The Small Earth Nepal (SEN), jointly with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), organized Biodiversity Knowledge Cafe on the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity with the theme Water and Biodiversity on Wednesday, 22 May 2013 at ICIMOD Knowledge Park, Godavari, Lalitpur. The program was organized to share the existing knowledge of biodiversity among the school students in order to build the capacity of the younger generation in identifying the flora and fauna available in a typical mountain area (Godavari site) in a scientific way..
International Day for Biological Diversity (IBD) is celebrated worldwide every year on May 22 to commemorate the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD). The United Nations has proclaimed the IBD to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. When first created by the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly in late 1993, 29 December (the date of entry into force of the Convention of Biological Diversity), it was designated the International Day for Biological Diversity. In December 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted 22 May as IDB, to commemorate the adoption of the text of the Convention on 22 May 1992 by the Nairobi Final Act of the Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The program kicked off with the opening remarks by Dr. Eklabhya Sharma, Director of Programme Operations, ICIMOD and tree plantation on different spots of the knowledge park. Followed by the plantation, Biodiversity Knowledge Cafe started with a warm welcome and brief introduction of the program by Mr. Jeeban Panthi, SEN. The knowledge cafe on the biodiversity was facilitated by Prof. Dr. Dharma R. Dangol (Natural History Museum), Dr. Puspa Keshari Shrestha (Entomologists), Mr. Mitra Pathak (National Herbarium P Laboratory, DPR) and Mr. Jyotendra Thakuri (Bird Conservation Nepal). The students discussed on the importance of biodiversity in their studies, problems that they will face in future due to loss of biodiversity in the community, role of students for conserving biodiversity and need of making their school area more green and environment friendly.
There was a field guided tour on Flora and Fauna identification for the students during which the students got an opportunity to know more about flora and fauna apart from their school curriculum via experts. Moreover, the art competition added more essence to the knowledge cafe during which the students sketched the flora and fauna they have observed during the field tour. The students expressed the importance of such program to be included in the school curriculum as well as it should be more frequent for the practical learning. They also said that having an open interaction with experts helped them broaden their knowledge on biodiversity more than what they have been learning from the text books.
The announcement of the winner was made and prizes were distributed to top three arts during the closing of Biodiversity Knowledge Cafe in ICIMOD headquarter. The overall program ended with the closing remark by Anja Moller Rasmussen, Senior Manager, Knowledge Management and Communication, ICIMOD.
