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Dhanusha and Mahottari, 5 June 2022, — Local Initiatives to Reduce Impacts of Climate Change (LIRIC) project funded by the European Union and the Austrian Development Cooperation , ADRA, Rupantaran and Community Development and Advocacy Forum Nepal (CDAFN) joined hands with Mithila and Gaushala Municipality; Bateshwar , Bhangaha, and Aurahi Rural Municipalities and the school management committee of Janta Secondary School, Harihapur-3, Mithila, Shiv Shakti Secondary School, Bateshwar-4, Dhanusha, Shree Laxmi Secondary School, Bhangaha-6 Mahottari, Shree Saraswati Secondary School, Gauhsala,Ward No-8, Mahottari, Shree Rambilash Yadav Janata Secondary School, Aurahi, Mahottari, and planted over 360 saplings of Black Juniper and Polyalthia longfolia tree plant at the school premises on the occasion of world Environment Day 2022.
Community Development and Advocacy Forum Nepal, partner of LIRIC project took the lead in the program. The project aims to enhance the resilience of the poor and vulnerable populations to climate change impacts through capacity building and mobilization of community-based groups.
In addition, the project has been focusing on the construction and renovation of water related infrastructures, contribution of agriculture program through climate smart agriculture technology and climate change adaptation to raise awareness among community people on climate change. All these activities are organized in close coordination and collaboration with local governments and other stakeholders. The project is working to strengthening the CSOs, CFS, women youth champion, private sector, and government’s capacity to prioritize issues related to climate change.
The program was inaugurated by Mayor of Mithila Municipality, Mr. Mahendra Mahato, by planting Black Juniper and Polyalthia longfolia saplings on the school premises on the world Environment Day. He expressed his gratitude towards LIRIC team for organizing the world environment day 2022 program jointly with them. He also talked about the different reasons of climate change and increasing environmental pollution – including industrial pollution, burning of fossil fuel, deforestation and use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers and accumulation of greenhouse gases. He further mentioned that he is committed to give priorities to allocate budget for the adaptation practices of climate change and willing to work together with LIRIC activities. Besides, he said that he is thankful to entire team for organizing the program. Later, he also observed another program organized by Janata Secondary School, Hariharpur -3, Dhanusha.
Similarly, Mrs. Sunita Singh Budhathoki, deputy mayor of Mithila expressed thanks to the entire team for organizing the program and was also involved in the inauguration of the program by planting Black Juniper and Polyalthia longfolia in the school premises on the world environment day 2022. She stated that earth is the only planet that has life, and we must manage the waste material using improved technology and every people and students need to plant at least one plant in their premises and other land holdings. She focused on including climate change related activities in the municipality program. She also expressed that they are planning to include climate change education curriculum in all the secondary level schools that LIRIC project has already piloted in 6 LGs. In addition to this, she also expressed that all the school management committee must have landscape in their premises recalling her previous engagement in schooling sector since last twenty years. Similarly, she also added that we need to plant in our community first and need to start from ourselves and emphasized on management of waste materials, cleanliness and making strategies for environment protection measures.
Mr. Anup Kumar Jha, principal of Shree Janta Secondary School, highlighted the significance of environment conservation related activities inside the school premises and outside of school area, public and private land and added that environment conservation delivers positive message to all the students enrolled at the school and motivates them to play an active role to minimize the impacts of climate change in their community.
Mr. Ram Kumar Mahato chairperson of Madhesh Province Small Farmers Cooperative talked about the development of private forest through tree plantation programs. He focused on construction of ponds and deep wells mainly in upstream for recharge of water as water sources are drying. He also added that Madesh province has allocated the budget for this purpose so we can hope for change soon. Similarly, he thanked the organizer for celebration of world environment day encouraging everyone to plant at least one plant in their premises to save the earth. He also mentioned about eco-friendly need for and importance of linkage between downstream and upstream people for synergy development for PES. Finally, he expressed his readiness to help concerned people, mainly small farmers to get access to loan for their climate change related IGA.
Mr. Shibaji Mahato, Project coordinator LIRIC – Project ADRA Nepal shared about LIRIC project and its woking modality in that area. He was thankful to school management committee and LGs for jointly organizing program and highlighted the importance of World Environment Day 2022 ensuring that LIRIC is ready to work with LGs and other stakeholders for their coordination and collaboration. He also stated that average increase rate of temperature is 0.04 °C worldwide while that of Nepal is 0.06°C and Nepal is ranked 4th in danger zone in the world and carbon emission rate of Nepal is very low i.e., 0.025%. He added that Mithila is at high risk of vulnerability, so we need to implement climate smart technology and different mitigation measures in this regard.
Mr, Ram Akbal Mahato is newly elected ward chairperson of Mithila -3, and he was the chairperson, on the occasion of World Environment Day 2022 program. He expressed his gratitude towards LIRIC project for jointly organizing the program on the occasion of World Environment Day. He requested the newly elected mayor and deputy mayor for allocation of budget in climate change and its mitigation related activities. Similarly, he also was grateful for LIRIC project teams, who have been working in that area mainly in climate change and agriculture related activities. He committed his total support to implement climate change and agriculture related activities in that area and ensured that he will convince local community for tree plantation and management of waste material and implement climate change related awareness program.
