<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111413114/63722f599c7e80680e0c250fjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1001"/>Tucked away in northern Chitwan between the Prithvi and Mahendra Highways is a land that has been bypassed by time. And this has helped protect the unique <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/model-for-post-covid-ecotourism/">landscape and biodiversity of Gadi-Siraichuli</a>.The mountain forest here is one of a network of sites in the world designated as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area by BirdLife International. It is the habitat of the Spiny Babbler (Turdoides nipalensis), the rare and shy bird that is found only in Nepal.Ironically it is state neglect of the past decades that has protected the unique ecosystem of Gadi-Siraichuli. The mountains also have historical significance for the 18th century fort that dates back to the Anglo-Nepal wars of the early 19th century.A five- day trekking itinerary takes visitors through remote villages and wilderness areas so untouched that it is hard to believe Gadi-Siraichuli is that close to the national highways.The <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Chepang-living-edge,3136">nomadic Chepang people</a> still practice Shamanism, and it is the only health care for villagers before they can reach hospitals in Bharatpur. Children along the trail have to travel two hours each way to reach the three government schools in the area.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111413114/63722f5c9c7e80680e0c2510jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1125">Thanks to the <a href="https://besnepal.org/">Bird Education Society</a>, the trail from Kot to Upardang Gadi via Kaaule has become a popular hike for birders from Nepal and around the world.The trail begins in the village of Hugdi along the Kathmandu-Pokhara highway, from where it is an uphill to Kot Pass that leads to the fort. When the clouds part, there is a panoramic view of Himalchuli and Annapurnas, with Himalayan vultures wheeling overhead.The walk then follows the Rigdi Khola to the nightstop at Lower Kaaule village. Lush sub-tropical broad-leaf forests cover the valley sides. Black and Bonelli’s Eagles appear over the skyline.Lower Kaaule is a Magar and Chhetri settlement with 25 houses situated by the river amidst terraced fields. There are homestays here where the owners are used to trekkers passing through. Villagers practice agroforestry, bee-keeping and organic farming, and there are orange, peach and pear trees along the paths. Recently, tea gardens and black cardamom plantations have sprung up.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111413114/63722f5f9c7e80680e0c2511jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1125">The autumn nights are clear and starlit, with the Milky Way, shooting stars and satellites crossing the sky. Visitors fall asleep listening to the calls of Collared Owlets and Mountain Scops Owls nearby.The next morning it is a climb up a steep forested slope alive with flycatchers, warblers and babblers on the trail to Kotari, and onward to Upper Kaaule where there is also a homestay.This is where the Spiny Babbler was sighted in 2020, marking a new locality for this bird. The next morning the trail climbs through the dense rhododendron forest of Gadi-Siraichuli to Upardang Gadi village via Chisapanitar. There are plenty of homestays, and the area is a haven for birders. There are stunning mountain views, especially before sunrise.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/spiny-babbler-tourism/">Spiny babbler tourism</a>, Kamal MadenThe fort at Upardang Gadi is situated at 1,275m with unsurpassed views of Chitwan Valley to the south and the mountains to the north. Birds of prey soar over the fort, with sightings of the Greater Spotted, Steppe Eagles and Pied Harriers. At dusk Lesser Kestrels hawk acrobatically for termites.The next day it is downhill to Shaktikhor in Chitwan, where a forest was cleared for a UN-supervised camp for the demobilisation of the Maoists after the conflict ended in 2006, and then on to the highway.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111413114/63722f639c7e80680e0c2512jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1125">Gadi-Siraichuli forest has been designated one of Nepal’s 37 Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, which are of global importance for birds and other wildlife. It includes the largest extent and the highest quality of subtropical mixed broadleaved forest remaining Nepal that supports significant populations of bird species as well as four globally threatened and 20 nationally threatened species.The Chepang people followed a nomadic lifestyle until recently, and various factors including influx of settlers forced them to take up a more sedentary subsistence  agriculture. But Chepang families still harvest wild food from the forest which serves as the watershed providing drinking water for seven villages in Chitwan, but it is still outside Nepal’s protected area system.Designating the area as a Watershed and Bird Sanctuary would be invaluable in protecting the forest for wildlife and as a resource for local communities, including their precious water sources. Promoting eco-tourism would also raise incomes and help in conservation of this precious habitat.Carol Inskipp is a UK conservationist and author of books on Nepal birds and their conservation, who has been coming to Nepal since 1977.Prem Thapa is an avid birder,  trekker, and life member of Bird Education Society, and works at Samsara Trekking &amp; Safari in Kathmandu.Read more: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/protecting-the-last-home-of-the-spiny-babbler/">Protecting the last home of the Spiny Babbler</a>, Carol Inskipp and Rupendra Karmacharya

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Eco-tourism in Gadi-Siraichuli

