South Asia and Indian Ocean Studies Seminar

第3回研究会

Symposium on Nepal

23 January 2010
1:00 - 1:05 Opening remark
1:05 - 1:35 Challenges and approaches towards GLOF risk mitigation
Ripendra Awal, JSPS postdoctoral research fellow
Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), Kyoto University
1:35 - 2:05 Water induced disasters and their preventive measures in the context of Nepal
Badri Shrestha, GCOE postdoctoral research fellow
Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), Kyoto University
2:05 - 2:20 Takahiro SATO, Assistant Professor, Global COE Program
Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University
2:20 - 2:45 Open Discussion
2:45 - 3:00 Break
3:00 - 3:30 Commercial collection of medicinal and aromatic plants and livelihood in the mountainous communities in Nepal
Shanti KC Poudel, Doctoral student
Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University
3:30 - 4:00 The circumstances of space utilization and management of the Buddhist Monastery in traditional urban area of Patan city
Lata Shakya, JSPS research fellow
Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University
4:00 - 4:10 Kazuyuki Watanabe, Lecturer, Ritsumeikan University
4:10 - 4:20 Kyouta Yamada, Assistant Professor
Department of South Asian and Indian Ocean Studies, ASAFAS, Kyoto University
4:20 - 4:45 Open Discussion
4:45 - 4:55 Break
4:55 - 5:20 Bhutan's population-scaping design sours Nepal-Bhutan relationship
Govinda Rizal, Doctoral student
Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University
5:20 - 5:30 Manfred Ringhofer, Professor, Faculty of Human Environment
Osaka Sangyo University
5:30 - 5:45 Open Discussion
   
Time 1 PM to 5:45 PM
Venue   Room Number AA 447 (fourth floor)
  Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies (ASAFAS) Yoshida Campus

Synopsis

Challenges and approaches towards GLOF risk mitigation

Ripendra Awal, JSPS postdoctoral research fellow
Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), Kyoto University
Global climate change is accelerating the triggering factors like snow melting and increasing frequency and magnitude of extreme rainfall. Glacial Lakes Outburst Flood (GLOF) is the one of the main cause of flash flood in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan (Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, China and Afghanistan) region. A recent inventory of glacial lakes in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region carried out by ICIMOD has shown that there are 9000 glacial lakes of which nearly 203 glacial lakes are identified as potentially dangerous and much of the settlement and infrastructure along the rivers originating from these lakes is at immediate risk.
The trend of GLOF events which occurred in Nepal and in Tibet, but affected the territories of Nepal shows that frequency of GLOF events is increasing after the 1960's decade. But prediction of the GLOF induced debris flow and downstream hazard areas are a complex procedure. This paper will discuss why mathematical model to predict such a failure mechanism are still lacking and propose the numerical model combined with GIS and RS that can be used to delimiting the downstream hazardous zones. It focuses on both structural and non-structural measures that can be used to reduce the hazards from moraine dam failures and GLOFs. And further elaborates why the development and application of integrated model to predict flood/debris flow hydrograph flood routing, prediction/delineation hazard prone area, refuges and evacuation routes in the downstream to evacuate local residents in a safe and proper manner in the event of floods is essential.

Water Induced Disasters and Their Preventive Measures in the Context of Nepal

Badri Shrestha, GCOE postdoctoral research fellow
Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), Kyoto University
Nepal is predominantly a mountainous country with more than eighty percent of its territory occupied by mountains area, where risk of water induced disasters such as floods, landslide, debris flow, soil erosion, etc is very high. Floods or Sediment disasters are one of the major problems in Nepal during the monsoon season due to the heavy rainfall, landform and fragile geology. The reviews of water induced disasters and their preventive measures in the context of Nepal will be presented.

Commercial Collection of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants and Livelihood in the Mountainous Communities in Nepal

Shanti KC Poudel, Doctoral student
Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) found in Nepal Himalaya is an important sources of livelihood in the mountainous communities in Nepal. Previous researchers have argued that commercial collection of Medicinal and Aromatic plants found in Nepal Himalaya is only the source of cash income of high mountainous communities and provides crucial income to rural people. Still little research is done to identify the actual contribution of the commercial collection of MAPs on the household livelihood. Based on the field research in mountainous communities, this paper identifies that commercial collection of MAPs hold the second large share of household income after agriculture in Raya village, while in Limantang community in Bargaun, livestock holds this share. The paper analyses the household income in two different high mountainous communities and identifies the share of different source of household income as well as contribution of the commercial collection of MAPs in Humla, Nepal.

The Circumstances of Space Utilization and Management of the Buddhist Monastery in Traditional Urban area of Patan city

Lata Shakya, JSPS research fellow
Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University
Some of the Buddhist Monasteries of Patan City, are being used as commercial buildings and apartments due to rapid urbanization of Kathmandu Valley. In this paper, we will discuss about management and space utilization of monasteries. The analysis is based on the field study of "Mubaha" and "Mubahi" of Patan City.

Bhutan's population-scaping design sours Nepal-Bhutan relationship

Govinda Rizal, Doctoral student
Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University
More than one hundred thousand Bhutanese people evicted from Bhutan, on pretext of "population-scaping" by the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) during 1990s, live in UNHCR monitored camps in Nepal waiting for a day to return to Bhutan. In its national census 2007, more than 80,000 people were termed as "floating population", who are vulnerable to further expulsion from Bhutan. One fourth of the "eligible to vote" population was disenfranchised during the first ever election in 2008, their status as the citizen of the country is now in question. The Government of Nepal had 15 rounds of bilateral talks with RGoB but failed to repatriate even a single person. India, that separates Bhutan from Nepal, has been acting as a valve; deports Bhutanese people into Nepal but prevents their return. On continues pressure from outside Bhutan for a change in the system, the RGoB adopted the word "Democracy" and continued its former rule.
After t17 years of deprived life in the camps, UNHCR and donor countries resorted to resettlement of the people to developed countries in the West. The third country resettlement has opened up new opportunities and increased challenges for the Bhutanese people to get back to their homeland and to secure rights and freedom in Bhutan. This paper discusses about the anxieties and dilemma of Bhutanese people and the diplomatic relations of Nepal-Bhutan has soured after RGoB started evicting the citizens.