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One-year-old Sabin Mahat (name changed) was taken to a local eye hospital when his mother noticed a white glow in his right eye which was more prominent in the evening time. He was immediately referred to Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology where he was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma, a type of eye cancer that starts in the retina.

Retinoblastoma represents three percent of all childhood cancers in the world, and is the most common intraocular malignancy in children below five years of age. It is 99 percent fatal if left untreated. Early detection and prompt treatment can save life and eye. Worldwide prevalence is 1:15000 to 1:20000 live births. Exact prevalence in Nepal is not known but a recent survey done in multiple hospital records suggests that around 50 new cases are detected in Nepal each year. Among them, the Ocular oncology department of Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (TIO) sees 35 to 45 new cases per year with around 15 of them having bilateral diseases. 

Treatment for Retinoblastoma is long (takes about two years to five years depending on the laterality and severity of disease), expensive and psychologically challenging to the parents and children. Stage one and two diseases require at least six months of systemic chemotherapy along with four weekly evaluations under general anesthesia along with needful treatment like laser in eye (transpupillary thermotherapy), cryotherapy and local chemo in the eye until the tumor resolves completely. If the eye is not salvageable, enucleation with implant surgery (removal of eyeball and placement of artificial eye) is done. Even after completion of treatment, the child needs to be followed up under anesthesia for five years. For stage three and four disease, treatment is prolonged (12 cycles of high dose chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy) and even with treatment, life prognosis is not good. 

As for Sabin, after a detailed evaluation, he was diagnosed as having Stage zero disease with non salvageable Group E disease in the right eye and Group C in the left eye. He was referred to Kanti Children Hospital for six cycles of chemotherapy. Since Sabin’s family was from a low income background, he was helped by Open Eyes Nepal, a non-government organization focused on creating awareness and providing financial support to Retinoblastoma patients, for treatment at Tilganga Hospital. After completing 6 cycles of chemotherapy, his right eye was surgically removed (enucleation with implant surgery) and provided a custom fit prosthetic eye which was also provided free of cost by Open Eyes Nepal. As for the left eye, it was saved after 8 cycles of laser therapy. After being disease free for two years, Sabin still comes to Tilganga Hospital every six months for follow-up.

However, sometimes this favorable case scenario is not present. When patients come to hospital very late into the disease of Retinoblastoma, the tumor comes out of the eye and presents with a fungating mass. Hence, it is important to identify the disease in the early stage by parents as well as health care personnel, so that with appropriate management, eye and life can be saved with Retinoblastoma.

We all love a good breakfast, which is probably why most restaurants these days have come up with their own breakfast menus and open as early as seven in the morning. We believe a good breakfast sets the tone of your day. But as lovely as an occasional breakfast or brunch outing can be, we are in no way suggesting you eat out on a regular basis. In fact, most fancy breakfast items you find in restaurants can easily be replicated at home. The good thing is that you don’t need to put in a lot of time and effort and it can save you a lot of money in the long run. Here are eight quick and easy breakfast ideas that can give you a much-needed energy boost in the morning. Most don’t require any advanced preparation while some might need you to put in a few minutes of kitchen time before you retire for the night.

Oats banana pancake

This protein rich breakfast delicacy does not need any pre-preparation. You can whip up delicious pancakes in under 15 minutes. It’s filling, nutritious, and simply delicious. Serve the pancakes with the side of fruits for a complete meal. Mash two bananas in a bowl, add an egg and whisk it until smooth. Add half a cup of oil along with a teaspoon of baking powder, and a pinch of baking soda. Grind two cups of oats and add it to the wet ingredients in the bowl. Add water or milk to make a smooth batter, which should neither be too runny nor too thick. Grease a pan with butter and pour small rounds of batter into it. Wait until you see bubbles on the surface of the pancake and then flip it to cook the other side. Since you’re using oats, you might have to cook the pancakes for a few minutes extra then you would have to while using regular flour.

Mango chia pudding 

For this amazing breakfast item that tastes a little bit like dessert, you need to soak chia seeds overnight. The rest of it is just chopping and assembling ingredients when it’s time for breakfast. It is perfect for summer when you don’t want to have a hot breakfast early in the morning. You can also enjoy this as a snack in the afternoon. Soak two tablespoons of chia seeds in a cup of yogurt and keep it in the refrigerator overnight. When it’s time for breakfast, transfer the pudding into a bowl, drizzle some honey, and top with chopped mangoes. You can also substitute mangoes with strawberries, blueberries, or any other seasonal fruit. Packed with protein, fiber, and other essential nutrients, this breakfast will keep you full for a long time.

Toast with a twist

Toast is a quintessential breakfast item. Traditionally served with butter, jam, or other such spreads, it is something that everybody likes. These days, toasted with avocado has become popular in many restaurants. Our version is a spinoff to that and is just as delicious and nutritious. Cut off the edges of two slices of bread and lay them flat on a baking tray. In another bowl, mash two boiled eggs and add some finely chopped onions and coriander to it. You can also add tomatoes if you want. Add salt and pepper according to taste to this mix and slather it on the slices of bread. Top it with a slice of cheese and let it back in the oven at medium heat for 15 minutes. You’re loaded toast that tastes a little bit like pizza is ready to be enjoyed.

