Symposium on Environment Pollution

Symposium: Environment Pollution

Date: 14 October 2018

Time: 16:00-18:10

Hall: TBC

Environment pollution is of rising concern to thriving cities of Nepal. Rapid  but  unplanned  urbanization  is  adding  polluting  agents  to environment in an alarming rate. Unsafe disposal of hazardous and biomaterials is also worsening the cleanliness of the environment. City inhabitants are already experiencing nontrivial impact of geometric growth of contaminants in air and water. Negative consequences of pollution is now spilling over to sub-urban and village areas. The symposium will mainly discuss the current state of pollution in air and water resources, environmental policies of the government of Nepal and effective environment restoration mechanisms.

Focus:

Environment Pollution, Government Policy for Clean Environment, Policy Gaps, NRN Experts’ Role

Background:

Environment pollution is of a serious concern to thriving cities of Nepal. Rapid,  but  unplanned,  urbanization, increasing number of vehicles and energy consumption, emissions from industries, heating, and burning woods and other trash materials, trans-boundary air pollution;  chemical uses in agriculture, poor and failing septic systems, exposed ground surfaces leading to excessive dust in the air, poor disposal of solid and hazardous wastes, and other activities are leading to environmental degradation at an alarming rate. Environmental pollution is degrading air, water, and soil quality in addition to damaging wildlife habitat, and deteriorating recreational uses of natural resources. Environmental pollution has not only threaten public health, it is adversely affecting the aesthetics, tourism, ecological integrity, and economic activities in the cities. Unsafe disposal of hazardous and biomaterials is spreading highly toxic substances which are often long lasting in the environment. City inhabitants are already experiencing nontrivial impact of geometric growth of contaminants in air and water, and, there is a strong public call for immediate control on environmental pollution and ecological restoration. Negative consequences of pollution is now spilling over to sub-urban and village areas. The symposium will focus mainly in Kathmandu Valley and its peri-urban areas and will discuss the current state of air, water, and soil pollution; solid wastes, hazardous waste management, sewage treatment, Underground Storage Tanks, storm water management, and relevant policy papers including environmental remediation and restoration. The symposium expects to come up with a comprehensive view of Environmental Pollution of Nepal but focusing on Kathmandu Valley based on scientific findings and eventually lay grounds for future environmental research and develop policy guidelines in a very coordinated and effective way. This symposium intends to bring knowledge, skills and technologies from Nepalese diaspora  across the globe to a common platform where Nepalese environmental scientists, researchers, and policy makers and other stakeholders bring their on-the-ground experiences, scientific understandings, remediation measures, and policy issues in relation to environmental pollution and its control.

Coordinators:

Dr Mahesh Rupakheti, Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Germany

Dr Durga D. Poudel, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana, USA

Dr Udhab Raj Khadka, Asta-Ja Research and Development Center, Kathmandu, Nepal

Program Schedule