Ornithologists Carol Inskipp, Rupendra Karmacharya and Prem Thapa with a follow-up about how their lobbying has halted a controversial road project in a northern Chitwan forest, and restored hope for the rare Spiny Babbler and other endangered wildlife.  <figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111124/636cd1f99c7e80680e08f8e6jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1125"/><figcaption>Gadi village. Photo: CAROL INSKIPP</figcaption></figure>In April 2019 our report in Nepali Times highlighted the serious threat posed by a new road through the Gadi-Siraichuli watershed and its rich wildlife habitat in the Mahabharat Range. Last week, the Ichakamana Municipality in Chitwan district halted its construction and re-routed the road to save the forest.The road serves the remote, under-developed region inhabited mostly by <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Chepang-living-edge,3136">the Chepang people</a>, and the road had been forcefully constructed by the people of Mathlo Kaule to Chisapanitar and Gadi.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/protecting-the-last-home-of-the-spiny-babbler/">Protecting the last home of the Spiny Babbler </a><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111124/636cd1fc9c7e80680e08f8e7jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1622" height="1000"><figcaption>View of Himalchuli and Manaslu from Mathlo Kaule. Photo: PREM THAPA</figcaption></figure>The region also has historical significance because of an 18th-century fort and is exceptionally rich in biodiversity. In fact, the Gadi-Siraichuli forest has been designated an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area by BirdLife International and Bird Conservation Nepal.It is one of a network of sites around the world which are of international value for birds and other wildlife. Gadi-Siraichuli is a stronghold of the Spiny Babbler (Turdoides nipalensis), the elusive bird found only in Nepal and nowhere else.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111124/636cd1ff9c7e80680e08f8e8jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="668" height="1000"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111124/636cd2029c7e80680e08f8e9jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1125">The forest is the home to the rare Spiny Babbler and the Himalayan Cuita. Photos: SAGAR GIRI, BIMITA BHANDARILocal people from Gadi objected strongly to the new road because it would destroy their only water source, and result in landslides. Indeed, rockfalls from the new road have already damaged the forest. If construction had continued, it would have dried up the only two remaining water sources for eight villages.A 2015 survey in Chitwan after the earthquakes concluded that the geology of the region had been disturbed, and the slopes were too unstable for unplanned road building.Now, there is good news. Last week, Ichakamana Municipality halted the construction of the road, and passed the budget for an alternative alignment suggested in this newspaper two years ago for the road to go via Thapthali and Mayatar to Gadi. This new route will be far less damaging to the environment, as well as connect more villages to Gadi.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111124/636cd2059c7e80680e08f8eajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="684" height="843">The Ichakamana Municipality acted with foresight to protect both the watershed and the environment. It also opens up opportunities for Gadi-Siraichuli to develop low-intensity sustainable tourism through nature and culture tours.Such small-scale ecotourism could bring great advantages including additional income to the Chepang, Magar, Gurung and Chhetri communities here, and could be a model for similar areas in other parts of Nepal.If the Municipality designates the area as ‘Gadhi-Siraichuli Watershed and Bird Sanctuary’, it will be a recognised destination for tourists interested in pristine forests with rich wildlife. Indeed, it would be the first bird sanctuary in Nepal.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111124/636cd2079c7e80680e08f8ebjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption>Now that construction of a road cutting through the forest has been halted, ecotourism and birding has a future in Gadi-Siraichuli forest. Photo: PREM THAPA</figcaption></figure>Local youths could be trained as guides by the <a href="http://www.besnepal.org/">Bird Education Society (BES),</a> a Sauraha-based NGO that has been monitoring the district’s birdlife since the 1990s and has recorded sightings of 320 species of birds, with new ones continually being added to the list.Some of these are very rare birds like the Red-faced Liocichla, sighted here four years ago for the first time after the 19th century. There are also 15 mammal species including the splendid Black Giant Squirrel and Assamese Macaque. The richness of birds and other wildlife will undoubtedly attract naturalists from overseas as well as many from Nepal.The region’s other attraction is the historic Upardangadi Fort, located above Gadi village, which was built by the Shah kings 250 years ago to protect Nepal from attacks from the south by the British East India Company. The fort lies on the top of a 1,275 m mountain top with a sweeping panorama of Himalchuli-Manaslu to the north as well as a magnificent view of the Chitwan Valley to the south.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111124/636cd20b9c7e80680e08f8ecjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1700" height="1048"><figcaption>The 18th century Upardangadi Fort on a mountain top above the forests of Gadi-Siraichuli, which has thick forests rich in biodiversity. Photo: PREM THAPA</figcaption></figure>The rich traditional culture of the Chepang, Gurung and Magars inhabitants can also be a draw, and provide additional income to the indigenous people of the region. There are already new homestays in Gadi and Tallo Kaule, that offer visitors a place to stay and immerse in local traditions and wildlife tourism.BES is providing homestay training in a sustainable and eco-friendly way for local people, many of whom are from marginalised communities. The Municipality will now have to invest in proper homestays, improve trails, and train locals. Bird and biodiversity conservation and would be highly beneficial to ecotourism development here.When local villagers find they are benefitting financially from such grassroots tourism, they are much more likely to actively protect their wondrous forests with its bio-diversity. And this is also the kind of post-Covid tourism model Nepal should strive for.Carol Inskipp is a UK conservationist and author of books on Nepal birds and their conservation, who has been coming to Nepal since 1977. Rupendra Karmacharya runs a lodge in Gadi village, and works to preserve the local culture and biodiversity.Prem Thapa is an avid birder, trekker, life member of Bird Education Society, and works at Samsara Trekking &amp; Safari in Kathmandu.

