Air quality monitored in national park in Nepal
08.01.2016
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in collaboration with the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) has established the ‘Chitwan National Park Air Quality Observatory’ to monitor air pollution at the periphery of the national park in order to study the impact of air pollution on biodiversity and ecosystems in the subtropical Inner Terai lowland location of south-central Nepal. The station has been installed in the NTNC’s premises in Sauraha and was inaugurated on 26 December 2015 by the Hon. Agni Prasad Sapkota, Minister of Forests and Soil Conservation.
Inaugurating the observatory, Minister Sapkota showed keen interest in the Observatory. In his remarks at the NTNC Office, he said that he was pleased with the developments he saw today, despite the current crisis faced by the nation. He stressed that any work on conservation and scientific research, including the data generated from the Air Quality Observatory, must be translated into improved livelihoods for the marginalized and vulnerable, who depend on forest resources. The Minister thanked ICIMOD, the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation and NTNC for installing the station.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, Uday Chandra Thakur, said that the Air Quality Observatory “will act as an early warning system” for our environment. He added that air pollution needs to be dealt with across the different ministries and departments as it is a multi-sectoral issue that requires good coordination among stakeholders. He said that he, along with his ministry, is ready to provide any assistance sought from the ministry.
After the inauguration, the Director General of ICIMOD, Dr David Molden, talked about ICIMOD and why it is interested in atmospheric issues in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. Dr Molden said that “This is the first air quality monitoring station in Chitwan” and highlighted the importance of establishing this station in the national park, which is a World Heritage site. He pointed out that the station will generate useful carbon data for REDD+ and link this data with the impact of air pollution on the ecosystem of the national park. He stressed that open fires and agriculture field burning are some of the main sources of black carbon and interventions can be designed to mitigate these.
The observatory was set up by ICIMOD and the NTNC under ICIMOD’s REDD and Atmosphere initiatives. The Atmosphere Initiative has been working with the Department of Environment to design the country’s long-term air pollution monitoring network. It has prepared a list of proposed places around Nepal where air quality monitoring stations may be set up. Sites were selected based on a number of criteria including human population, as well as vulnerable ecosystems and heritage. Chitwan National Park was listed as a high priority place for such a station.
The data from this observatory will provide baseline information on air quality in the region and contribute to the monitoring of national air quality.
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News and photo by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
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