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COUNTRIES VISITED
About me
How I started conservation activities in Nepal:
The story starts in 1985, when Medini Bhandari was working as a student of sociology & anthropology, doing research on indigenous knowledge religious believe about plant conservation, such as the Banyan tree. Hindu people plant these trees on important moments in life, like the birth of a child or the dead of a relative. One day, he heard someone from India give a speech on the environment and environmental protection. It struck him as one of the most important issues in life.
He started to motivate the local people to plant Banyan and Ficas religiosa trees as well as other religiously important plant species on their important event of life such as marriage, childbirth, death of relatives' etc. These species are supposed holly tree in Hindu Mythology, so normally people do not cut these plant species if they are planted according to ritual. However, this believe is not very powerful, but still people feel sin if they cut these species. Mentioned species are also very good food and habitat source of many bird species. Therefore, these species have a great importance from the bio-diversity conservational point of view. Generally, mention plant species needs high temperature for germination, therefore to establish a nursery is expensive. Fortunately, these plants are common and could be found in the old house wall, roof as well as other places where normally birds came and stay or drop their fical. From the birds fical seed spray in different and difficult place, where the seedlings appears. Mr. Bhandari and Miss Prajita started to collect those plant species by riding wall or anywhere they saw the plant seedlings. Later on other people also joined this work and they established a nursery from the collection. This plant collection created awareness in the Biratnagar City in Nepal and people started to give new name to them like MAD Conservationist. They got tittle MAD Plant carrier also. At the same time, They started to survey the marginal land and started plantation as well. In 1986, they stared awareness campaign.
They also started the survey and monitor the forest degradation as well as recording the wild animal, birds and plant species in Jhapa and Morang districts on the base of interview with local residence. They also started to visit same place again and again to monitor the forestry encroachment by the locals illegally and ligulae.
In 1987, 10 people from different village development council also joined Mr. Bhandari's group. In this year, he got married with Prajita. People were increasing in the group, so Prajita Bhandari proposed to establish a official forum to work regularly and systematic way. All group members supported his new ideas, said that something should be done with it and the couple decided to give their lives a sharp turn and work for the environment. In 1988 they founded the APEC group (Association for the Protection of Environment & Culture), in the leadership of Mr. Bhandari. In the charge of group formulation and people movement the Panchayat Government of that time arrested and kept him in prison on political charges. These types of punishment were repeated many times and it was very normal and common.
In the same year 1988, a group of 50 elephants from India invaded eastern Nepal, destroying houses and paddy fields. Several people were killed. The government gave unofficial orders to shoot the elephants. Mr. Bhandari, his wife Prajita and the friend of APEC went to the area to find other ways to solve the problems. With drums, dances and fires they managed to scare away 46 of the 50 elephants. The remaining four elephants stayed in Nepal (they became 6 now), but do not cause very big problems any more. As the Panchayat government was not happy with the solution, Mainly, Mr. Bhandari, and Prajita faced many problems on political charges, in fact they have moral support to Nepalese Democratic movement but they were not doing politics. However, the conservational activities did not stopped in any movement.
In spite of suppression by the Panchayat government APEC continued to grow. In 1991 democratic government was installed, creating a much more favorable climate for NGO's like APEC.
PUBLICATIONS AND RESEARCH WORK
1 Monitoring for Impact: Lessons on natural resources monitoring from 13 NGOs, Volume 1 and 2, Christian Ottke at al, (Nepal case study part). Published by World Resources Institute, Global forest Watch, UNEP, Conservation International USA, 2000. To download book please click on www.globalforestwatch.org/common/monitoring.1.pdf, www.globalforestwatch.org/common/monitoring.2.pdf
2 “Environment Education in Nepal-through NGO – APEC” Environmental Education for the 21st Century, Issues and Perspectives for Permanent Forum, Yolanda Ziaka, Editor and Co-author, Polis International Network in Environment Education, Published: Alliance for a Responsible, Plural and United World, with the support from the Foundation Charles Leopld Mayer Pour Le Progres de L’ Homme (FPH), June 2000.
