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Landmines in Nepal |
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June 2011
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Nepal declared free of mines five years after civil war.
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Saving Mount Everest Project |
A team of professional cleared tons of litter from world's highest peak on March 2011
Thousands of projects are taking place internationally for World Environment Day (WED), but perhaps none as high as the clean-up operation held some 8,848 metres above sea level on Mount Everest. For WED 2011, the Everest Region and the Government of Nepal joined hands with several organisations and volunteers to launch the "Saving Mount Everest 2011- 2012" project.
Implemented by the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation of the Government of Nepal, Everest Summiteers' Association of Nepal (ESA) and Eco Himal - Society for Cooperation Alps - Himalaya, the project aims to liberate Mount Everest and its surrounding areas from garbage and set an example for waste management systems which can be replicated across other mountain regions.
Mount Everest is an incomparable icon of nature's splendour. Since the first successful summit expedition in 1953, the stream of visitors to the region has grown exponentially: from about 1,400 in 1972 to 32,124 with some 80,000 back-up staff in 2010 . The region attracts trekkers, mountaineers, researchers, scientists, movie and documentary producers, photographers and visitors from all over the globe.
The enormous increase of visitors to the Everest region has had many positive effects on local economy. However, the heavy pressure of tourism has also taken its toll on the environment, in particular, large amounts of garbage from mountaineering expeditions that have been discarded on Mount Everest and on the trail between the town of Lukla and Everest Base Camp.
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National Rhino Census |
Data from the three-week National Rhino Census in Nepal shows that the population of the greater one horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros Unicornis) has increased.
There are534 rhinos in Nepal, marking an increase of 99 rhinos from the 435 recorded in the last census in 2008, according to the census results.
Of that total, 503 rhinos were recorded in Chitwan National Park (an increase of 95 from 2008 data), 24 in Bardia National Park (an increase of 2 from 2008 data) and 7 in Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve (an increase of 2 from 2008 data). These numbers reflect the success of conservation efforts for this species and are a result of improved rhino protection measures and management of habitat.
| Source: WWF Nepal, May 2011 |
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Visitor arrivals by Air 2011 |
The upward trend which is already seen in January 2011 continues in the fourth month of the year 2011 showing clearly the rising travel demand towards the destination. Nepal has enjoyed a sustained positive growth in the international visitor arrivals since June 2009.
The figures released by Immigration Office, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) reveal that visitor arrivals in the month of April 2011, compared to the same month last year, have increased by 34.3% to 51,969.
All regions have shown positive growth in the second month of 2011. In aggregate, the South Asian segment has registered a positive growth of 32.5%. India which constitutes the major market of Nepal, has recorded positive growth of 38.3 %. Also, arrivals from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have increased by 4.9%, 4.1% and 83.9% respectively.
Arrivals from Asia (other than South Asia) have also recorded positive growth of 18.4% in aggregate. The visitor arrivals from China have increased by 42.2%. Similarly, the arrivals from Japan, Thailand, Singapore and South Korea have also increased by 13.1%, 5.6%, 37.3% and 3.7% respectively. However the arrivals from Malaysia have declined by 9.6%.
An overall positive growth of 45.4% has been observed from the European markets with arrivals from major generating markets such as the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Russia up by 56.2%, 30.4%, 47.7%, 7%, 49.5%, 58.6%, 70.5%, 23.8% and 16.5% respectively.
Tourist arrivals from Australia and New Zealand have increased by 47.3% and 46.7% respectively. Also, the arrivals from USA and Canada saw positive growth of 25.7% and 36% respectively.
Between January to April 2011, international tourist arrivals to Nepal have risen by 18.4% to 168,958.
