Nepal Supreme Court Bans Large Business Development in Protected Areas
2025-01-22
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1Nepal's Supreme Court has struck down disputed laws that permit waterpower centers, visitor housing such as hotels, and other business development in protected natural areas.
2Environmental defenders say the January 15 ruling is a victory for efforts to protect the country's natural areas.
3Nepal has recognized one fifth of its territory as protected natural areas.
4The country has 12 national parks and six conservation areas.
5They include lowland areas such as Chitwan National Park.
6The park is home to many wild animals such as tigers and rhinos.
7Other protected areas include Sagarmatha National Park, home to Mount Everest.
8Waterpower, or hydropower, and tourism represent major economic sources for Nepal.
9Last year, its government passed laws to permit development of large projects in some parts of national parks, forests and other protected areas.
10Padam Bahadur Shrestha is a Nepalese environmental activist who took legal action against the laws.
11He told Agence France Press that the laws' passage showed that the government lacked insight and was only seeking to please business investors.
12Shrestha praised the Supreme Court's ruling, saying it "preserves ecology and biodiversity."
13Nepal is recognized worldwide for its actions to protect its wild animal and plant life.
14Nepal's environmental protection laws have helped the local tiger population increase from 121 animals in 2010 to 355 in 2023.
15And while only about 100 one-horned rhinos were living in Nepal in the 1960s, their number increased to 752 in 2021.
16Nepal also increased its tree cover by almost 100 percent between 1992 and 2016.
17Wood industry activities, or logging, had deforested many areas of the country for tens of years earlier.
18Rampreet Yadav is a former conservation officer of Chitwan National Park, Nepal's largest protected area.
19He said the recent laws "should never have been passed."
20"If development projects are allowed in protected areas, they will destroy our nature and animal habitats," he added.
21The Nepalese government wants to develop its hydropower industry, especially along rivers in the Himalayan mountains.
22Last October, it signed agreements with India and Bangladesh to export thousands of megawatts of hydropower.
23Nepal also earns much money from tourism.
24Last year, around one million foreign visitors came to Nepal, and the government has been spending money on the development of its airports.
25I'm Andrew Smith.
1Nepal's Supreme Court has struck down disputed laws that permit waterpower centers, visitor housing such as hotels, and other business development in protected natural areas. Environmental defenders say the January 15 ruling is a victory for efforts to protect the country's natural areas. 2Nepal has recognized one fifth of its territory as protected natural areas. The country has 12 national parks and six conservation areas. They include lowland areas such as Chitwan National Park. The park is home to many wild animals such as tigers and rhinos. Other protected areas include Sagarmatha National Park, home to Mount Everest. 3Waterpower, or hydropower, and tourism represent major economic sources for Nepal. Last year, its government passed laws to permit development of large projects in some parts of national parks, forests and other protected areas. 4Padam Bahadur Shrestha is a Nepalese environmental activist who took legal action against the laws. He told Agence France Press that the laws' passage showed that the government lacked insight and was only seeking to please business investors. 5Shrestha praised the Supreme Court's ruling, saying it "preserves ecology and biodiversity." 6Nepal is recognized worldwide for its actions to protect its wild animal and plant life. 7Nepal's environmental protection laws have helped the local tiger population increase from 121 animals in 2010 to 355 in 2023. And while only about 100 one-horned rhinos were living in Nepal in the 1960s, their number increased to 752 in 2021. 8Nepal also increased its tree cover by almost 100 percent between 1992 and 2016. Wood industry activities, or logging, had deforested many areas of the country for tens of years earlier. 9Rampreet Yadav is a former conservation officer of Chitwan National Park, Nepal's largest protected area. He said the recent laws "should never have been passed." 10"If development projects are allowed in protected areas, they will destroy our nature and animal habitats," he added. 11The Nepalese government wants to develop its hydropower industry, especially along rivers in the Himalayan mountains. Last October, it signed agreements with India and Bangladesh to export thousands of megawatts of hydropower. 12Nepal also earns much money from tourism. Last year, around one million foreign visitors came to Nepal, and the government has been spending money on the development of its airports. 13I'm Andrew Smith. 14Andrew Smith adapted this story based on reporting from Agence France Press. 15___________________________________________ 16Words in This Story 17tourism - n. the practice of traveling for recreation 18insight - n. the power or act of seeing into or understanding a situation 19preserve - v. to keep safe from injury, harm, or destruction 20biodiversity - n. biological variety in an environment as indicated by numbers of different species of plants and animals conservation - n. planned management of a natural resource to prevent exploitation, destruction, or neglect 21allow - v. to permit; to let 22megawatt - n. one million watts