Model for post-Covid ecotourism

<figure><img width="1500" height="1109" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101132/636b73f79c7e80680e062369jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photos : HEM SAGAR BARAL</figcaption></figure>Because Nepal is located at the confluence of four eco-biological domains, and because of its vast altitude difference, the country has the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=4568" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">greatest variety of birdlife</a> for its area in all the world.Terrain soars from 70m above sea level to nearly 8,850m within a horizontal distance of barely 100km, so <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/between-existence-and-extinction-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nepal’s biodiversity</a> is as rich as in countries that span thousands of kilometers. Indeed, 880 species of birds have been recorded in Nepal – more than in the continental United States. Read also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/decline-in-birds-of-migration-nepal" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kathmandu's silent spring</a>, Sonia Awale<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=40281&amp;preview_nonce=1f03b98eba&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Spiny babbler tourism</a>, Kamal MadenAmong these, 150 are <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/birds-of-passage-Nepal,2921" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">migratory birds</a> that winter in Nepal’s wetlands across the Tarai. They are mainly water fowl, but include eagels, storks and cranes that fly down from Mongolia and Siberia.Some of these birds have a brief stopover in Nepal and fly on to India, and even to Africa across the Arabian Sea. When tracked by satellite, bar-headed geese (like the ones, right) take return flights from India to lakes in Tibet at altitudes above 6,000m, using the westerly jet stream to push them over the Himalayan mountains.Every winter, <a href="http://www.birdlife.org/asia/partners/nepal-bird-conservation-nepal-bcn?gclid=CjwKCAiAj-_xBRBjEiwAmRbqYnQtNZDaVIorTW-qNKNT0gWBSDO0kcyrsXl4BD8S3K-3mMR_67ExuBoCDikQAvD_BwE" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bird Conservation Nepal</a> (see box) conducts a migratory bird census of Nepal’s nature reserves as part of an international exercise supported by Wetlands International. Its records show that every year there are fewer and fewer birds wintering in Nepal. “We have seen a gradual decrease in the number of birds coming to Nepal over the years, and the consequences for the environment are serious,” says Hem Sagar Baral, national coordinator of the annual bird census conducted by Himalayan Nature. <img width="1500" height="1068" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101132/636b73fa9c7e80680e06236ajpeg.jpg" alt="">Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/protecting-the-last-home-of-the-spiny-babbler/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Protecting the last home of the Spiney babbler</a>, Carol Inskipp and Rupendra Karmacharya Every winter since 1987, more than 360 volunteers from Himalayan Nature have counted birds in 60 <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18976#.Xjv0sDIzaUk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wetland spots</a> across Nepal. They finish by mid-January. The data for this year is still to be tallied, but preliminary findings confirm the fears of ornithologists that the numbers continue to fall.Some of the counting locations include favourites of migratory birds like Kosi Tappu in the east, Bis Hazari lake in Chitwan, the crane sanctuary in Lumbini, Ghodaghodi Lake in Kailali, and Bardiya National Park. Aside from the Tarai, this year the bird counting was also done at Rara Lake.<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/decline-in-birds-of-migration-nepal" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Birds have also stopped coming to Kathmandu</a> locations including Taudaha for many years now. Though the number of migratory birds is stable in Chitwan and seems to have grown in Ghodaghodi Lake, the decline across Nepal is notable, and worrying.Baral says some rare species of geese have not been seen for several years now and that there could be many reasons for this.“The <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/protecting-the-last-home-of-the-spiny-babbler/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">habitat of birds are shrinking</a> along the migratory routes and in our own  wetlands,” he explains, “rapid urbanisation and the increasing use of pesticides could be other reasons. On top of that, we now have climate change that impacts on birds, as it does everything else.”The implications of this decline are far-reaching. Birds, especially water birds, have an important role in the ecological cycle. They also eat <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/lesser-known-endangered-species/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">insects and rodents</a>, protecting crops.While yearly fluctuation of bird numbers is normal, and a slight reduction in two consecutive years is not cause for concern, experts say the long-term trend is disconcerting.“We do not have much control over the birds’ migratory routes, but even within Nepal, there is a lot we can do,” says Baral. “We must control hunting and poaching and manage our wetlands better, keeping them free from pollution.’He says that if this is done, birds that have gone elsewhere this winter may come back next year. <h2>Owl Festival</h2> Friends of Nature (FoN), a youth-led conservation group, is organising a two-day owl festival in Rangbhang of Syangja in collaboration with the International Festival of Owls. The event, in its ninth iteration this year, has previously taken place in Khotang, Dhading, and other districts.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/lesser-known-endangered-species/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rescuing barn owls from superstition</a>, Kamal Maden<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=16088" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Feather fiends</a>, Dewan RaiTwenty two species of owl are found in Nepal. Eight of them are endangered, because owls are hunted and traded for medicinal properties of their body parts.“Owls are highly neglected fauna in terms of research and conservation in Nepal as majority of effort concentrates on megafauna like rhinoceros and tiger. This has left owls exposed and unprotected,” says FoN, which wants to increase awareness of owl conservation. <img width="640" height="964" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101132/636b73fd9c7e80680e06236bjpeg.jpg" alt="">In addition to learning a lot about owls and their habitats, attendees of the festival will be entertained with games, face painting, and other activities. A temporary owl museum will be displayed and cultural arts performed. <h2>Friends of feathers</h2> <img width="1500" height="737" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101132/636b73ff9c7e80680e06236cjpeg.jpg" alt="">Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN) has been active in protecting and spreading awareness Nepal’s avian species. It conducts bird surveys, especially around proposed infrastructure projects like a transmission line in Central Nepal that passes through the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/protecting-the-last-home-of-the-spiny-babbler/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">habitat of spiny babbler</a> and other endangered species. It found that the birds like white-rumped, slender-billed and red-headed vultures have recovered there in recent years, and other birds like sarus cranes prefer the area. It recommends that the transmission lines should avoid <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/proposed-change-to-lumbini-masterplan-threat-to-Sarus,4090" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wetlands</a> so the habitat is protected and the birds are not electrocuted. BCN conducts regular bird counts in Kathmandu, and also surveys <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/pokharas-shrinking-lakes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">threatened species around Pokhara</a>.  BCN also conducts basic ornithology training, instructing freshers in watching, recognising, documenting, and photographing birds. This year BCN published the Pheasant Conservation Action Plan for Nepal (2019-2023), developed the Biodiversity Conservation Education Curriculum for schools and created long-term strategy for the Nepal Bird Conservation Network (NBCN).<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=17991" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Vulture conservation</a> has also been part of BCN’s work since the raptors went into steep decline in South Asia, poisoned by steroid-laced cattle carcasses. BCN is tracking 61 white-rumped vultures -- 31 captives that have been released and 30 wild -- through satellite tags. The understanding of bird behaviour that gained through this helps conservation efforts.BCN also works in conservation of habitats. This year it helped stop haphazard road construction at Gadi Siraichuli forest (recognized as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area) and to halt more construction at Taudaha.Bird Conservation Nepalwww.birdlifenepal.org

