4. Work and life in Kathmandu

This week in Kathmandu was much about logistics and bureaucratic preparations for my upcoming field trips to the eastern Himalaya. I also finalized a report on the mammal assessments for the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region. The results show surprisingly large numbers of data-deficient species in Nepal, absence of national Red Lists for mammals in Bhutan and Afghanistan, and overlaps of the same threatened mammal species shared between China, Nepal, and India. Additionally, many of these shared threatened species have globally declining populations such as (red panda, snow leopard, binturong). Particularly this last result shows  the importance of coordinated conservation efforts across national boundaries in the HKH region (which will be part of the second part of my project here). All this information will feed into to a larger HKH biodiversity assessment, aiming to inform governmental policy decisions and to identify key research gaps. Later in the week, we discussed next steps and how similar assessment methods could be expanded to other important groups, such as birds, amphibians, and reptiles.

I have to say that this current work outside academia and within a governmental organization, is really insightful. It provides a very different perspective on research and how it can (or could) influence policy than what I know from academic research. I personally often feel—and I know many PhD friends can relate—that within academia it is not always clear how published research findings translate into practical applications, especially in areas like conservation science. At ICIMOD projects are more directly aimed to shape policy reports and it is really interesting to observe how results and research methods are approached and discussed here compared to academia. However, I also see how challenging science-policy work can be, whether due to complicated bureaucracies, governmental priorities, or simply because countries sometimes face more pressing issues (such as war) than biodiversity conservation. This often results in valuable research getting delayed or stuck. The national Red Lists for the HKH countries that I am currently working with are a perfect example: the Red List for Myanmar was in preparation until 2020 but remains unfinished (civil war in Myanmar started 2021..), other Red Lists are outdated or severely data-deficient.. This clearly shows how science can influence policy, but also how policy or political circumstances can influence science.

On a personal note, life in Kathmandu this week was about finding new routines. Explored coffee shops, went out for dinners and drinks with new friends, checked out a bouldering gym (or better wall), and found running partners. Due to the heat and crowded streets later in the day, we went for (very) early morning runs along the Bagmati River and through UN Park. This is far less idyllic  than it might sound. The river is heavily polluted (and also smells like this), and on the opposite river bank there are dense and extremely poor settlements. This reality is another of Kathmandu’s many faces and cannot be overlooked when describing this city. It is striking how seamlessly the different districts transition from touristy areas with fancy hotels, local areas with farmer shops and restaurants, international districts with institutions like WHO etc., to such vulnerable communities living in the poorest and most dangerous conditions.

Finding now a transition back to my happy Kathmandu life feels tricky here.. Nonetheless, I am enjoying settling into life in a completely different country and finding my ways how to deal with differences in culture and facilities in small everyday adventures.

The highlight of this week however, was my trip to Mardi Himal mountain. Read more about it here.

Sanepa/Jamikshel area