Makalu Barun National Park

Makalu Barun_Maju
ABSTRACT
Objectives: The objective of Makalu Barun National Park is to conserve the unique and rich biodiversity as well as cultural heritage of surrounding area along with contribute to local socio economics with promoting eco – tourism and conserving natural resource base as essence of social capital.
Methods: study of teacher’s materials, concern with department and review of project records and other published literature.
Results: there are a lot of efforts of government, many NGOs and INGOs in Makalu Barun National Park with buffer zone for biodiversity conservation because of its ecological region but because of global climate and human activities it is facing so many physical problems.
Conclusion/ recommendation: Biodiversity possesses ecological, economic and societal values. Biodiversity and its products are used in different occasions from the birth to the death in Nepal. Its protection and sustainable use is therefore, our top priority so Makalu Barun national park is one of the beautiful, fabulous and important not only for the conservation we should promote it.
 
Introduction to Makalu Barun National Park & Conservation Area (MBNPCA)
Surrounded by Arun river on the east, Sagarmatha national park on the west, Nepal- China border on the north & Saune Dada on the south the Makalu- Barun Conservation Project was established in 1992 as a joint endeavor of the Department of National Park and wildlife Conservation of Nepal and The Mountain Institute (TMI), an international INGO based in Washington DC, USA this is only protected area on earth with an elevation gain of 8000m.The area of National Park is 1500 sq.km (Latitude= 27°33’00” - 27°57’00” N, Longitude= 85°46’12” - 87°26’24”E) & Buffer Zone (L= 27°25’48” - 27°40’48” N, L = 86°46’48” - 87°21’36”E) of area 830 sq.km.
In this national park 27 types of forests (56 Rare Tree Plants) and more than 3073 species of flora are found. Flowering Plant: 128 sp.47 sp. of orchids, 67 sp. of medicinal and perfumed plants, 25 sp. of rhododendron, 19 sp. of bamboo, 15 oaks, 86 sp. of fodder trees &48 sp. of primrose.
Bird: 440 sp. (2 sp. of warbler, among 16 rare), 88 sp. of mammals: 128 sp. Fish: 78 sp. Reptile: 43 sp. Amphibian: 16 sp. Butterfly: 315 sp. And over 32,000 diverse people endure in 2330 sq. km.
Issues problems and challenges of Makalu Barun National Park:
Nepal is a country of vast depository of priceless biodiversity; 19.72% of the total area of the country is for conservation. This is the eighth national parks among the nine of Nepal and the first protected land is the world's highest in altitude; elevation up to 26247 feet (8000 meter) and second national park and sixth buffer zone managed by IUCN. It covers Kimathanka, Hatiya Pathivara, Makalu Yaphu, Mangtewa, Tamku, Bala and Sisuwakhola VDCs of Sankhuwasaba district two VDCs of Solukhumba district with diversity of tropical forest 1000-2000m, sub-alpine 3000-4000 m; and herbs, grasses and rhododendron in the alpine pastures 4000-5000 m. because of the variation of climate and altitude it is rich in biodiversity and there are 88 forest user group & 6000 households of 12 communities getting benefits from buffer zone.
In spite of various efforts government of Nepal and other organizations on conservation in the past few decades, still there are manifold challenges. The MBNPCA faces challenges that are common to many parks in the lesser developed countries, specifically integrating the often conflicting demands of land use (because people use to settle near the park), ecological conservation and resource protection. .A huge problem is the construction of the largest hydroelectric facility in Nepal (the Arun III) on the boundary of the MBNPCA, a major road to the dam site. The main challenge for the last few decades has been the continuous struggle of reconciling and saving threatened species and managing their habitats while still fulfilling the basic needs of the people who depend on these natural resources particularly grazing and animal fodder collection, fuel wood, timber collection, and the collection of medicinal and other economically valuable plants. Several local handicraft industries depend upon forest resources for raw materials, notably lotka for paper production. Rapidly growing population, poverty, politically instability, Inadequate exchange of information at both horizontal between ministries and departments levels and vertical between the policy-makers and implementers in the field levels and illiteracy (lack of proper understanding on the values and services provided by ecosystems) are the major problems. Exotic species introduction, debris pollution, deforestation, pathogen discharge (Nipah virus, avian influenza, and parasite), degradation and fragmentation of wild life habitat and biotic pressure in remaining forests of the country pose threat to effective biodiversity conservation. Indeed the protected areas are the last refuges for many lives. Habitat loss, depletion of natural resources, poaching and illegal wildlife trade for highly valued products such as musk, skin, wool, horn etc has become a great threat to wildlife, pollution of water and air, exploitation to meet the needs are some of the problems contributing to far reaching ecological and economic implication, Similarly low level of people’s participation, weak monitoring and evaluation, over harvesting, and unsustainable use of ecosystem resources, inadequate implementation and enforcement of existing instruments such as policies, legislations, program political conflict, impacts of uncertainties of climate change in ecosystem, shift of species range, ecosystem resilience and connectivity, topography, extinction risk, sea-level change, & disturbance regime. The main ongoing conservation issue in the park is slashed and burn agriculture practice. Forest degradation from overgrazing of grasslands (Shrestha 1989) and caused by the impact of an increasing influx of trekkers at that time and found evidence of hunting for game birds is other threat (According to the Cox 1999). Slight increases or decreases in seasonal temperature or precipitation, changes in population size leads to rising demand for energy, socio-political, cultural, religious, scientific and technological factors, which influence human activities that directly impact on biodiversity. The final outcomes of this are air pollution, global warming, climate change, water scarcity and water pollution, various natural phenomenon such as storms and annual monsoon floods, likewise poor agricultural practices, and resource misdistributions have led to substantial human transformation of natural environment.