The Great Trans-Himalayan Bird Migration

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101132/636b74029c7e80680e06236djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1006"/><figcaption>Photo : HATAN CHAUDHARY</figcaption></figure>Carston Involson from Denmark arrived in Kathmandu in the first week of January. Recently retired from the Danish government service, his objective in coming to Nepal was an unusual one.He wanted to see the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/protecting-the-last-home-of-the-spiny-babbler/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spiny babbler </a>in its natural habitat. Involson went to the World Peace Stupa in Pokhara with Sanjeev Acharya, a bird researcher from Himalayan Nature, and observed the only bird species indigenous to Nepal to his heart’s content. He was ecstatic.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=40267&amp;preview_nonce=5f3a1d8492&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Great Trans-Himalayan Bird Migration</a>, Sewa BhattaraiHundreds of other birders come to Nepal just to see the rare spiny babbler, which is found nowhere else in the world. It was first recorded as a species by British resident in Kathmandu Brian Houghton Hodgson, who in 1830 gave it the Latin name Timalia nipalensis.At the time, Edward Blyth – remembered as the father of Indian ornithology – was curator of the zoological museum in Calcutta. In 1855, he determined that the bird Hodgson had described was of not the Timalia but the Acanthoptila species. At one time the spiny babbler was also called Turdoides nipalensis, though today most scientists agree on Acanthoptila nipalensis.Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/protecting-the-last-home-of-the-spiny-babbler/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Protecting the last home of the Spiney babbler</a>, Carol Inskipp and Rupendra Karmacharya <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/decline-in-birds-of-migration-nepal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kathmandu's silent spring</a>, Sonia AwaleThe spiny babbler is on the endangered list, and lives at 1,500-2,135m elevation in summer and at 500-1,830m in winter. It normally stays in  thick bush, away from farmlands. According to The Status of Nepal’s Birds: The National Red List Series Volume VI, spiny babblers have been found all over Nepal, from Taplejung in the east to Baitadi in the west. They are frequently seen around Khaptad National Park and in Pokhara after the spread of community forestry. But there have been no detailed studies about its numbers.Hodgson first found the bird in Kathmandu Valley. In an article titled Notes on the Spiny Babbler, Acanthoptila Nipalensis (Hodgson) in Kathmandu Valley, published in Journal of Bombay Natural History, D Proud mentions that the spiny babbler was found abundantly in Kathmandu Valley until 1950. Due to rapid urbanisation, that is no longer the case.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/lesser-known-endangered-species/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rescuing barn owls from superstition</a>, Kamal MadenProtecting Nepal’s birds is not just good for the planet’s biodiversity, but also for Nepal’s tourism so as to attract enthusiasts like Involson.Kamal Maden is a botanist and biodiversity researcher.

