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There was a time when the internet and smartphones hadn’t invaded lives. It was the time when we couldn’t get everything just by moving our fingertips on the mobile screen. That was an age where people need not to depend on gadgets to kill their loneliness. There were days like that too when our ancestors could spend hours upon hours being completely calm even by doing nothing. All in all, it was an era when humankind lived their life as it was. 

Since the age of cognitive revolution till today, man has invented various technologies aimed to make life more easier and well facilitated. Almost all the discoveries obviously made our life more facilitated and simplified too but we can’t ignore the fact that these discoveries are also pushing our life towards complexity.

The day when the government of Nepal declared to ban TikTok, a short video application, in Nepal, shorts on YouTube, reels on Facebook and Instagram started to become more popular and gain remarkable attention. With the continuous information and entertainment available at our fingertips, it’s easy to become addicted to the instant gratification provided by these short videos. Not only have people’s consumption of time on the internet been increased by the rise of this new media form, it is directly hitting our attention span too. Despite the many benefits offered by these shorts, it also makes us more and more impatient at the same time. In fact, these short form videos are gradually shortening our focus and concentration power. They are weakening our stability day by day.

Our life today is built around a fast paced, technologically dominant society. As a reflection, each morning starts with shorts and reels on the mobile screen, which has developed a need for immediate results in us. Now we have reached a point where we want everything at the click of a button or swipe of a finger. We have become so impatient that we need all the things instantly like instant coffee. We can’t even wait for a couple of seconds without skipping the ad while watching YouTube videos. It is said, Amazon would lose an estimated $1.6bn a year if its home page loaded one second more slowly. If we get stuck in a traffic jam for a minute, our stress level easily reaches its peak. Reading books or listening to a long playlist, or just trying to learn a new skill is comparatively more difficult than it used to be. Even a cup of tea takes ten minutes to be ready but we need a life solution in the snap of a finger. This expectation for instant results has penetrated into our relationships with family, friends and loved ones. 

In China, there is a type of bamboo tree that needs to be watered every single day without fail. When that seed is planted, initially there is no growth and nothing appears to come out of the ground for the first five years. But there are experienced people who have faith and patience on that tree so they keep watering. In the fifth year within six weeks this particular tree grows to around eighty feet tall. This bamboo tree proves that everything has its own pace of time. It's not that we always get immediate results for what we do. Babies are also not born the day parents bond nor does a chick hatch out from the egg in a day. In our daily lives too things like losing weight, professional success or overcoming personal failure need time. Even Thomas Alva Edison could not have invented the electric light bulb if he did not have patience and perseverance. KFC is world famous today only because Colonel Sanders did not lose patience even after his recipe was rejected one thousand and nine times.

According to Yogic science patience is one of the greatest virtues which is directly related to the overall well being of humankind. It is so powerful and capable to totally transform everyone in their best form if practiced properly and consciously. A person with patience can be happy and calm even in suffering or frustration. He can gain the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble without getting angry or upset.

Today is the age of Information and Technology and we too are not far away from this. No matter how hard we try, we cannot remain completely untouched by its influence. But at least we can stay away from the demerits of mobile and the short form contents on it. Or at least we can improve our patience and perseverance power by doing some meditation techniques. For this we can keep staring at abstract painting for hours. We can go through a special method called ‘Tratak’ to develop the concentration power on us. Likewise we can add ‘Pranayam’ to our daily routine. And most importantly adopt the pace of nature and make yourself habitual on it.

Ganges River Dolphin (GRD) is the indicator species of the freshwater ecosystem also recognized as flagship species. GRDs have been distributed across the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sanghu Rivers in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. GRDs are found on Floodplain Rivers of lowland Tarai region. In Nepal GRDs are supremely residents on Karnali, Gandaki and Koshi rivers. In the recent years, there have been some signs recorded as videos which indicate the occasional utilization of Bagmati River in Rautahat district by GRD which needs additional verification.

Ganges River Dolphin (GRD), a mammal of the freshwater ecosystem, is threatened both at national and international levels.  They are listed in endangered category of IUCN Red list and in Nepal they are listed as critically endangered species in latest assessment conducted in 2011. The species experiencing multitude of threats is waiting for proper conservation interventions, otherwise they would be limited to the folklore.

