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First Int’l Himalayan conference kicks off
KATHMANDU, JAN 13 - A four-day International Conference on the Great Himalayas began here today.
The conference is jointly organised by Kathmandu University (KU) and the Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society (AEHMS), Canada.
The Himalayas were formed over 50 million years ago and is considered one of the most fragile and unique ecosystems containing a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic habitats. The conference, among others, will focus on the climate, health, ecology, management and conservation of the Himalayan ecosystem.
Inaugurating the conference, Dr Suresh Raj Sharma, vice-chancellor of KU, said, "Despite enhancement of the economic activities, the development works have affected the eco-system of the Himalayas."
Stressing on the need of the ecological balance, Dr Sharma said that developmental activities should not be carried out at the cost of environment.
Stating that the conference was the first of its kind on the Great Himalayas, Dr Subodh Sharma, co-chairperson and organising secretary of the conference said that the conference would focus on various social and ecological aspects of the Great Himalayas and its inhabitants.
He expressed anxiety over the negligence of scientists and the concerned authorities on the eco-system of the region.
Dr Mohiuddin Munawar, another co-chairperson and president of the AEHMS said that the Himalayas, which have continuously attracted thousands of mountaineers from around the world, were also aesthetically prominent gift of nature. He, however, complained that nobody put any thoughts on the ecological perspective of the Himalayas.
He also informed that the organising committee had chalked out plans to establish an International Working Group (IWG) aiming at carrying out research programmes on the Himalayan ecosystem.
Dr Rana Bahadur Chhetri, Head of the Department of Biological Sciences and Environmental Science at KU expressed hope that the conference would help to amalgamate scientists from around the world in order to work together on the sustainable development of the fragile ecosystem. Posted on: 2004-01-14 04:29
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