World Wetlands Day-2^nd February 2011

'Wetlands and forests - forests for water and wetlands'

' hn tyf l;d;f/sf nflu jg'

 Nepal is one of a signatory of the Ramsar Convention and has listed its nine wetlands as Ramsar Site, wetlands of international importance. The year 2011 is a special year for all of us as it's a 40th anniversary of the Ramsar Convention.

In celebration of World Wetlands Day 2011 and the fortieth anniversary, Himalayan Nature (HN) had organized wetland related activities from 2^nd to 10^th February to aware public and to safeguard our valuable wetland resources.

On 2nd February, Himalayan Nature celebrated World Wetlands Day in the capital city in collaboration with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Ramsar authority in Nepal and its national partner organizations. The day was marked with the inauguration ceremony in which Honorable Minister Mr Deepak Bohora, Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation was a Chief Guest. Wetland poster and other wetland related educative materials were launched on that day. Some experts on wetlands and water science highlighted the issues and challenges of wetlands conservation.

   

Inauguration ceremony on 2^nd Feb 2011               Wetland poster for the year 2011

 As a conservation partner, Himalayan Nature actively participated in all the programs that were held in premises of Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation on 2^nd February 2011. Besides this program Himalayan Nature conducted the following activities in lowland Nepal to mark the World Wetlands Day:

            Bird watching activities in Koshi in collaboration with Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Ramsar Site
Bird watching in Lumbini including Gaidahawa Lake, a key biodiversity area (KBA)
Bird survey of Jagdishpur Reservoir, Ramsar Site

Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is considered as the haven and capital of Siberian birds facing extinction and other nomadic birds. HN actively participated in bird festival organized every year in Koshi Tappu, a prime destination for bird and wildlife watching. The festival has been organized for the past nine years in a bid to make the public aware of the need to conserve wildlife and bird habitats and stop human encroachments. In addition, the festival supported much in spreading message for the conservation of endangered wildlife and birds and in turn creates positive impact on human life. In the meantime, the reserve authority declared to celebrate the year 2011 as the Bird Year.

Bird watching programs were carried out with the local students and teachers in the forests of Koshi. It was participated by the local students from grade six to ten along with interested teachers. A total 150 students were taken early in the morning for bird watching tour. Students were taught about the wetlands, their importance and then the birds, their diversity and role in maintaining the ecological balance.  Bird watching tours were conducted in Prakashpur, Madhuban, Kosi Bird Observatory and Kushaha. Our field assistants, Mr Suman Acharya, Mr Buddhi Timsina and Mr Anish Timsina conducted this event in Koshi.

Some glimpses of Bird festival and bird watching program:

    
 
Jagdishpur, currently the largest reservoir in the country was designated as Ramsar site in 2003. It was created over the location of Jakhira Lake and surrounding agricultural land in the early 1970s. There are two smaller lakes known as Sagarhawa and Niglihawa situated in the area that serve as a buffer habitat for bird movements. It's an Important Bird Area (IBA) identified by Birdlife International (also known as Key Biodiversity Area to wider conservation community) because of its international importance for threatened species and their habitat conservation. The birds of Jagdishpur are very poorly known, although the site is believed to provide an important habitat for resident, wintering and passage migrant wetland birds. Besides bird watching activities, HN organized bird survey along with interaction programs on the current situation of wetland dependent birds and their ecological role to maintain healthy wetlands and people. A total of 35 species of birds were recorded on 2^nd February.

Some glimpses of bird watching activities at Jagdispur Reservoir:

                   

Similarly, HN conducted bird watching activities in Lumbini including Gaidahawa Lake, a key biodiversity area (KBA). Gaidahawa Lake is an important breeding site for Sarus Crane Grus antigone and Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus and also serves as a habitat for a small resident and wintering population of several species of water birds. Besides bird watching activities, our field assistants Mr Dinesh Giri and Mr Sanjiv Acharya conducted awareness programs on conservation wetland resources of Gaidahawa and their wise use among the students of local private and government schools. Altogether 61 species of birds were recorded during bird survey at Jagdispur Reservoir. More
 

Some glimpses from Lumbini, KBA:

       

 

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the conservation partners and all passionate students along with the local people of Koshi, Lumbini and Jagdispur in making World Wetlands Day a success. Special thanks to the all the following:

            Dr Hem Sagar Baral
            Mr Dinesh Giri
            Mr Sharad Singh
            Mr Sanjiv Acharya
            Mr Suman Acharya
            Mr DB Chaudhary
            Ms Alina Chaudhary
            Ms Melina Chaudhary
            Ms Tulasi Rijal
            Mr Asha Ram Mahato
            Ms  Ishwori Chaudhary
            Mr Yam Bdr Nepali
            Mr Tek Bdr Thanet
            Mrs Prava Pandey