Tag: Adaptation

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To Bahundanda

The girls seemed better this morning as we left Khudi, although I was concerned with Ali who didn’t have much appetite. Lena seemed stronger. The first couple of hours were good, but the girls started losing energy after then, Ali in particular. Once we got past Bhulbhule I got the camera out and started doing some filming, the first I’ve done in Nepal. It was good to finally get back to doing this after two weeks. The challenge, however, was with Lena and Ali, particularly over the last leg, uphill to Bahundanda. This was particularly tough for Ali who was really struggling. Some food and rest seemed to do the trick, or so it seemed for a while!

Meanwhile I got talking to the owners of the Mountian View guest house, Bahundanda. They talked about past efforts at reafforestation, about 20 years ago, which have proved to be unsuccessful. The forest around their village was cleared as more people moved there. The problem now is that people are continuing to cut trees and burn the grass, with reafforestation efforts often negated with uncontrolled spread of fire. They have tried to talk to local people to stop cutting trees near the village, but to no effect. The other issue affecting them is the road that is being built to Manang, which will negatively impact on the environment and tourism. They would like support for a community development project in the area. Education is clearly the key.

Deforestation is a big issue around Bahundanda village
Deforestation is a big issue around Bahundanda village

Just when I thought things were coming right with Lena and Ali, Lena started going down again with diarrhoea. Our primary concern had been with Ali as it seemed Lena was OK, but this proved to be incorrect. Ali’s big need was for a good nights sleep. Lena was very distressed to be having diarrhoea again. It greatly distressed me as well to be seeing the girls so low.

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A challenging start to trekking

It was a tough start to our journey around the Annapurna circuit with Lena and Ali both having had food poisoning yesterday. As we drove out of Kathmandu I reflected on the changes I have seen since I was there in 1983, 24 years ago. There are a lot more people and there is a lot more pollution. The rapid change in temperature that occurred over the last week, and affected ourselves with food poisoning and apparently many others, is a clear warning sign for the future. I see a serious deterioration in the environment of the Kathmandu valley.

The Kathmandu valley is now densely populated and is badly polluted
The Kathmandu valley is now densely populated and is badly polluted

The other thing that I noticed as we drove east is the level of haze, far worse than I remember. This was a major disappointment for Lena who had imagined us journeying into clear mountain air. Our road journey ended at Besisahar and then we walked to the village of Khudi, where we stayed the night. Not many trekkers stop here now, with the road for buses continuing to Bhulbhule. More on the road later. Our guide, Karma Lama, thought that Lena and Ali might be better for some walking, but they really struggled … even with only day packs to carry. It was a relief to get to the guest house.

Lena and Alice, struggling with the after effects of food poisoning
Lena and Alice, struggling with the after effects of food poisoning
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The Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal

I am presently sitting in our hotel room in Kathmandu, recovering from a bout of food poisoning. It was a real effort for me to get up this morning. I then had to gather my energy to make an appointment with Dr Siddhartha of the National Trust for Nature Conservation in Nepal.

I thought it would be useful to share some information about the area of Nepal that we will be in for the next three weeks. The information I have comes from a booklet given to me yesterday by Dr Siddhartha. This trust was formerly known as the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation and was established in 1982. Over the last two decades it has undertaken over 200 projects on nature conservation, biodiversity as well as cultural heritage protection, ecotourism, and sustainable development.

The Annapurna region, showing the Annapurna circuit
The Annapurna region, showing the Annapurna circuit

The Annapurna Conservation Area Project, launched in 1986, is the largest undertaking of the NTNC. The Annapurna region is the first Conservation Area and is the largest protected area in Nepal. “It covers an area of 7,629 sq km and is home to over 100,000 local residents of different ethnic, cultural and linguistic groups. ACAP is rich in biodiversity and is a treasure house for many plant and animal species.” It has one of the world’s deepest gorges, the Kali Gandaki Gorge, which is 3 miles long and 1.5 miles wide. “The region contains the world’s largest rhododendron forest in Ghorepani and the world’s highest lake, Tilicho, in Manang, south of the Annapurna massif.”