A total of 55,630 foreign tourists departed from TIA in April 2011. The number of Nepalese arrivals stood at 56,069 while 67,251 Nepalese departed from TIA in April 2011.
| Source: Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), May 2011 |
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Royal Banknotes phased out |
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| Central bank of Nepal (Nepal Rastra bank) hasphased out the old banknotes with images of former kings Gyanendra and Birendra by 15 March 2011. The banknotes carrying the image of the former kings have ceased to be legal tender. The old banknotes have been replaced by newer ones. |
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Source: Media, March 2011
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Former PLA combatants formally come underArmy Integration Special Committee (AISC) |
In Shaktikhor, Chitwan, Prime Minister M.K. Nepal and UCPN-Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda), announced the handover of the chain of command of the PLAcombatantsto the Army Integration Special Committee (AISC)on 22 Januray 2011. The former PLA forces has to become a security organ of the state. Necessary arrangements have to be done.
Source: Media, January 2011
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Visitor arrivals by Air 2010 |
The year 2010 has ended with positive notes both in terms of total visitor arrivals for the month of December and also for the whole year. The figures released by Immigration Office, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) reveal that visitor arrivals in the month of December 2010, compared to the same month last year, have increased by 15.7% to 36,323. Also, the total number of visitor arrivals in aggregate (Jan-Dec, 2010), compared to same period in 2009, have increased by 18.5% to all time high figure of 448,769.
In the SAARC region, all markets have posted positive results. In aggregate the South Asian segment has registered a robust growth of 26.1% in the month of December and 24.7% in the year 2010 (Jan-Dec). Visitor arrivals from India (19.5%), Bangladesh (42.4%), Pakistan (94.3%) and Sri Lanka (148.3%) have registered positive growth in December 2010. In aggregate the South Asia has registered a positive growth of 26.1% for the month of December and 24.7% between January to December.
In December 2010, there has been a robust growth of 24.4% in visitor arrivals from China. Arrivals from Asia (other than South Asia) have recorded positive growth. Visitor arrivals from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and South Korea have registered a positive growth of 41%, 26.4%, 4.4%, and 22.3% respectively. However Japan has suffered a soft decline by 0.4%.In aggregate the Asian segment (other than South Asia) has registered a positive growth of 14.3% in the month of December and 17.7% in the year 2010.
Regarding the European markets, there has been a soft decline of 0.2% in the month of December 2010. However, the year saw a positive growth of 14.4% in aggregate (Jan-Dec) from the European market in 2010. In December 2010, the arrivals from the Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden and UK were up by 57.3%, 37.0%,26.0%, 17.4%, 75.0%,43.9%, 2.1%, 30.5% and 1.0% respectively whereas Belgium, France, Germany andItaly declined by 20.1%, 8.7%,13.4%, 0.2% respectively.
Tourist arrivals from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and USA have also registered positive growth of 8.5%, 57.9%, 1.2% and 14.4% respectively in December 2010.
On the whole, the year showed sustained growth in visitor arrivals and reaches new heights in 2010.
A total of 44,019 foreign tourists departed from TIA in December 2010. The number of Nepalese arrivals stood at 57,661 while 77,230 Nepalese departed from TIA in December 2010.
| Source: Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), January 2011 |
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UNMIN to leave Nepal - Peace Process at a crossroads |
After 16 attempts, Nepal's feuding parliament still has not been able to elect a new prime minister and only a recent last-minute emergency decree by the president allowed the government to access new funds.
It has been more than four years since a Maoist insurgency was brought to an end by a peace treaty contingent on a new constitution and army - neither of which has been achieved.
Replacing Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, who resigned in June following pressure from his opponents but has remained in a caretaker role, has proven impossible.
To elect a successor requires the support of more than half the 601-member parliament but the party with the largest electoral backing, the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (or "Maoists") has been unable to secure a coalition partner to win a majority on any issue.
Since June 2010, the Himalayan nation has not had a fully functioning government.
For several months it survived on emergency funds, limiting the scope of the government's services and development work.
Only an 11th hour emergency decree in November 2010 by the president allowed the country to access new funds and resume payments to civil servants.
There is a deadlock in Nepal now. UNMIN is to leave Nepal on January 15, 2011. There is certainly a high degree of awareness about the forthcoming deadlines in the country – both the deadline of UNMIN’s departure and the deadline of the constitution-drafting next May.
| Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN),and UNMIN, Dezember 2010 |
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