Baked potato bonanza 

You need large sized potatoes for this recipe, which is really simple to make and tastes like an absolute dream. Thoroughly wash two large potatoes and leave their skin intact. Bring a pot of water to boil and add the potatoes, letting it cook for about 15 minutes. Don’t fully cook the potatoes. Drain the water and cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Spread the thin layer of butter or on top of the potatoes. Add some grated garlic and finely chopped green chilies. Sprinkle salt and pepper and top with grated cheese. Pop it in the oven and bake for 30 minutes in medium heat or until the cheese melts and you get a slightly charred smell. You can serve this carb and protein rich dish with a side of lightly steamed vegetables. It’s a wholesome meal that will keep you satiated for hours.

Cinnamon delight

This one will blow your mind. Be warned that it’s not as healthy and wholesome as the other items on this list but it’s definitely food for your soul. You need a thick slice of bread for this. It should be double the thickness of a regular slice of bread. You can buy fresh, uncut bread at the bakery and slice it yourself. In a large bowl, mix a cup of milk with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder and two tablespoons of brown sugar. Give it a stir so that there are no lumps in the mixture. Grease a pan with butter. Dip the bread slice in the cinnamon mixture, making sure you coat both sides. Toast it on the pan after the butter starts sizzling, cooking both sides for two minutes each. The result will be a gooey cake like toast that melts in your mouth. Since this is mostly carbs, we suggest you serve it with some scrambled eggs and fruits on the side to make it a complete meal.

Yogurt fruit bowl

This is by far one of the healthiest things you can have for breakfast. It’s a great source of probiotic and fiber, leading to good gut health. Apart from being filling and nutrient-dense, it’s also delicious and you might just get hooked to it. You can use regular yogurt or blend a fruit with yogurt to get a creamy base. Then add that to a bowl, and add a teaspoon of honey to it. You can also add a bit of your favorite syrup to give it that extra flavor. This goes into the base of your bowl. Top the yogurt with pumpkin and sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, crushed walnuts, and a handful of raisins. Next, chop fruits of your choice and layer them over the yogurt as well, creating an interesting mix of colors. Sprinkle coconut powder on top of the fruits and seeds and your delicious fruit bowl is ready.

Tangy chana chaat

If you aren’t a fan of sweet breakfasts, then this is for you. You just have to soak a cup of chana or black gram overnight. Then you can quickly whip up this dish in the pressure cooker the next morning. Chana is known to have anti aging benefits, improve hemoglobin levels, control blood sugar, and promote heart health among others. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds and dried red chilis to it. Allow it to sizzle. Add the overnight soaked chana to it and let it roast for about a minute before putting in salt and turmeric. Add half a cup of chopped tomatoes and mix it well. Pour one cup of water and let it cook for four to five whistles. Once cooked, transfer it to a serving dish and add chopped onions and coriander to it and mix well. Squeeze half a lime and serve hot. You can also have this with lightly toasted bread or plain roti.

Moong dal chilla

Chilla is basically a savory lentil pancake that is traditionally had for breakfast. It’s easy to prepare and rich in protein which makes it a good option for breakfast. You can also use chickpea flour (besan) to make these yummy pancakes but we recommend moong dal for its perfect taste and texture. Soak a cup of moong dal overnight and grind it in the blender the next morning. In the blender, add half an inch of ginger, two to three cloves of garlic, a teaspoon of cumin seeds, a few green chilis, and salt, along with the soaked moong dal and blend until you get a smooth paste. Ensure there are no lumps in it. Next, chop one medium tomato and onion and add this to the batter as well. Heat and grease a girdle and spread the batter in a thin circle. Let it cook for a minute or two before flipping it over. Serve the chilla hot with mint chutney.

Climate change or environmental degradation has been one of the most severe predicaments that the present world is helplessly facing. Various scholars use terms or phrases such as ‘an accruing challenge to both human and non-human community’, ‘recipe for multi-factorial disaster’ or ‘global vulnerability’ to encapsulate the extent of envisioned/experienced difficulty and hardship. As a discourse that forms part of key global discussions, it has humongous control over almost all intellectual forums, political plenaries, summits, academic plenums and research rigors/attempts.

Sagarmatha Sambad, one of the highly-touted events in our nation, also holds the same theme as the critically cardinal issue. Many countries go fairly vocal to unfold verbal solidarity on each of proposed collective initiatives to mitigate the climate-induced consequences. Despite deepening concerns, climate change warning has been a several-fold soft power political tool of supposed world-power nations to extend hegemony and impose their colonial attitude on others.