3. Roads and Agricultural development in Eastern Development Region, A Correlation analysis
September 1999 Jointly with Dr. K.Banskota, Bikash Sharma Published by Winrock International,
(Research Report series 40) Nepal.
4. “Potential Areas for Commercialization of Agriculture in Eastern Development Region, Nepal” April 1999. (report submitted to Winrock International, Kathmandu/ USA).
5. Nepal, Conservational and role of Non governmental Organization APEC for conservation of
Nature, Presented on CBSG Annual Meeting, October-1998 Yokohama, Japan.
6. APEC's Past and present and its Conservational Movement, Presented on CBSG Annual Meeting
October-1998 Yokohama, Japan.
7. APEC-Contribution for Conservation of Nature in Nepal, CBSG News, Vol.8, No.1, June 1997, CBSG-USA.
8. Environmental Education in Nepal- Dialogues for Environmental Education, INEE- Bulletin, No.4,
June 1996, International Network in Environmental Education, Athens, Greece.
9. People Participation for Conservation of Nature in Nepal, ICCE-Network Newsletter, August 1995,
International Center for Conservation Education, United Kingdom.
10. Bird Conservation and Environmental Education in Nepal-1996, report submitted to Brehm Fond, Walsrode Germany.
11. An anthropological disturbances on the nature and habitat of wildlife in Nepal: A case study of endangered environment of wild water buffaloes in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve-1996,
Published by APEC-Nepal.
12. Self Sufficiency Programme in Sunsari district, Nepal on Firewood, fodder, grass and timber-1995, Report presented to WWF- Worldwide fund for Nature.
13. Environmental Education in Nepal, A case study of Surrounding VDCs of Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, 1995, report submitted to UNESCO/MAB and Ministry of Education, Nepal.
14. Conservational Activities by NGO-APEC in Nepal, Asian Wetland News letter vol. 2, 1995, Asian
Wetland Bureau, Kwalalumpur, Malaysia.
15. A step of Nature conservation by APEC Nepal, Zoo's Print, Vol. 8, number 11, 1995, Zoo
Outreach Organization, TN, Pelamedu, India.
16. Ethnic study of Magars of Letang, 2048 & 2050 (A research of 'Magar' Community), Association for Protection of Environment and Culture (APEC), Hatkhola Road, Biratnagar-10, Morang, Nepal.
17. Ecology study of Water in Biratnagar, 1991 (A case study of River, Pond and ditches), APEC-
Nepal.
18. Agriculture Market System in India, A case study from Sikkim State Marketing about the Fruits, Vegetables, Ginger and Cardamom,- 1993, APEC-Nepal (Research Document Presented to Sikkim State, India)
19. Wildlife and its condition in Koshi Tappu-2050, APEC-Nepal.
20. Study of Wetland Species Wild Water Buffalo (Bubalus Bubalis) in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve – 1994, APEC-Nepal.
21. Two books about environment are ready for print (in Nepali Language).
22. Many poems & Essays have been published in Many Newspapers and magazine.
23. "Environment conservation, Community development and new research trend" Column writer in
Divya Dristi Weekly, 2049 to 2050.
24. Study of crop damage by the wildlife in Nepal, A Case Study from the Koshi Tappu Wildlife
Reserve – 2000, Association for Protection of Environment and Culture (APEC), Nepal.
25. Masai Mara National Parks and Its surroundings, Narok, Kenya, GUNJAN, year 2, Vol.2, no 6,
January 1999.
26. Black buck, (Antelope cervicapra) (Krishna Saar) is looking for help in its last position to extinct in situ condition at Gularia Municipality, Bardia, Nepal, SCHOLAR vol. 12 and 1 No 9 + 10 December 1999 and January 2000.
27. Agriculture Marketing Needs Special focus for Development: Result based on Kruskal- Wallis test from Eastern Development Region, Gunjan- Year 3, Vol. 4, January 2000.
