Kathmandu, June 6 :

Biodiversity experts today urged the government to introduce a special package to protect Nepal’s indigenous genetic resources from bio-piracy.

Navin Dahal, executive director of South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment, said people need to be introduced to and convinced about the impact of genetic resources.

He said that the government should play an active role in informing people about the impact of genetic resources.

“Being a member of the World Trade Organisation, Nepal is a part of the world market and the public should know about the positive and negative aspects of it, especially the impact on indigenous communities.

“A practical problem that soared with the membership in the World Trade Organisation is associated with the conceptual difference between eastern and western philosophy on education. We, easterners believe that we should disseminate knowledge free of cost, the westerners think just the opposite,” he said.

He said: “Nepal is the 31st richest country in bio-diversity in the world but as we lack scientific documentation of our indigenous plants and other species, we are going to lose many of them technically.”

Dr Bhishma Subedi, executive director of Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Biodiversity, said that the communities, which have been nurturing the biodiversity for centuries, should be given an access to full-fledged and uninterrupted consumption of the species.

“In most of the cases the government advocates for the community’s right to indigenous knowledge but the state starts seeking benefit as soon as the community starts making money out of it,” he said, adding that community forests have collected Rs 2.5 billion only out of non-timber forest production.

Another expert Dr Teertha Bahadur Shrestha suggested that the government target for bio-partnership, as Nepal alone cannot take advantage of the rich biodiversity.

The programme was organised by Nepal Forum for Environment Journalists.