Dear Eco- stewards,

 If you remember then, few months ago I had posted a report stating my selection in The Generation Green (TGG) Mentorship Program, which is an ambitious initiative of World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Nepal to encourage youth involvement in environmental sustainability via leadership development.

The 2nd batch of Mentorship Program commenced in August 2015- March 2016, where I was one of the mentees of Honorable Gagan Thapa (dynamic youth leader). Our team consisted of 5 members including me. We decided to conduct a research based project "Is Dust Manageable in Kathmandu Valley?" as Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal, densely populated and polluted.

Due to time constraints, we selected Sinamangal, Dillibazar, New Baneshwor, Soaltee Mode and Ringroad area within Kathmandu valley for our case study via qualitative comparison of their vulnerability. Our objective was to analyze the gap between public understanding and government stakeholders regarding dust generation, its impact and management. Additionally, we wanted to support the Livable Kathmandu 2020 vision initiated by our mentor Hon. Gagan Thapa.

Above all, we aimed to propose solutions and put forward recommendations for effective dust management in the valley. Our study and analysis was based on 3 phases. The first phase consisted of Literature Review: This might not be surprising to know that recently Kathmandu has been listed as 3rd most polluted city in the world. In regards with particulate matter of 10 microns and 2.5 microns diameter i.e. PM10 and PM2.5 level Nepal exceeds many folds than the safe upper limit guideline of World Health Organization (WHO).Environment Performance Index (EPI), 2016 by Yale University ranked Nepal as 4th worst in air quality. But this is quite encouraging news for us in a sense that it was ranked 2nd worst in 2014. Nepal Health Research Council in its report of 2009 estimated 1926 premature deaths in valley occur every year as a consequence of air pollution.

So where do all these dust come from?

The major sources of dust includes unpaved and poorly managed roads, road expansion under Kathmandu Valley Road Improvement Project, upsurge of private and public vehicles in recent decades, brick kilns, recent earthquake debris and poor drainage system.

The second phase was a public survey. Among our 500 respondents 95% were aged 15-59 years who are referred as economically active population in our national census.

In the 3rd Phase, we had interviewed concerned stakehloders. Officials from Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Population and Environment, Department of water and Sanitation and Department of Environment were interviewed. Traffic policemen and three doctors from different hospitals in the valley were interviewed as well.

For sure, we came across several challenges in our endeavor. It wasn't that easy to get appointments from high ranking officials and senior doctors. Some government officials were apprehensive for getting their words published.

Above all, lack of adequate prior research and inaccessibility to data based facts deprived our research of concrete statistics.

After understanding, reviewing and analyzing the status of dust we concluded that dust in specific and air pollution as a whole underlies multi-factorial causes imposing higher incidence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease. More seriously, lack of coordination among departments, ministries and public stakeholders has neutralized the efforts to control air pollution and effective dust management.

(PS: I will share the recommendations in next report)