Conservation Trials, Trends, policies
Government of Nepal is committed to the protection and management of biological resources and their diversity on a sustainable basis for the benefit of Nepal’s present and future generations and for the global Community as a whole, in accordance with the principles of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Nepal Biodiversity Strategy records the understanding reached between the Government and the People of Nepal on the thrust and direction to be taken over the next twenty years to protect and manage Nepal’s biodiversity. This Strategy is the result of extensive consultations with a variety of stakeholders over a Considerable period of time. The Strategy puts every woman and man at the centre of natural resource Management in Nepal. The National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1973, has defined wildlife and ascertained the list of protected wildlife. According to the latest estimates, 26,695km2, 18.32% of the total area of Nepal, is now declared protected.
• The declaration of fourteen national parks and protected areas for the balanced protection and conservation of waterfowls and their habitats.
• Restrictions on the export of 12 plant sp. and one forest product. 27 mammals, nine birds, and three reptile species have been given legal protection under the Act.
• NPWC Act of 1973 provides the legal basis for the management of PAs. It amended 4 times, in 1974, 1982, 1989 and 1994, recognises six types of PAs in Nepal namely National Park, conservation area, wildlife reserve, hunting reserve, strict nature reserve and buffer zone.
• prohibition hunting any animal or bird, building any house, hut or other structure, clearing or cultivating any part of the land, harvesting, cutting, burning or damaging any tree, bush or other forest product, and mining within national parks or protected areas.
• Buffer zone management program have been declared in six Pas covering 35.60% of the core zone. 144 VDCs are involved in sustainable use and biodiversity conservation.
• The NPWC Act, 1973, and its amendments, and the Buffer Zone Management Regulations, 1996, represent the most important legislative measures focusing on the needs of local communities as well as minimising impacts on protected areas to avoid parks and people conflicts. It makes provisions for 30-50% of the park (or reserve) revenues to be retained for community development activities and disbursed through a Buffer Zone Management Committee and a Users Committee.
• To protect the nature government has made community-based conservation (CBC) Policies:
• Declared the buffer zone in 1996. “Buffer Zone” means a peripheral area of a national park or reserve prescribed under the section 3a in order to provide facilities to use forest resources on a regular and beneficial basis for the local people.”
• Government has decentralized the forest management authorities making user group named community forestry there are 14000 user group. They should protect their resources but if they are not able to manage government will take the authorities.
• The person who kills, injures, purchases, sells or transfers rhinoceros, tiger, elephant, musk deer, clouded leopard, snow leopard or gaur and keeps, or sells rhinoceros thorn or musk pods, fur of snow leopard and other protected wildlife, shall be punished with a fine ranging between Rs. 50,000 – Rs.100, 000 or with jail for a term of five to fifteen years or with both.
• Communities can organise harvest and grazing plans so long as they are consistent with the park’s objectives & can also control or stop “outsiders” from entering the park or reserve to harvest resources, and thus help reduce the pressure on the natural resources of the area.
• Use of Environmental Impact Assessment at the time of developmental construction.
• Government has included so many environment related topics, core subject and elective subjects in formal curriculum from lower level to higher education.
• “National Conservation Strategy” used Environmental Planning and Assessment which has Environmental Education, Public Information, Environmental Law, Environmental Assessment, Pollution Control, Natural heritage conservation programs.

