Judiciary’s role spectacular for environment protection

KATHMANDU: Various speakers have underlined the role of the judiciary for the protection of environment and wildlife.

At a two-day workshop ‘judicial perspectives on environmental and wildlife conservation’, the speakers said that the judiciary had made landmark verdicts in the area of environmental justice.

Speaking at the workshop organized by the Judges Society Nepal and the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City Dhanraj Acharya said the issue of environment was a matter of justice.

Nepal has suffered environmental losses due to carbon emissions by developed countries, he said, adding the Himalayan country should get climate compensation.

Minister for Forest and Environment of Gandaki Province, Bhesh Bahadur Poudel stressed the need of justice delivery from the local level in the environment sector.

Chairperson of the Special Court, Tek Narayan Kunwar said wildlife crime is the fourth largest organized crime in the world.

He said that the conference on environmental issues was also held at the International Court of Justice in Hague and Nepal had raised the issue of climate justice in the international forums.

Minister for Forest and Environment Ain Bahadur Shahi said the government has implemented the verdicts made by the court on matters related to environment and wildlife crimes.

Minister Shahi, also the chair of NTNC, said that the existing challenges of environmental justice should be subtly analyzed so that it would be reflected in policy formulation and implementation.

Stating that the world is passing through climate vulnerabilities, biodiversity loss and pollution, he stressed the need for shared understanding of all state agencies on the issues.

Also speaking on the occasion, Supreme Court Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla said Nepal is at high risk of environmental crisis as it is in-between the two developed and industrialized countries.

She urged the stakeholders not to take lightly the environment study report as the court also consider the document in a serious manner.

Former Chief Justice Min Bahadur Rayamajhi stressed the need for delivering justice based on principles.

Dr Naresh Subedi, member-secretary of the NTNC informed that discussions were held in three sessions on the issue of environmental justice.