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Lakes, reservoirs at stake: Experts
KATHMANDU, MAR 27 -
Lakes and reservoirs of importance across the globe are getting deteriorated due to lack of proper conservation plans and policies, experts said.
Speaking at a national seminar on Integrated Lake Basin Management for the Sustainability of Hiamalayan Lakes, Shailendra Pokharel, programme coordinator of National Lake Conservation Development Committee (NLCDC) said, though Nepal is home for around 5000 Himalayan lakes, sustainable conservation and development of these places is at stake due to lack of concerted efforts to reverse the trend towards degradation.
Current state of the world’s lakes is indeed alarming and there is an urgent need for integrated approach to manage lakes and reservoirs in the world on a sustainable basis for long-term benefit of mankind, said Masahisa Nakamura, chairman of Integrated Lake Environment Committee Foundation, Japan.
According to him, the major concerns for the lakes, reservoirs and wetlands are the process of eutrophication, encroachment by invasive species, deforestation and unsustainable development patterns among others.
“There is vast degradation of global aesthetic and cultural assets of these lakes,” said Nakamura. “We have been losing major ecosystem and once the state of the lake is degraded, it is very difficult to restore them into original state.”
“Long-term policy framework and financial commitment are required to conserve the lakes,” he added.
The study conducted by the researchers at NLCDC in 2009 stated that there are more than 5,300 lakes in Nepal including in high mountains, mid-hills and the Tarai.
Posted on: 2010-03-28 08:05
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