Spiny babbler tourism

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108111152/636a35479c7e80680e0482a0jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="1050"/><figcaption>Photo: CAROL INSKIPP</figcaption></figure>The ruined 250-year-old Gorkhali fortress of Upardang Gadi is located on the northern rim of Chitwan Valley. But that is not the only reason these forested mountains are special: this is also home to the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=4568#.XKX3EVUzaUk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spiny Babbler</a>, the rare bird found only in Nepal (pictured below).Bird Life International and Bird Conservation Nepal have concluded that the Gadi-Siraichuli Forest is an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) of international value. There are only 37 other IBAs in Nepal, and this is one of the few not located within a protected area.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=24328&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In conservation, Nepal is not our of the woods yet</a>, Sonia Awale<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108111152/636a354b9c7e80680e0482a1jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="1200"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>But now the forest is threatened by the construction of a new road that will be a short cut from Mathillo Kaule to Gadi (map). The alignment is along the steep forested slope, and locals are worried that it will destroy trees, disrupt water sources and threaten landslides. They have been protesting at Ichyakamana Rural Municipality to stop the road being built on this route.Located at 1,150m, the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Chepang-living-edge,3136" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chepang village</a> of Gadi lies at the foot of this forested slope that features a wide variety of shrubs, subtropical mixed broadleaf trees and wildlife. In fact, this is the largest and richest forest of this type remaining in Nepal, with 15 species of mammals, including the endangered Black Giant Squirrel (Ratufa bicolor).The Spiny Babbler (Turdoides nipalensis) lives on terraces built by the Chepang people at the edge of the forest. The Gadi-Siraichuli Forest has one of the highest populations of this rare endemic <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/decline-in-birds-of-migration-nepal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bird in the country</a>.“The road will destroy the forest on the slope that is the main source of  spring water for our villages. How can we live here without water?” asks Ganesh Thapa Magar, a farmer.Another Gadi villager, Suk Bahadur Chepang, agrees: “My home is just below the forested hill where the new road is planned. Landslides in the monsoon will make it too dangerous to live there anymore.”<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108111152/636a354e9c7e80680e0482a2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="684" height="843">Besides these threats, the road will also put the 320 <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/birds-of-passage-Nepal,2921" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bird</a> and 56 butterfly species found here at risk. Members of the Sauraha-based Bird Education Society have been visiting the area since the 1990s, and say it is a treasure trove for nature.Bird species also include the Red-faced Liocichla (Liocichla phoenicea) a beautiful scarlet and brown bird that was thought to have become extinct in Nepal until it was re-sighted in 2016 after 178 years, by watchers from the Bird Education Society and the Nepalese Ornithological Union.Eight of these birds were found at 1,600m on Chisapanitar, close to the planned route of the road. The Red-faced Liocichla has not been found elsewhere in the country, and is listed as critically endangered in the national red list of the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=5151#.XKX4ElUzaUk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">birds of Nepal</a>.Twenty other threatened <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=2341#.XKX4EVUzaUk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bird species</a> have been sighted regularly in the forest, including the Little Spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra) which is dependent on wild bananas, and the Red-headed Trogon (Harpactesery throcepalus) a beautiful red bird that needs a habitat of trees with a thick growth of climbers and creepers.Until recently, the indigenous Chepang people followed a nomadic lifestyle, living off the rich forests as hunter gatherers. As other ethnic groups migrated here, the Chepang started to take up a more settled life based on subsistence agriculture. But their terraces on the steep slopes do not produce enough food, and the Chepang still depend on wild food from the forest.The new road will run through the prime forest area for wildlife and destroy their homes, as well as disturb the terrace farms.There is an alternative route for the road from Mathillo Kaule to Gadi via Mayatar.  It is a bit longer but would protect the forest and the village water supply.The subtropical broadleaf forests of the Gadhi-Siraichuli IBA are of high quality and are now a rare and declining habitat in Nepal. They support great biodiversity and are an invaluable resource to local Chepang communities. The forest lies at the northern end of the Barandabhar Corridor that links Chitwan National Park to the Mahabharat forests, and is important for the north-south movement of animals in the Chitwan-Annapurna Linkage (CHAL) and Terai Arc Landscape (TAL).Says conservationist Hem Sagar Baral: “Peoples’ livelihoods, including those of the Chepang, depend on the watershed and forests of this area. Development impacting wildlife here should not be tolerated as we have no other places like this one. What is left must be preserved in its full integrity.”Carol Inskipp is a UK conservationist who has been coming to Nepal since 1977. Rupendra Karmacharya runs a lodge in Gadi village and works to preserve the local culture and biodiversity of the area.

