Why should Nepal Focus on Natural Resources and Environmental Governance?
Natural Resources and Environmental Governance should be Nepal’s top priority for several reasons. It is no secret that Nepal is rich in natural resources and for that reason it is often counted as one of the most beautiful places on earth. Despite only occupying a miniscule area of the planet, Nepal’s diverse flora and fauna, forests, rivers, lakes and rivers are vital for sustaining a wide variety of life and ecosystems.
Nepal occupies a mere 0.1% of the global area but is home to 3.2% of the world’s flora, 1.1% of fauna and 118 ecosystems. Nepal has more than 6000 rivers, 5000 lakes, 1380 reservoirs, 3808 glaciers with 1466 glacier lakes.
44.74% of the country’s land is forest-covered, out of which 23.39% falls under protected areas, national parks, and wildlife reserves. These forests and national parks attract a large number of tourists annually. By safeguarding the environment, Nepal can appeal to more tourists which will contribute to support the livelihoods of the people dependent on tourism-related industry.
Effective environmental governance promotes sustainable development by balancing environment conservation and economic growth. It also fosters resilience to climate change by promoting adaptive and mitigative measures. Given that we are highly vulnerable to climate change impacts with melting glaciers and changing weather patterns and natural disasters, investing in environmental governance is necessary for ensuring the well-being of the citizens.