There are many issues in the ACAP region, not least of which is the impact of tourism. While tourism benefits the local economy it has also placed huge demands on fuel wood (consumption of fuel wood for tourism is twice that of the local people), and serious litter problems.

“The multifaceted problems of the Annapurna Conservation Area have been addressed through an integrated, community-based conservation and development approach, an experimental model which has been in the vanguard of promoting the concepts of  ‘Conservation Area’ through an ‘Integrated Conservation and Development Programme’ approach in the country and abroad.

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In New Delhi

We’re in New Delhi now relaxing a bit and being tourists for one of the few times on our journey so far. Today we went into Delhi. First to the Gandhi memorial, created at the site where he was cremated. I found this deeply moving, unexpectedly so, but not surprising on reflection. Gandhi’s life has long been an inspiration for me. His life was dedicated to non-violent action and leading by example, by doing. We are so much in need of this sort of leadership now.

Rajgat, site of Gandhi's cremation. 'We must be the change we wish to see'
Rajgat, site of Gandhi's cremation. 'We must be the change we wish to see'

From there we walked to the Red Fort, then followed directions given by our very friendly hotel owner and plunged into the narrow alleys of the old city where we found a small place for lunch. We then walked through the maze of alleys for a while before coming to the very large mosque that is located here.

I’m now sitting in a tiny, almost cavernous, room off the street in a tiny little alcove in front of what seems like a dilapidated computer! But it works! We’re presently working to finalise travel arrangements to get to Kathmandu. We’ve booked a car for tomorrow, to go to Agra for the day. All going well we’ll be on a train to Varanasi on Thursday and flying from there to Kathmandu on Saturday. The next leg of our journey truly starts when we reach Kathmandu.

Lena rowing on the Ganges!
Lena rowing on the Ganges!
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Reflections from Viet Nam

It is difficult to write a brief summary of our time in Viet Nam and what we observed and experienced. There are very strong contradictions in the relationship between people and the environment. Viet Nam is developing rapidly. The negative side of this are large open cast mines as we observed in Thai Nguyen, intensification of agriculture and the negative consequences of this as we observed in the Mekong. There is no apparent focus on the appropriateness and consequences of such developments. On the other hand there are official programmes to protect and enhance the environment, many of which are supported by NGOs and foreign government aid programmes. With people offering contacts and then not helping us at all it became impossible for us to see any of the more positive initiatives. However, informally, we found evidence of people acting and working positively for the future in their local communities.

If I think about the challenges posed by climate change in the context of the above then it is clear to me that solutions won’t come easily for Viet Nam. Some of the government programmes, such as reafforestation efforts, are having positive impacts as we saw locally in Hue. However, in the ‘rice basket’ of Viet Nam, the Mekong Delta, the challenges will be very great. There are no easy solutions there. Before we came to Viet Nam our Thai friends expressed concern about intensification of rice production and we heard about the consequences of this. There are areas already affected by drought and seasonal effects of salinisation. Insect pest problems, pollution of waterways, erosion of canal banks, are all local issues that will be further compounded by climate change. The push for increased rice production, with three crops a year in many places now, is not sustainable with these multiple challenges.

The Viet Nam situation is in strong contrast to the growing momentum of the self sufficient economy approach in Thailand. People there, albeit a minority still, are awakening to the consequences of unsustainable practices and there is a groundswell for change, along with a growing awareness of the challenges posed by climate change. In Viet Nam the pressure for economic development is creating all sorts of tensions. The most positive impression I carry is the natural warmth and wisdom of the rural people we encountered. This is where the real hope lies for Viet Nam in my view, if positive ways can be found to empower these people and somehow minimise or overcome the real desperation for money that is so evident to a foreigner in the urban areas. I believe the lessons we carried from Thailand could be of great benefit to Viet Nam.