Protecting the last home of the Spiny Babbler

The newly-formed Himalayan Art Council is set to launch Nepal’s National Art Protection Platform that seeks to preserve <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/the-history-of-heritage">Nepal’s unique cultural heritage </a>using<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/artificial-censorship"> AI-powered tools</a>. The Council seeks to safeguard <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/nepali-art-going-places">Nepali art works</a> from neglect, theft and counterfeiting as well as preserve existing artwork and celebrate living masters by giving them a cultural space to continue the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/sacred-survival">sacred art traditions</a>. "We are introducing a new digital platform designed to preserve, verify and elevate <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-new-generation-of-alternative-artists">Nepal’s art for generations to come,</a>” says a statement from the Council, adding that the digital platform will use AI told for authentication and blockchain to keep track of works of art. Artists can now be protected by <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/ayo-ai?fbclid=IwAR1uwmTVq4gUB70ljfRezjzukD9ArWXPuMnUikopeQ8PoiZMjicToPSwhKE&amp;=1">AI tools</a> that detect forgeries, identify their work even when unsigned, and ensure they receive proper recognition and credit. The archives will be searchable with translated inscription and interactive guides. Says curator Meena Lama: “AI and blockchains are tools that give us the power to detect fakes and identify unsigned paintings and track every piece. With these tools we can restore trust, secure authorship and give artists the dignity they deserve.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250514170544_2ab58f6313c0458f75114a692b0016bd9efb3b59d5f8f07f0da72e1e37b82f53.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20250514170544_2ab58f6313c0458f75114a692b0016bd9efb3b59d5f8f07f0da72e1e37b82f53" data-rendition-name="original" width="1300" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Artwork at the Traditional Art Exhibition at Patan Museum."> <figcaption>Artwork at the Traditional Art Exhibition at Patan Museum.</figcaption> </figure>  The Council is also holding an exhibition of Nepali cultural masterpieces with 50 historical <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Buzz-the-art,671">thangka and paubha </a>by past masters and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/between-the-sacred-and-everyday">contemporary works by current artists</a>. This curated collection is a living tribute to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/when-yaks-go-so-does-culture">Himalayan culture</a> with economic depictions of deities, mandala and sacred narratives. The exhibition at <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/a-portal-into-patan-s-past-and-present">Patan Museum</a> also provides an opportunity to meet painters and custodians of art and culture. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/golden-deities">Golden deities</a>, Sewa Bhattarai ‘The exhibition is only the first step in a long journey to ensure that Nepali art is no just seen but fully understood, <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Narratives-of-Faith-and-Memory-Remembering-the-Lost-Sculptures-of-Kathmandu-exhibition,987">protected and remembered</a>,’ the Council says. Artist Kailash K Shrestha of Artudio has spent decades promoting thankha and paubha traditions because of their beauty and devotional meaning. But he also says artists are underpaid, exploited and ignored. He adds, “AI and blockchain are not just buzzwords, they are powerful tools that can protect Nepal’s artists from fraud, verify authenticity and build a permanent record of provenance.” Traditional Art Exhibition Till 17 May Patan Museum