According to best estimates, the population of GRD is 52 individuals across the country. In the past, the species was reported from the Mahakali river, while the recent report suggest their extirpation from there and the cause of local extinction have been attributed to the construction of barrage on the migratory route of the species. In Koshi, considered the second most populated river, GRDs are found only on lowland regions below dams. In the past, Narayani used to be one of the prime habitats of Dolphin, however, after the Gandak dam was built, only one to two individuals have been sighted and in the recent year, only one individual has been sighted so far in the river. Furthermore, the species is facing tremendous pressure majorly due to anthropogenic activities like overfishing, electrofishing, poisoning across its distribution range, among others. This implies that the population of GRDs hs declined  across its range. In addition, the species is also facing challenges due to habitat fragmentation and loss mainly resulting from dam construction for hydropower and barrages for flood reduction.

The flow regulation of rivers can directly impact GRDs' habitat as they maintain their regular activities as per river's flow. The fluctuation in the river flow and the changing flow direction can adversely affect its life cycle. The construction of the dams without doing proper scientific study can destroy the aquatic habitat. This can cause river fragmentation in their habitat, distracting the movement of GRDs, which results in shrinkage in habitat of aquatic species. Those threats are also responsible for the decline of genetic variations in the aquatic species, which directly reduce the adaptive capacity of these species to a changing environment.

Water quality in the rivers is vital for the freshwater species. This is more significant to the species like GRDs, which require pure free flowing rivers. Both the decrease in quantity and quality of water in the river are detrimental to freshwater species. Agricultural and industrial runoff, including dumping pesticides, enhances the toxicity on water, thereby decreasing suitability of the river for the species. Similar pattern can be seen for the deviation in water quantity, particularly in dry season, when the waters are diverted for other purposes. The species like GRDs, which prefer deep water pools, cannot exist in such a scenario.  

Basically, humans need different ecosystem services to survive. Mother Nature has given equal rights to every species for their survival, but we are creating difficulties for innocent species out there by increasing demands and turning the environment anthropocentric.

Whenever the dolphins are occasionally observed, people mistreat them and kill them. Lack of awareness is also a formidable challenge that piles more pressure on the dolphins’ habitat. GRDs have an equal right to exist as we do. However, our activities such as excessive fishing and using destructive fishing methods are playing a part in threatening GRDs. This highlights the need to rethink the harvesting strategy and timing so that we can create a win-win situation for both humans and GRDs.

Some efforts have been made for the conservation of the species.  In the international level, regulation of the trade of species has been envisioned by listing the species in appendix I of CITES. While in Nepal, GRDs have been prioritized for the conservation indicated by preparation of a dolphin conservation action plan (2021-2025). However, efforts from the government to implement that action plan are not so promising. Some efforts have been made by national and international conservation organizations such as WWF Nepal, which is working to create positive impacts by collaborating with fishermen and to release entangled dolphins from their fishnets. These efforts are not sufficient.

As GRDs are charismatic species of the freshwater ecosystem, the flipping/jumping skills of those species is amazing that every tourist can enjoy. Local communities are unaware of these protected species’ ecological role, who can diversify their livelihood by investing in ecotourism for the tourist. Tourists may visit that specific place in greater numbers during the period when GRDs are most frequently spotted. They would definitely love to gain real information about GRDs, which might help to spread conservation messages as well.

We have to address livelihood concerns of locals, whose actions would directly or indirectly affect the dolphins. The livelihood of the locals should be diversified to reduce dependency on fishing activities. Conservation knowledge should be improved from the grassroots. Research should be conducted to collect scientific information about its habitat range, population status and behavior, etc. Relevant action plans can be implemented only if we have enough information about particular species. Furthermore, collaboration between the stakeholders is highly essential. Together, we can create a safe environment for the threatened dolphin species. 

It was a day in Falgun 2079 when goats returned to Acharya Agriculture Farm after grazing from the nearby jungle (Sundarnicha Jhoda community forest) at about 4 pm. After a couple of hours, they began showing symptoms such as loss of regurgitation, which was soon accompanied with swelling of the stomach. 

They then started to bleat and it seemed they were going through immense pain. After struggling for a few hours, goats on the animal farm belonging to Sushila Acharya and her family began dying one after another from 8 pm the same night. After a few hours of their death, a greenish frothy bloat was observed around their mouth. 

Within 24 hours, the farm lost 28 goats, including kids, wethers and she-goats. They did whatever was needed to protect the animals, heeding advice from other neighbors and local veterinarians. Dumbfounded as well as perplexed by the sudden and mysterious deaths, they took their dead livestock for post-mortems, which revealed that poisoning was the the cause of death. To be precise, the livestock had died after consuming “ultakande”, which is quite similar to commonly found “Lajjawati Jhar” (touch me not).

