www.nepalipatra.com
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Dr Neelam Pradhananga
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Together, let’s SPARKLE Nepal!
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aste disposal practices and solid waste management is a challenge in Nepal and is reflected in the rampant, haphazard disposal of rubbish in urban public spaces. Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, is a prime example of a city that struggles to dispose of its waste appropriately. Unsightly rubbish disposed of inappropriately have stockpiled on the sides of roads and in rivers. To address this, over the years, many initiatives have been undertaken by a wide variety of organizations to clean up the cities and towns of Nepal. These initiatives are not sufficient on their own, and very few are self-sufficient and sustainable as they are often externally funded with little local community engagement. Clean up Nepal 2013 is a campaign initiated by Small Earth Australia in collaboration with our in-country partner, Small Earth Nepal, to improve urban and rural environments in Nepal. At a macro level, it aims to unite stakeholders throughout Nepal involved in the environment sector to work together in synergy to facilitate mass clean up events with behavioral change programs to address solid waste management holistically. At a micro level, the idea behind Clean up Nepal 2013 is simple – get together friends and family, join or
31 July - 13 Aug 2013
register a site and clean up on the day. Clean up Nepal aims to inspire and empower local communities, community groups, schools, businesses, and local governments throughout Nepal to join the clean up movement to address local environmental issues in a simple and visible way. It will take place on
Saturday 21 September 2013 from 7am to 11am. The campaign is the first bilateral cooperation between Australia and Nepal to organize a nationwide cleanup campaign that provides local communities a unified platform to take action to clean up streets, rivers and spaces in close proximity to their homes, work and
entertainment. The campaign will also bring together stakeholders to run annual cleanup activities with maximum efficiency and minimal funding. A clean, beautiful and green Nepal is a dream that we all can share in. Thousands of plastic bags and other rubbish litter the sides of our roads, our rivers and public spaces. A unified approach to raise awareness about our waste disposal practices is needed. Picking up rubbish on 21 September 2013 will not change the status quo immediately but it will highlight what is possible through the joint efforts of communities throughout Nepal.
Details about how to get involved are available on our website: www. cleanup.smallearthaustralia.org. If you know of a youth group, Rotary Club, Lions Club, NGO, volunteer group, neighborhood group, school, college, university or any other entity in your town that may be interested in mobilizing their members or staff to clean up an area around their vicinity, do let them know a bout the campaign. Also, talk to your friends and family back home and encourage them to join in the cleanup efforts. Most of our cleanup sites are concentrated in Kathmandu and we are keen to ensure cleanup activities take place throughout Nepal. So, if you are from Chitwan or Pokhara, Baglung or Dang, Damauli or Ilam, whichever part of Nepal you come from, use the Clean up Nepal campaign as a perfect opportunity to re-connect with friends, family and acquaintances that you haven’t spoken to in a while. Like us on facebook and connect with us on twitter. Together, let’s SPARKLE Nepal! Dr Pradhananga has a doctorate from the University of Newcastle with a specialization in heritage conservation, is currently working for local government and is pursuing a Master of Planning parttime at the University of New South Wales. The long periods of time she has spent in both Nepal and Australia has provided her an understanding of the strengths of developing countries such as Nepal. She is keen to work together with organizations in Nepal and abroad to capitalize on these strengths, and to work on areas that need improvement.