Digital protection for Nepal’s art

India and Pakistan are twins separated at birth. Tensions between them have been at a hair trigger ever since independence and has erupted into full scale conflict at least four times in the past 80 years.
The 22 April terrorist attack in Kashmir that killed 25 Indian tourists and a Nepali citizen, threatens to escalate tension between the two nuclear-armed nations. India has squarely blamed Pakistan for the attacks, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his military “operational freedom” to respond. Pakistan has said it has credible intelligence of an Indian military strike and its officials have promised a “full spectrum” response — a code for a <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/thinking-the-thinkable">nuclear retaliation</a>.
For Nepal, the killing of its national in the Pahalgam attack comes as another stark reminder that in conflicts from Afghanistan to Iraq, from <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/how-to-agree-an-armistice-in-ukraine">Ukraine</a> to Israel, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/10-nepalis-from-one-town-fighting-in-ukraine">Nepalis are getting caught in the crossfire</a>. The last time full-scale fighting broke out between <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/peacemongers-at-india-pakistan-border">India and Pakistan</a> on Kargil in 1999, at least 22<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/india-s-trial-by-fire-for-soldiers-from-nepal?%27%5C%22="> Nepalis fighting for the Indian Army</a> were killed in action.
Three of Nepal’s immediate neighbours (China, India, Pakistan) have nuclear weapons, and they do not have good relations. With China supplying weapons, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/war-and-warming">missile technology</a> and other support to Pakistan, this triangular friction could set off a regional conflagration.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-022-00573-0" target="_blank">Research at Rutgers University</a> has calculated that even a week-long tactical nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan would throw up so much smoke and debris into the atmosphere that it would block out the sun for years, and lead to a collapse of the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/grow-nourish-sustain-together-world-food-day">global food system</a>. This does not take into account the radioactive fallout that prevailing winds would blow up to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/lives-on-the-line-in-the-himalaya">the Himalaya</a>, contaminating glaciers that are the sources of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/saving-what-is-left-of-himalayan-rivers">Asia’s main rivers</a>.
The impact of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/climate-breakdown-linked-to-thame-flood">climate breakdown </a>on High Asia was already ringing alarm bells about its <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/himalayan-icecap-melting-faster-than-thought">shrinking ice cap</a> reducing the dry season flow of water downstream. Water was going to be the next strategic commodity, geopolitical experts warned, and the next wars in Asia would be over water.
That water war is already happening. India retaliated to the Kashmir attack by suspending the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/24/world/asia/india-pakistan-indus-waters-treaty.html" target="_blank">Indus Waters Treaty</a> of 1960 mediated by the World Bank that has withstood at least three wars between India and Pakistan. The treaty gives India control over the three eastern tributaries of the Indus (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beas_River" target="_blank">Beas</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravi_River" target="_blank">Ravi</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutlej" target="_blank">Sutlej</a>), while Pakistan got water from the Indus and two of its western tributaries (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_River" target="_blank">Indus</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chenab_River" target="_blank">Chenab</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jhelum_River" target="_blank">Jhelum</a>.
Pakistan was assured of 70% of the annual flow, and India could use a reasonable amount of water for<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=15231"> irrigation and hydropower</a>. &nbsp;Within days of its threat, India stopped water flowing down to Pakistan from the Chenab river and is reportedly preparing to do the same on the Jhelum.
The sabre-rattling has reached a crescendo. Besides threats and counter-threats there are also symbolic drills, with the Indian Air Force practicing landing on an expressway in Uttar Pradesh by its Rafale, Su-30 and Jaguar fighter jets to demonstrate ‘operational readiness’. In response Pakistan test-fired its Abdali ballistic missile that can carry a nuclear warhead and has a range of 450km.&nbsp;
The danger is that with ultra-nationalist rhetoric and the beating the war drums by both sides, India’s government and Pakistan’s military may have to ‘do something’ to appease domestic public opinion. But any tactical strike, an artillery exchange, or territorial incursion could quickly escalate out of control.
Expecting an Indian retaliation for the Pahalgam killings, Pakistan is using<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/interfaith-collaboration-for-nuclear-disarmament"> nuclear deterrence </a>and warning of “catastrophic consequences”. The two neighbours came close to a nuclear exchange in 2019 after an attack on the Indian military in Kashmir, and prompt international intervention led by the United States cooled tensions.&nbsp;
This time, the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/trump-shock-wave-hits-nepal">Trump administration</a> is too distracted and not as engaged. Pakistan has denied it was responsible for the terrorist attack and called on Washington to stop a possible Indian retaliation. India and Pakistan have stopped overflights by each other’s airlines, and some international carriers have even stopped flying over Pakistan fearing an air war.
Washington, Beijing, the UN and the EU have all urged restraint. Iran, which has good relations with both India and Pakistan has sent its foreign minister to urge both countries not to go into a tit-for-tat war. Iran has its own nuclear flashpoint to worry about with tensions in Israel, &nbsp;Yemen and Syria.
India and Pakistan both share similar problems of joblessness, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/why-nepal-s-poverty-rate-is-stuck">poverty </a>and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/climate-change-new-threat-to-nepal-s-rhinos">environmental threats</a>. Neither side needs the threat of a senseless war, and we in the neighbourhood do not need it either.&nbsp;
Kunda Dixit
This Editorial is brought to you by <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/" target="_blank">Nepali Times</a>, in collaboration with <a href="https://inpsjapan.com/en/" target="_blank">INPS Japan</a> and <a href="https://sgi-peace.org/" target="_blank">Soka Gakkai International</a>, in consultative status with UN ECOSOC.

