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The First National Water Conference has concluded, issuing a nine-point Kathmandu Declaration.

The two-day conference organized by the National Federation of Irrigation Water User’s Association, Nepal under the leadership of Water and Energy Commission Secretariat wrapped up Sunday evening. It was organized as part of the Nepal National Glacier, Water and Weather Week-2025.

The conference pledged to ensure sustainable use, conservation, management and regulation of water resources in accordance with the Integrated River Basin Plan with coordination and collaboration among the three tiers of government, development partner organizations, community organizations and other stakeholders by ensuring water good governance.

It pledged to strengthen the concerned government and non-governmental organizations regarding the proper use and conservation of water in the policy and legal provisions related to the use and conservation of water, to develop institutional capacity, to maintain legal harmony among the three levels while formulating their policies and laws by the provincial governments and local levels, and to work with priority in this sector by all levels of governments.

Similarly, the Declaration mentions adopting a policy of cooperation to support social and economic transformation by developing water resources through national and international cooperation, effective implementation of preparedness plans for natural disaster management, adoption of latest technologies to mitigate the impact of climate change, and proper use and conservation of water through climate resilient action plan.

It has pledged to develop sustainable infrastructure and provide services in the areas of water resources including drinking water, irrigation and hydropower.

The Water Conference concluded with commitments to broadening the scope of research and studies in water management, as well as acknowledging the importance of indigenous knowledge, skills, and technologies for the effective use and preservation of water resources.

Through the Declaration, it has been vowed to scientifically document, analyze, and enhance the use of available knowledge and data, while building and strengthening an integrated information system. Long-term integrated plans will also be formulated and implemented.

Similarly, the conference emphasized the development of a common platform for all stakeholders to promote the systematic management of water resources with the priorities to strengthen community leadership, capacity building capacity, and the continuity and promotion of successful practices.

The conference also reaffirmed its commitments for utmost utilization of the resources and support available from the Green Climate Fund to address the damages and losses caused by climate change in the water sector.

Moreover, the effective utilization of water resources in various areas such as hydropower, agriculture, irrigation, tourism, and drinking water will be prioritized. This approach aims to advance the country's prosperity through sustainable development, laying the foundation for economic transformation, industrial growth, job creation, and regional trade.

The Water and Energy Commission, in collaboration with stakeholders, has pledged to take a leading role in integrated water resource management, multipurpose use, conservation, and regulation efforts.

 According to Madhu Prasad Bhetuwal, the Secretary of the Commission, such conferences will continue in the years to come. He also reaffirmed the commitment to maintaining environmental balance, sustainably managing natural resources, ensuring the proper use and preservation of water, and preventing pollution in water resources.

An Israeli military attack on the largest hospital in southern Gaza killed two people, injured several more, and ignited a large fire, according to the enclave's Ministry of Health, Alzajeera reported.

The government stated that the Nasser Hospital's surgical building in Khan Younis was the target of the Sunday night attack. The incident occurred just days after Israel's surprise wave of airstrikes last week, which marked the start of Israel's war in Gaza, overflowed the facility with dead and injured.

On Sunday, a 16-year-old kid who had had surgery two days prior was one of the people slain. According to a statement from Hamas, Ismail Barhoum, a member of the political bureau of the organization, was also slain as he was undergoing medical care at the hospital.

Israel's military acknowledged the incident, saying it targeted a Hamas member. Israeli officials have routinely blamed civilian losses on the armed Palestinian group that controls Gaza, claiming that it purposefully operates in densely populated areas, Alzajeera reported.

Nasser Hospital, like other medical institutions in Gaza, has been damaged by Israeli raids and airstrikes during the conflict.

Israeli soldiers have murdered over 600 people since commencing their assault on the enclave, including dozens in the last 24 hours, according to Palestinian health officials.

 

As the tiger population increases in Nepal, its habitat area has to be expanded.

Although the park areas, buffer zones and other forest areas are the habitat of tigers, the problem of shrinking tiger habitat is seen in recent years as the number of tigers has increased.

Speaking at an interaction program organized by Chitwan National Park in Chitwan today, Haribhadra Acharya, senior ecologist at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, stressed the need to increase the habitat for tigers.

He said that the number of tigers has been increasing over the last five years indicating a need to increase the habitat. "There is a need to protect the tigers by keeping them in open zoos," he said, adding that the open zoos could be linked to income generation.

The number of tigers in Nepal has increased from 121 in 2009 to 355 in 2022. The number of tigers was 198 in 2013 and 253 in 2018.

Acharya said that due to the increase in the number of tigers, the habitat area has decreased by 93 percent.

In recent years, the number of tigers has been increasing in Nepal due to the focus on conservation.

Acharya said that forest areas in the country can accommodate around 500 tigers. "It seems that 404 tigers can be kept in the core area of the parks,” he added.

According to him, the deer species is the main prey of the tiger and there is also a need to protect deer. Similarly, tigers also hunt monkeys and domestic animals for food.

He said that there were about 100,000 tigers in the world 100 years ago, but now the number has come down to 5,000.

Tens of thousands of protesters have taken part in demonstrations across Turkey after the main rival to the country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was formally arrested and charged with corruption, BBC reported.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was scheduled to be chosen in a vote on Sunday as the Republican People's Party's (CHP) 2028 presidential candidate.

The nation witnessed the greatest rioting in over a decade on Sunday night, with protestors being shot at with rubber bullets and tear gas in response to his arrest, according to BBC.

The accusations made against him, according to Imamoglu, are driven by politics. "I will never bow," he posted on X prior to being placed under arrest on remand.