CM Pandey stresses the need to generate income from natural heritages

Chief Minister of Gandaki Province Surendra Raj Pandey has stressed the need for connecting natural heritages with people's income generation.

Lakes and ponds should be conserved and connected with livelihoods of people by developing them as the sources of income, he said while inaugurating a three-day conference organised here today by the Lake Conservation and Development Authority (LCDA), Gandaki Province.

"Time has come to think over the impact on the country's economy by the import of woods from foreign countries while they are rotting in Nepali forests," he said, stressing the need for collaboration and cooperation of all to conserve lakes and ponds in Pokhara.

"Now, we should adopt the policy of tangible development. Coming programmes should link natural heritages with livelihoods of people through the maximum use of limited available resources while conserving the heritages," he said.

Similarly, stating that lakes and ponds are the identification and beauty of Pokhara, Dhanraj Acharya, mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City, said the metropolis has a policy and plan to conserve and promote them. An agreement has been reached between the metropolis and the Asian Development Bank to start a mega project for the holistic development of Pokhara, he informed.

The LCDA Vice Chairperson Nawaraj Ojha stressed the need for the conservation and protection of natural heritages beyond personal interests.

Concerned authorities should be serious about lakes and ponds that are on the Rassar list that are facing disappearance and destruction in the name of development, he said.

The LCDA chief executive officer Dr Kalpana Devi Devkota, also the conference coordinator, said it aims to bring together all stakeholders, researchers, government policy makers, members of the lake management committee, and the community for the sustainable development of nine lakes in the metropolis.

In the conference that started on Wednesday, Dr Ram Devi Tachamo of Kathmandu University, and Dr Balaram Thapa of the Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LI-BIRD), gave their presentation.

Presentations from other representatives of various 12 sectors and an interaction with stakeholders are scheduled, said Dr Devkota.