A two-day workshop on wildlife crime and environmental justice, focusing on ways to enhance the efficacy of Wildlife Crime Control Bureaus (WCCBs), was convened in Pokhara on December 14 and 15.
The event brought together stakeholders from key sectors, including the judiciary, forestry, prosecution, and law enforcement, to examine the role of WCCBs and concerned stakeholders in mitigating wildlife crime. Participants discussed and analyzed current wildlife crime legislation and associated issues.
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal, Hon'ble Prakashman Singh Raut, who was the event chief guest, put strong emphasis about the significance of having clarity in environmental laws for expediting judicial decisions. Citing the rate of snowmelt in the Himalayas, he also noted the increasing impact of anthropogenic factors on the degradation of nature's life-supporting systems.
Hon'ble Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri, Minister for Forests and Environment, underscored the necessity for collaborative efforts to combat wildlife crime. The Hon'ble Minister, who also serves as the Chairperson of NTNC, urged for analyzing the effectiveness of existing laws against newer challenges to environmental justice and wildlife crime.
Secretary of the Ministry of Forests and Environment, Dr. Deepak Kumar Kharal, and the Director-General of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC), Dr. Ramchandra Kandel, addressed queries on wildlife crime concerns. District Forest Officers from Gandaki Province shared experiences in management of wildlife crime cases. Stakeholders emphasized the importance of coordination, capacity building, and policy integration in checking wildlife crime in Nepal.
NTNC's Member-Secretary, Dr. Naresh Subedi, conducted a special session about wildlife poaching cases in protected area communities. Here he highlighted the role of poverty and need for stakeholders to put special emphasis on improving their socio-economic wellbeing for delivering meaningful justice.
The National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), in collaboration with DNPWC, Department of Forest and Soil Conservation, Judges' Society of Nepal, and Nepal Police, organized the program to enhance wildlife crime awareness and strengthen the capabilities of concerned stakeholders to respond to wildlife crime cases efficiently.
The event was organized with the support of the United States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). NTNC has been implementing the INL-supported project “Combatting Wildlife Trafficking in Nepal" for the past few years. [END]
[Event photos link]: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CuRvNYKr2/