This revelation shocked the Acharyas and their neighbors, who had previously lost their livestock due to unknown causes, only to find later that the weed was the culprit. This realization prompted them to take a difficult decision to avoid grazing their goats freely in the forest. When unavoidable, they now securely peg their animals to prevent access to the weed. Despite several efforts to protect their livestock, local people have lost more than 50 of them till now, most of them due to the consumption of the weed at its young stage, says the owner of the farm, Prem Prasad Acharya. 

This is one of the tragic events that occurred in the small village of Garamani, approximately 16 km from Chandragadhi Airport in Jhapa. Sushila Acharya and her family have been struck by this devastating financial loss. The once-thriving livestock farm, which sustained them for years, has suffered significant economic losses due to an unexpected menace—Mimosa diplotricha, an invasive plant species—that came to the notice of the Acharyas and their neighbors approximately a decade ago. Initially, the weed seemed harmless and the locals were least bothered. However, its impact has now unfolded, leaving them to deal with its negative consequences.

Mimosa diplotricha is one of the invasive species, reported from Nepal in the year 2019 by Forest Action researchers along with invasive species expert Dr Bharat Babu Shrestha. Commonly known as “Aarakande”, “Ultakaanda” or “Lahare Lajjawati”, it is a leguminous thorny subshrub of neotropical origin that now has been invasive in more than 45 countries, including Nepal. Known to cause several negative impacts on agriculture, livestock, biodiversity and livelihoods in its introduced range, this species has been reported abundantly in Jhapa and Morang districts of south-eastern Nepal. 

For a family entirely dependent on the livestock farm, the loss of 28 goats in a single day had a significant impact on their income and sustainability. Since the economic effects have been quite severe, the Acharyas had to reconsider their farming methods and look for new strategies to protect their animals. Like the Acharyas, several other families from Jhapa and Morang districts have suffered the consequences of this weed, either knowingly or unknowingly, most of which are not reported. Local people, unaware as to how this species got introduced in this region, say it has been thriving in this area for about 30 years and has begun spreading in the vicinity as well through various means. 

Lending credence to the locals’ account, a research team from Forest Action Nepal has reported the presence of the weed in Sunsari district as well. 

According to Lila Nath Sharma, a researcher at Forest Action Nepal, the weed introduced in Nepal in the mid-1990s has been spreading rapidly. Despite the Acharyas’ initiative to report the issue to the municipality, their plea for financial assistance has gone unheard. This disappointing response emphasizes the critical need for support mechanisms to aid farmers grappling with the devastating impact of the invasive plant. 

Experts warn that if immediate action is not taken, the future impact of Mimosa diplotricha could be catastrophic. As the plant continues to thrive, more livelihoods will be at risk, further jeopardizing the rural economy.

The Acharya family’s experience serves as a wake-up call for both farmers as well as policymakers. The implications go far beyond individual families, encompassing entire communities reliant on agriculture and livestock for sustenance. The battle against this destructive weed requires comprehensive awareness campaigns, agricultural guidance and collaboration between farmers as well as local authorities. Together with agricultural experts and community leaders, the local government must launch comprehensive awareness campaigns and allocate resources to mitigate the crisis. 

The Vibrant Gujarat is a flagship investment summit of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi which has drawn the regional leaders and leading countries demonstrating commitment and keenness to share the pie of economic growth opportunity that India offers.

Japan, Australia, the UK, the US, Norway and the Netherlands, among others, were actively seen to showcase their companies, strengths and collaboration projects at the summit where Who’s Who of India’s Business was present. At this perfect platform for networking and striking partnerships for the future, it was clear that countries wanted their share of success in Aatmanirbhar Bharat—Viksit Bharat 2047.

Days ahead leading to the summit, international diplomatic leaders could be seen highlighting their pavilion and promoting their capabilities. X and other social media platforms were full of posts from these countries on how they engaged with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he visited their pavilions. They were engaging with the media to showcase their partnership, the strengths of their collaborations and where they can make a difference in the future.

Nepal was one of the 35 partner states, who had the opportunity to host a pavilion. The Nepali delegation was led by the Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat together with Ambassador Shankar Sharma. The Indian government website of communication of government policies and outcomes tweeted around seven minutes byte of address by Mahat. Other than that, half day into the first day, there were no signs of Nepali industry, pavilion and business persons. There was no coverage in Nepali media of what Nepal could bring to the summit and in which sector. Automotive, defense, precious stones, energy, industrial innovations, tourism and education were among the country’s presentations.

