Kathmandu to me is a city of contrasts. It is a sprawling city stretching for miles, filling then entire valley from what I can see. While there are a couple of high rises, the majority is a sprawling mass of 2-6 level buildings made of brick and concrete. There is very little green and the roads look like little more then alleys. I am not sure city planning is even a concept they thought about as the city roads twist and turn. Because of the rolling power outages, there are no street lights or traffic signals. Not that they are dark, but that they are not even built. What would be the point? And the Dust... it is everywhere. But what can one expect when the city has grown in size almost 1000% in 40 years with much of the growth happening in the past 20?
On the other hand, the people. The people are warm and friendly - I would hazard to say more so then anywhere else I have been. Given all the challenges, they go about their daily lives and make the best of everything. I found myself walking down a "street" the other night on my quest for food. It was dark (no power), the streets were crowded and motor bikes and cars were racing up and down - headlights the only source of light. When they passed, the pedestrians were plunged back into darkness. Back in the US or many other places, this would be a cause for concern. Worry about pick pockets or people doing nefarious things would ever be on your mind. No one in their right mind walks down dark alleys in a sprawling city in the dark alone. But here, this is a fact of life. Women in colorful Saris walked near men in nice shoes and pants. children roamed, but not the roving bands of youth infamous for causing riots on the Metro in Washington, D.C. but kids in their school uniforms grabbing a bite to eat with friends and hanging out. I walked for almost a mile in my search for food and saw a city full of life, doing what we all do in all places, everywhere... living. In this, all of the "challenges" listed in the first paragraph are balanced by a rich life in the second. But this is just a surface impression. The observations of one westerner with only a few days of experience. I was very lucky as I was being hosted my first week by my fellow APLP G'14 Classmate and his family. Perhaps this has colored my view of Nepalese society. Yadav was a gracious host and his family (Brothers, Sister in Law, Father, Mother, Uncle and Cousin) all who I got to meet, allowed me to be part of the family, and I can honestly say, I have never eaten as well or as much in my life. This post is not about my GIST research regarding Climate Change and Conflict - that will come later. But I was able to talk in depth with his Father and His Uncle about what they have experienced here. It was most enlightening and helps to shape my view of this diverse society. Their insights as well as those others I will talk about in the next post show a different Nepal then the one we (rarely) hear about in the U.S. This is a place to come, to see a different world. One that may unfortunately vanish in the not to distant future.
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April 2015
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