Policies and programmes on climate change have failed to address the problems of the vulnerable communities at the grassroots level in the country, a new study said. The findings on "Towards climate change resilience building of vulnerable mountain people and local governments" in Ramechhap shared that there is a lack of effective integrating agency at the central level to push climate change agenda at the local level.

One more body of the Seti flash flood victim was recovered on Thursday, taking the death toll to 32. The body, which is yet to be identified, was recovered from the Seti river, said Inspector Rabindra Poudel. Meanwhile, a forensic team led by forensic experts Dr Pramod Shrestha and Dr Rijan Shrestha from Teaching Hospital reached Pokhara and started identifying bodies and severed body parts of the flood victims kept in the Regional Hospital, Pokhara. Five bodies and seven severed body parts are yet to be identified.

Himalayas are warming about three times faster than the global average temperature during the last 25 year period, says a new study.

The report made public on Wednesday states the average annual precipitation during the same period has increased by 6.52 millimetre per year in the region. Authored by Uttam Babu Shrestha, Shiva Gautam and Kamaljit Bawa, the study

was published in the recent issue of ‘PLoS One’ journal.

The Kuwaiti Fund has approved a soft loan worth US$ 30 million to construct the 30 MW Budhi Ganga hydropower project located in western Nepal. “We have just received the approval letter for the loan from the Kuwaiti Fund,” a senior Finance Ministry official said.

Security personnel recovered four more bodies of Seti flood victims on Tuesday, taking the death toll in the May 5 natural disaster to 26.

According to the police in Kaski district, of the four bodies, only one was identified as that of 51-year-old Chesang Tamang of Bhurungkhola. His body was recovered at Sardikhola.

A headless body was also found at Masinaghat at Sardikhola, while the other bodies were recovered at Bharatpokhari and Kharapani, police said.

The Cabinet has endorsed ‘Land Use Policy 2012’ that aims to encourage optimal use of land for agriculture amid concerns over food security in Nepal.

The policy, introduced for the first time in the country, has divided land into seven categories—agricultural, forest, residential, commercial, public, and industrial and others.

Representatives from different federations, confederations and alliance have lodged a formal complaint against the implementation process of the Multi-Stakeholder Forestry Programme (MSFP) worth US $ 62 million.

Air pollution parameters have soared up in the Kathmandu Valley on an unprecedented scale in recent times. Dry climate and unplanned urbanisation is adding fuel to the fire. We have severe air pollution in terms of particulate matters (PMs). This is largely because of unmanaged traffic and dusty roads in busy cities like Kathmandu.

Particulate matter provides substrate to micro organisms to grow and substantially increases vulnerability for throat and respiratory infections. Air pollution is also increasing in industrial sub-metropolitan cities such as Biratnagar and Pokhara.

Deforestation is rampant in Syalapakha Community Forest at Thaplechaur in the district. Dense five years ago, the forest has witnessed denudation over years.

Consumer of the forest Bhim Bahadur Shah said that hundreds of trees were felled in the area in the last five years. He, however, said the concerned authorities had not taken any initiative to control deforestation.

Kathmandu Valley along with several parts of the country felt mild tremors on Wednesday afternoon after an 8.6 magnitude quake struck the western Aceh province in Indonesia.