Newly elected Ms. Phul Kumari Singh, deputy chairperson of Bateshwar Rural Municipality inaugurated the program by planting Polyalthia longfolia and Black Juniper tree in Shiv Shakti Secondary School Bateshwar-4 premises on World Environment Day 2022 and later students and other teachers planted around 30 Black Juniper and 20 Polyalthia longfolia tree saplings in school premises. There were more than 100 participants present in the program. She expressed her gratitude towards LIRIC team who organized the program jointly. She also said that they are ready to work for climate change-based activities in future and will discuss with our team for allocation of budget. She also mentioned that she came to know through the program about LIRIC project and its activities in Bateshwar municipality, especially on climate change and agriculture related projects. She appreciated our efforts regarding the celebration of world environment day and plantation program in other school premises and also ensured her support to our team in future.
Mr. Ganga Prasad Sah Chairperson of Shiva Shakti Secondary School of Bateshwar -4
Mr, Ganga Prasad Sah planted Polyalthia longfolia and Chinese Black Juniper tree in school premises and was very thankful for LIRIC team who jointly organized the program with them. He hoped that this would give good message to students, teachers and community for continuity of these kinds of programs. He also talked with school management committee for landscape gardening in school premises. In addition to this, he talked about the effects of climate change and the problems farmers are facing for their crop production due to unseasonal rain, increase of temperature, drought, degradation of water table level, increment of disease and pest in crops, use of high dose chemical pesticides and fertilizers by farmers and decrement of productivity. He suggested that it is high time to protect our environment by adopting organic mode of farming, using of IPM technology, homemade pesticide and focus on construction of water recharge pond in upstream to hold the recharge of water level in downstream.
Shree Rambilash Yadav, Janata Secondary School, Aurahi, Mahottari,
In the presence of Manoj Kumar Yadav, principle of Ram Bilash Secondary School, Aurahi Mahottrai, the program was inaugurated by planting Black Juniper and Polyalthia longfolia tree by Mr. Manoj Kumar Yadav with the help of entire team of teachers Mr. Madhuri Yadav, Ram Kumar Yadav, Sweta Khatun and Mahesh Kumar Yadav. Later remaining 29 Black Juniper and 19 Polyalthia longfolia plants were planted by students. Altogether 50 plants were planted in school premises by more than hundred participants. Mr. Manoj Kumar Yadav stated that environment is the surrounding or condition in which a person, animal or plant lives or operate survival in an often-holistic manner. He also talked about the factors of environment pollution and degradation of land due to socio-economic institutional and technological activities. Environment change may be caused due to rapid growth of population, urbanization, intensification of agriculture, rising use of transportation, increase of industry, use of petrol and diesel and increase of CO2. So, we need to have plantation program in our community to save environment for our healthy life.
Rastriya Secondary School Pashupatinath, Bardibas-9, Mahottari
World Environment Day 2022 was inaugurated by Sanjeeb Kumar Mahato, principal of Rastriya Secondary School Pashupatinath Bardibas-9 Mahottari. The program was inaugurated by planting Black Juniper and Polyalthia longfolia tree by Mr. Sanjeeb Kumar Mahato with the help of team of teachers that included Mr. Haridev mahato , Mr. Surendra Kumar Mahato, Mr. Indra Kumar Mahato, Mr. Nawalkishor Sah and Mr. Arun Kumar Mahato. Altogether 20 Polyalthia longfolia saplings and 30 Black Juniper saplings were planted by teachers and students. There were around 50 students who were involved in the program and all the participants thoroughly enjoyed the day. The teachers team along with all the participating members were very grateful for LIRIC team and requested us to carry out these kinds of environment conservation activities more often in the future.
Shree Saraswati Secondary School, Gaushala Municipality, Ward No-8, Mahottari
A program of tree plantation was carried out at Shree Saraswati Secondary School, Gaushala Ward No-8 in the presence of principal Mr. Ram Nath Yadav on World Environment Day 2022. The program was inaugurated by Ram Nath Yadav by planting Black Juniper sapling and Polyalthia longfolia saplings with the help of team of teachers that included Mr. Rajendra Mahato and Mr. Ramnath Yadav. Around twenty-nine participants were present in the program and altogether 20 Polyalthia longfolia saplings and 30 Black Juniper saplings were planted by all the participants. Mr.Ram Nath Yadav principle of Sarswati Secondary School Bardibas expressed his thanks to LIRIC and highlighted on the importance of World Environment Day cerebration and its positive impact on community.
During the closing of the event, all the participants showed their commitment towards restoration of environmental component and reduction of impact of climate change by engaging in climate change related initiatives from their respective areas and institutions.
This event was conducted with the financial support of the European Union and Austrian Development Cooperation. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ADRA Nepal, Rupantaran and CDAFN and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding agencies.