Efforts of solution(on the basis of Chapter 13, Groom et al)
Effective implementation of the EIA findings and recommendations would contribute to achieve the goals of the Strategic Plan of the Biological Diversity Convention, 2010 targets, MDG7 and also translate biodiversity strategy into action. In this context, MFSC has organized training for the central and local level officials on EIA and biodiversity. In EIA trainings, biodiversity conservation needs and process for impact identification, Public awareness and communication has been integrated in almost all the biodiversity conservation programmes. There is a strong commitment to make public aware on biodiversity and seek for active participation of the local communities. Public information programmes are aired regularly from TV and national radio, including FM radio. A number of feature articles and news are regularly published in the local newspapers. The projects produce and distribute brochures and information sheets, organize seminar and interaction meetings. In addition, pamphlets, posters, international days have been observed. Nepal has prepared and shared the First Initial National Communication on UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2004 and it has identified impacts of climate change phenomenon on biodiversity. Nepal is developing projects on alternative energy for funding from Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The project will likely contribute to reduce use of plants as firewood, a major source of household energy in Nepal, thereby contributing to reduce impact on wildlife. Biodiversity conservation aspects have been integrated in the environmental education which is offered in the primary to tertiary education. Separate courses on biodiversity have also been included in the undergraduate and graduate levels particularly in Botany, Zoology and environmental science. MFSC has conducted a study in the year 2005 to know the economic value of ecological goods and services of the forest ecosystems. There are several other incentive programs like Ganesh Man Sing Puraskar, an amount of Nepalese Rupees 0.1 million (I USD = NRs 71.59 as of March 2006) being awarded each year to the best community forest user groups. Similarly, HMGN has established the Mountain Development Award (a sum of NRs. 0.2 million) in 2003 to appreciate and acknowledge the contribution of the institutions and individuals involved in natural resources management in the mountains. Other awards such as environment award have also been established to promote the conservation of natural resources and the environment. The trekking agents association of Nepal (TAAN), in its workshops and training, also includes sessions on impact of trekking and tourism on the environment and biodiversity particularly in the mountains. However, much still remains to conduct research studies and awareness program in this area. For agro-biodiversity, at Khumaltar to store germplasm collected from different districts of Nepal. Altogether 10,736 accessions of 90 crop species have been preserved at 5°C with 45% relative humidity. The accessions include species of field crops, legumes, oil seeds, vegetables, spices and jutes/silks. Government established 9 botanical gardens and conservatories in different bio-climatic zones with focus on landscape development for education and research, and aesthetic and recreational purposes. Gov. in cooperation with WWF Nepal Program has implemented Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) programme (ecosystem approach) to join the protected areas from East to West with a part of Terai and Siwaliks in the form of natural corridor to ease free movement of wildlife (especially big mammals) and further strengthening of biodiversity protection. The TAL programme covers 11 protected areas, 4 in Nepal and 7 in India.


Critiques
Since early 1960’s the number of protected area increased rapidly in the world. The total coverage of protected areas has more than double over the last decade nearly 12.65% of earth land surface. There are mainly seven categories of protected area (Strict nature reserve, wilderness area, national park natural monument, habitat species management area, protected landscape/seascape, managed resource protect area) according to the IUCN 1994. The main goal of these all is biodiversity conservation and sustainable development of ecosystem and ecological services through local, regional and national action and international institution. According to IUCN categorization Makalu Barun National Park lies in 2nd. So Makalu Barun national park is protected for ecosystem protection and human recreation. Direct exploitation is excluded and park is designated to provide for environmental preservation as well as spiritual, scientific, educational, and recreational opportunities that are environmentally and culturally compitable. So Makalu Barun national park helps to protection various types of species of flora and fauna and helps to give recreation, and its buffer zone fulfils the needs of community people. There is a great opportunity of tourism industry Because it hasn’t only forest there are rivers and mountain also. Because of its altitude and ecological region this is rich in biodiversity it attracts tourist and gives so many economic, social and developmental benefits. It is clear that developing countries have neither the Technical nor financial resources to rely solely on a model of centralized-regulatory control to protect biodiversity from increasing human populations and concomitant resource needs of peoples living in and around protected areas (Wells& Brandon1992; Keiter1995). Furthermore, there has been Increasing recognition that local communities must be actively involved, and their needs and aspirations considered, If biodiversity is to be conserved.



conclusion/ recommendation:
Biodiversity possesses ecological, economic and societal values. In Nepal biodiversity and its products are used in different occasions. Its protection and sustainable use is therefore, our top priority so Makalu Barun national park is one of the beautiful, fabulous and important not only for the conservation we should promote it. Because of the open boundary, diverse ecological region many kinds of species come from other places in MBNP. It has not only forest, also big river and also fifth highest peak of the world so there is an opportunity of less polluted industry (tourism). It has a buffer zone with 88 forest user group and 6000 households of 12 communities. It shows that Makalu barun national park is important source of the sustainability life of us & our future generation. They have rights of live as human beings we have no authorities to destroy them.















References
Bhuju, U. R. (2007). Nepal Biodiversity Resourch Book. Kathmandu: International Center for Integrated Mountain Development. ICIMOD
Chaudhary, R. P., & et. al. (2009). NEPAL FOURTH NATIONAL REPORT TO THE CBD. Kathmandu: Government of Nepal Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation.
DNPWC. (2009). Annual Report. Kathmandu: DNPC, ministry of Nepal, government of Nepal.
Groom, M. J. (2006). Principles of Conservation Biology. Sunderland.
Haufler, J. B. (1999). Strategies for Conserving Biodiversity.
Wilson, E. O. (1998). Biodiversity. Wasington: NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS.
Zomer, R. Landscape ecology of natioal park. University of California, Davis.
NEPAL Third National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity
Mhtl files, pdf files, ppt files, computer lab files, jpg files, doc files, folders and all lectures given by course facilitator pro. Mr. AMULYA RATNA TULADHAR.
Google earth & internet resources