 For example, Australia’s presentation at Country Seminar is under the title “Australia–your destination for business, industry, study and tourism”. Saudi Arabia, the EU, Malaysia, Singapore, the UK, Germany, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Oman, the UAE, Ukraine, Korea, Mozambique, and many others presented at the Country Seminar. Nepal’s country presentation was also listed  in the queue of the Country Seminar.

But the big question for now is that does Nepal leverage enough when invited? When the G20 India Summit invited Bangladesh as a special guest, there was an outcry as to why Nepal was not important enough to be invited to G20 India Summit. Perhaps this calls for an assessment in light of Nepal’s participation at Vibrant Gujarat. Does Nepali leadership at PMO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Industry work in sync to make that difference and have a strategy to reverse the imbalance in the country with higher ODA than FDI? What preparations did they do ahead of “Vibrant Gujarat”?

Today the flagship business summit of India is being attended by world class industry leaders but Nepal’s Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Ramesh Rizal or Sushil Bhatta, CEO of Office of the Investment Board Nepal or president/leaders from Chambers of Commerce as FNCCI, NICCI, CNI or other leading businesspersons of Nepal are not visible. Interestingly, MoICS Minister Rizal attended the Nepal Country Pavilion at 6th CIIE held in Shanghai (China) toward the end of Nov 2023.  Wasn’t this an opportunity to engage with Indian and global leadership and other country leaders to showcase Nepal as a hub for tourism, service industry, mass manufacturing and winter sports. One of the most evident miss out is on Nepal’s reservoir of hydro energy and traditional medicines and herbs which contribute to green energy to better health.

Nepal will soon host its third International Summit, “Nepal Investment Summit” (NIS2024) in April 2024 and preparations are underway. This was a unique opportunity to promote NIS 2024, what it entails at the Nepal pavilion during VGGS2024. Senior leaders from Chambers of Commerce such as FNCCI, CNI and NICCI should have accompanied Mahat and engaged with international leaders on the margins of VGGS2024. With discussions on “Workforce for Future: Development of Skills for Industry 4.0”, Nepal could have showcased the diverse skill set and plans of Nepal Young Entrepreneurs’ Forum.

Prime Minister Modi visited many pavilions but did his visit to the Nepal Pavilion materialize or not? There were no photos, commentaries, or effort at any level to use as a pre-event marketing material and how it leads to NIS 2024. This shortcoming was evident. At a time when Nepal’s FDI performance in 2022 was bleak with mere $65m and recent exits of International Corporations as Malaysia’s Axiata and Pakistan’s Habib Bank from Nepali market and high level corruption cases have potentially dented the confidence of an international investor, is Nepal not keen to grow FDI and wants to be a donor’s ODA dependent country?

Who is to be held accountable? Did such a lapse occur for the first time? Previously, on many such occasions the business community did not take interest to participate and showcase their vision. Is it merely a political transition problem or to be blamed only on bureaucratic hurdles but the fact remains that there is a lack of sync between leadership in the political and business sectors.

The Nepali Mission led by Ambassador Sharma has made great inroads across industry and sectors. In my discussions from time to time, it appears that stakeholders from Nepal are not enthusiastic or more busy in domestic politics, that they do not prioritize international visibility, dialogue and partnerships. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Nepali leaders have not leveraged the hard work and network of Ambassador Sharma and his team.

None of the above can happen till the time country leadership takes the reins of growth and the roadmap that leads to it. Vibrant Gujarat is led by Prime Minister Modi and CM Bhupendra Patel. Prime Minister Modi over the last 10 years has worked on the ground and around the world in working out partnerships for the private and public sector to implement. Even if Nepali political leadership succeeds in securing a stage to showcase and get an international commitment of investment, it is for the bureaucratic and business arm to make it happen. This is where investment summits/conferences under the GoN or chambers of commerce become more “check in the box” without actual conversions.

 The ownership, collective leadership and the will at all levels is self-defeating. Today, a Nepali is only concerned with watching his/her own interest and Nepal has been turned into an orphaned state with highest ODA in South Asia or made out as one by inaction and lackadaisical approach where more interpretation and analysis can be seen than action. Nepal had huge potential of high productivity but it has now been reduced as a trading country and treasury full of remittances, where both strategies will drive the workforce to foreign lands in search of work. It is easier said than done that foreign countries erode the richness of Nepal when its own leaders are responsible for the state of affairs. 

The author is a financial, geopolitical and security analyst