Nukes in the neighbourhood

Most Nepalis thought they had seen the last of it after <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/11-56-25-april-2015-wkc9q2an">the 25 April 7.8 magnitude </a>earthquake ten years ago. But the Himalaya had more surprises in store. On 12 May, another 7.3 magnitude tremor that some said was an aftershock, but was strong enough to itself be a major earthquake, struck Dolakha.&nbsp; Not many people had heard of Singati till then — a cluster of houses by the Tama Kosi River along a narrow gorge that is the roadhead to Rolwaling Valley.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110520_57b6e316656851f71eca56ca6f98d9bbcc820c1a00d62af3c990725b4361244d.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20250508110520_57b6e316656851f71eca56ca6f98d9bbcc820c1a00d62af3c990725b4361244d" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1500" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110520_016534fb2b6a79957402281cda768efb83a146786377e39e11df3e251d37159e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20250508110520_016534fb2b6a79957402281cda768efb83a146786377e39e11df3e251d37159e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> </figure>  It was here that dozens were killed on 25 April in the first earthquake. Hundreds of <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Singati-rising-from-rubble-rebuilding,3703">Singati survivors</a> had lined up for food and relief supplies in the morning of 12 May when the second earthquake triggered a rock slide that buried a nearby camp. At least 50 people were killed. &nbsp; Three hours later, a US Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom helicopter landed in a nearby cornfield to pick up the wounded, and flew off. The aircraft lost contact with air traffic control in Kathmandu and its wreckage was located high on Kalinchok four days later. Six American servicemen, two Nepal Army soldiers, and five wounded civilians from Singati were killed. Today, Singati bears little physical scar of the multiple tragedies that struck the town ten years ago. Most <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/bungamati-builds-back">houses have been rebuilt</a> as urban-style concrete structures, and Singati has become an economic hub on the road leading up to several hydropower plants and a<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/off-the-beaten-trek-in-nepal"> popular trekking destination</a>.&nbsp; The town looks less like a village and more like a suburb of the Dolakha district headquarter of Charikot, 47km away.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110520_196f341d1df1403ba133e5dfeb837eec20d7cbcb4c8c56b17cc5598810de5df2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20250508110520_196f341d1df1403ba133e5dfeb837eec20d7cbcb4c8c56b17cc5598810de5df2" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110524_ae66c4a92430f67db51b5e11e017059eedfbac4cb18c8e073f2a50cca1fe904e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20250508110524_ae66c4a92430f67db51b5e11e017059eedfbac4cb18c8e073f2a50cca1fe904e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> </figure>  “The demand for construction material, cement, iron rods and bricks peaked after the earthquakes,” says Suresh Khadka, who owns a hardware business here and now supplies material to the 456MW Upper Tama Kosi hydropower project that is undergoing repairs after it was damaged by a landslide last year. The demand for cement boomed since most residents believe, not necessarily correctly, that <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/in-a-disastrous-state">cement houses are safer</a>. Although Khadka did well selling construction material after the earthquake, he worries that most new structures do not follow seismic-resistant building codes.&nbsp; The construction boom financed by bank loans has in turn forced many from Singati to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/making-overseas-migration-better">migrate overseas for work</a> so they can service their debt.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110524_50caa4530bd5ff9120cf7ab70a62173846d337ef448ff8bac339f3faa375a9e2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="20250508110524_50caa4530bd5ff9120cf7ab70a62173846d337ef448ff8bac339f3faa375a9e2" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> <figcaption>Suresh Khadka</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110520_ef8b7d3993fc3b5df852bbf952feb3fbabc96d6883b0d5eb74ee5c60f4123b83.jpg" data-media-id="editor_11" data-image-id="20250508110520_ef8b7d3993fc3b5df852bbf952feb3fbabc96d6883b0d5eb74ee5c60f4123b83" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> <figcaption>Phu Doma Sherpa (right)</figcaption> </figure>  “My family had no choice but to borrow money to rebuild our home since the government compensation was not enough, and ten years later we are still paying off the loan,” says Phu Doma Sherpa, 60. Because of the shortage of qualified masons and proper seismic engineering, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/structural-problems">many of the buildings are of questionable building standards </a>and the traditional architecture has been abandoned, admits Kul Bahadur Budathoki, deputy chair of the municipality. “But these buildings were more expensive than what the government grants could cover, many people here are heavily in debt and the men have <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/every-day-is-closer-to-pay-day">migrated to the Gulf to pay their loans</a>,” Budathoki says.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110520_32f89e97b7e757fc9286c0bbb671f48ea8d4468e9634fa646d7247c650ad8480.jpg" data-media-id="editor_14" data-image-id="20250508110520_32f89e97b7e757fc9286c0bbb671f48ea8d4468e9634fa646d7247c650ad8480" data-rendition-name="original" width="1501" height="1079" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> <figcaption>Kul Bahadur Budathoki</figcaption> </figure>  Singati is in a multi-hazard zone. The <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Singati,3091">12 May 2015 earthquake </a>could have led to the collapse of Nepal’s largest glacial lake, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/stairway-to-heaven">Tso Rolpa</a>, upstream. Due to global warming, the glacier has turned into an expanding lake 3.5km long, and its collapse would have unleashed a catastrophic Himalayan tsunami down the Tama Kosi Valley, with Singati directly in its path. Singati has literally risen from the ashes of 2015, with its residents beginning to recover from the trauma and financial toll. But it is not out of danger as <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/climate-breakdown-linked-to-thame-flood">climate breakdown </a>magnifies the risk from future earthquakes.

Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village

Starting 17 September Turkish Airlines will fly daily to Seville, one of Spain’s major tourist draws. This is Turkish’s sixth destination in Spain after Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga, and Bilbao. Seville is in the Andalusia region on Spain’s south coast with a rich Moor history. There are approximately 30,000 Nepalis living in Spain.&nbsp;

spiny-babbler