28. Tourist increasing trend in Kenya a case study from Masai Mara National Park, Narok, SCHOLAR vol. 2 + 3 No. 11 and 12, February 2000 and March 2000.
29. Earth, Environment and Nepal, (A Theoretical and Practical situation description about the Environment), SIRJANA, Vol. 2, Year 2, December / January 1999/2000.
30. District profiles (sixteen volume) of Eastern Development Region Nepal –2000, APEC-Nepal
1. Taplejung 2. Panchthar 3. Ilam 4. Jhapa
5. Sankhuwasabha 6. Terathum 7. Bhojpur 8. Dhankuta
9. Sunsari 10. Morang 11. Solukhumbu 12. Okhaldhunga
13. Khotang 14. Udhayapur 15. Saptari 16. Siraha
31. Web publication: Mountain Forum, USA On-line Library Document. Tourism Raised Problems in Masai Mara National Park, Narok, Kenya.
URL http://www.mtnforum.org/mtnforum/archives/reportspubs/library/bhanm99a.htm
URL http://www.mtnforum.org/mtnforum/archives/reportspubs/library/bhanm99b.htm
32. The problem of Food supply and agricultural business in Hill and Mountain district in Nepal,
Case studies from eastern development region. APEC-Nepal, Kathmandu.
http://www.mtnforum.org/mtnforum/archives/reportspubs/library/bhanm00a.htm
33. Education pour l" Environment le Nepal, - "L' Association pour la' de l'environment et de la culture" edited by Yolanda Ziaka, published By Editions Charles Leopold Mayer & La Librairie, no 119, foundation Charles Leopold Mayer pour le progres de l'Homme, FPH, France, January 2000 (Chapter seven). (Translation published in English, French, Greece and Spanish languages).
34. Commercial Banking and its functions in Nepal, A case studies from Rastriya Banijya Bank, research report submitted to RBB, Planning and Research Department, Kathmandu, Nepal on April 2000.
35. Rural financing in Nepal, An evaluation of Rastriya Banijya Bank's contribution for poverty alleviation, report submitted to RBB, Planning and Research Department/ Priority Sector Loan Department, Kathmandu, Nepal on April 2000.
36. A Comparative studies on democratic socialists: B. Brant (German) and B.P. Koirala,(Nepali) Manobhava, Quarterly, Year 5, Vol. 3, No. 20, April 2000.
37. Agricultural Marketing in Nepal, Agricultural Economic Journal, Biannual, Vol. 6, No. 1, January to Jun 2000.
38. An Encounter with African Wild Buffaloes, in Masai Mara National Parks, Narok, Kenya (An autobiographical travel essay / research findings), Gunjan- Year 4, Vol. 2, July 2000.
39. Conservation Situation of Black Buck (Antilope cervicapra): Problem and solutions, A case from in-situ situation in Kairapur, Bardia- Nepal, 2000, Report to Bardia Municipality, Bardia, Nepal by APEC-Nepal.
40. The Roles and Involvement of NGOs in Agricultural Development in Nepal, A Case study of Bhaktapur District, 2000 Jointly with D. Bhandari, Submitted to: The Agricultural Research and Extension Project (AREP) Nepal.
41. “Human mental pollution is much more critical and harmful than environmental pollution” National Janamanch Monthly, Vol. 1, October 2000.
42. Socio-Economic Status of Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve Bufferzone (With additional
volume of background data base profile), UNDP, HMG-Department of National Parks
and Wildlife Conservation, Park People Program (NEP/94/001), December, 2000.
43. Environmental Education HANDBOOK for Nepalese Schools, NC-IUCN, The Netherlands/ APEC-Nepal, September 2001 (with special focus on wetland).
How I started conservation activities in Nepal:
The story starts in 1985, when Medini Bhandari was working as a student of sociology & anthropology, doing research on indigenous knowledge religious believe about plant conservation, such as...
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