Concept of development that the power-nations have enforced is itself grossly anti-climactic. Development is falsified in construction of skyrocketing RCC buildings and expansions of roads unwisely to every nook and corner of the village. Road networks, multiplex commercial buildings and physical infrastructure built in a haphazard manner are understood and misjudged as key indicators of development, in an alarming avalanche of capitalism.

Our past development efforts were on pathways of climate resilience and bio-friendly living. All the materials used in construction of houses and buildings were decomposable and soil adjustable. Eco-centric perspective was systematized. The current parameters of development, which western nations purported, presented and utterly prescribed to the rest of the world, are responsible for climate catastrophe and an infinite ecocide. Western countries’ consistent immersion on theorizing development as roads, factories, buildings, cities, vehicles and infrastructure—mostly in grossly unmethodical and disorganized manner—at the expense of greenery is mainly responsible for the climate crisis of this day and age.     

Nepal is not a carbon-emitting nation. Much of emission originates from the same countries that tell other countries to control it. Countries with minimal emission footprints, often addressed as non-emitters, are suffering and grappling with the grim and grave danger as much as net-emitters.
Out of a total 37.55 gigatonnes of emission in 2023, Nepal has only 0.04 percent share. Nonetheless, proportionate and uniformed damage in all sectors are equally severe as in the emitting countries.
Those powerful nations (the big emitters) have almost and already achieved the expected level of development. Their levels of industrialization and urbanization are way above than that of many other nations. High-emitting countries have big factories, largest road networks, many industries, rapid and robust expansion of infrastructure and the biggest corporations. Those western and Euro-American nations have been trying every bit to bar other nations from achieving this feat. Most of the international convents and conventions, especially those that western power countries generate or promulgate, focus around disarmament, global war, confrontations and so on.

In fact, not any veto out of 279 practices in its history—from the maiden use on 16 Feb 1946 till the recent one on 24 April 2024—has been yet used or positioned for climate justice. All international communities and organizations have become mute bystanders and numb stamps when it comes to making global commitments on curbing climate change and walking the talk.

Why should Nepal be condemned and convicted for the crime it did not commit? The big emitters should admit their guilt rather than alarming the rest and pay due compensation to non-emitting nations like Nepal.

In a step towards operationalizing the Paris Agreement’s carbon market, a UN supervisory body has adopted key standards to guide how emission-reducing projects are measured and credited. These new rules—established under the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM)—aim to ensure the generation of high-integrity carbon credits, supporting global climate goals while opening new opportunities for countries like Nepal to participate in international carbon finance.

PACM allows countries and private actors to collaborate on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, using a standardized framework to issue verified carbon credits. Two major standards were adopted during the recent meeting: one to determine the emission baselines (i.e., what would have happened without the project), and another to account for unintended emissions, known as ‘leakage’, that might occur elsewhere due to a project’s implementation.

The baseline standard requires a downward adjustment of emissions—starting with a 10 percent reduction below historical norms and continuing with at least a one percent decline annually. This move is aimed at avoiding over-crediting and increasing the climate integrity of the system. The leakage standard, meanwhile, mandates that all emissions displaced due to a project—such as increased deforestation in nearby areas—are accounted for. For REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) projects, alignment with national strategies is a prerequisite.

For Nepal, these decisions could be game-changing. With its extensive forest cover, successful history of community forestry, and national REDD+ framework already in place, Nepal is well-positioned to participate in PACM. The new rules provide clarity and credibility that can enhance Nepal’s ongoing conservation and reforestation efforts, ensuring they qualify for international carbon finance. Additionally, Nepal’s clean cookstove initiatives—which aim to reduce indoor air pollution and biomass use—could align with the Supervisory Body’s decision to bring older projects in line with the latest methodologies.

“We finally adopted a groundbreaking decision ensuring crediting levels are set consistently with a pathway to net neutrality, through a process of minimum downward adjustment of crediting levels over time,” said Martin Hession, chair of the Supervisory Body.

Maria AlJishi, vice-chair of the Supervisory Body, added: “These standards provide the clarity developers need to begin designing activities under the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism and are key to fully operationalizing it.”

For countries like Nepal, which are rich in natural resources but financially constrained, these developments offer more than just environmental benefits—they open the door to new streams of climate finance. The Supervisory Body also emphasized equitable benefit-sharing and capacity building, which could further assist Nepal in developing the institutional and technical systems required to effectively participate in PACM.

In support of national ownership and equity, the Body has also initiated discussions on how to ensure project benefits are fairly distributed in host countries. A dedicated consultation process and enhanced country engagement tools are expected to help countries like Nepal secure their share of mitigation benefits.

Despite the progress, the transition from older mechanisms like the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is expected to result in a short-term funding gap, as the pipeline for PACM projects is still in development. However, the first PACM methodologies are expected to be approved by the end of 2025, potentially enabling Nepal and others to begin designing eligible projects from 2026 onward.

As the global carbon market enters this new phase of integrity-focused evolution, Nepal has the opportunity to position itself as a regional leader in sustainable carbon project development—if it can mobilize the right strategies, partnerships, and institutional readiness.