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Simple Summary: This research paper presents a comprehensive study of the patterns of conflicts between humans and Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) in the Guthichaur rural municipality, Jumla, Nepal. Through semi-structured interviews with villagers, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews, this study explores the extent of crop damage, livestock depredation, and human injuries caused by black bears from 2009 to 2019. It was found that crop damage was the most significant form of conflict, followed by livestock depredation and human casualties. This study identifies anthropogenic activities, such as human encroachment into bear habitats and agricultural practices near forests, as primary drivers of these conflicts. Importantly, this research proposes measures to mitigate these conflicts, including initiating compensation schemes for losses, establishing electric fences for crop protection, and launching educational programs. These recommendations, rooted in local practices and conservation efforts, show promise for managing conflicts in regions facing similar challenges with black bears. This paper fills a critical gap in understanding the dynamics of human–bear conflicts in Nepal, contributing valuable insights into wildlife management and conservation strategies. Its findings are significant for researchers, policymakers, and conservationists aiming to develop sustainable solutions for human–wildlife coexistence. Our study assessed patterns of Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus)–human conflicts within the Guthichaur rural municipality, Jumla, Nepal. Through semi-structured interviews with villagers, focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews (KIIs), we gathered black bear–human conflict information from 2009 to 2019. We identified three primary types of black bear–human interactions: crop damage, livestock depredation, and human injuries. Of these, crop damage (77.03%) emerged as the most prevalent issue. Notably, peak occurrences were observed during autumn (September–October) typically between 9 PM and 3 AM. Livestock depredations were more frequent during nighttime in April–August, with cows/ox (70.12%) being the most depredated animal. Our data also revealed five recorded cases of black bear attacks on humans, which transpired from September to October, primarily in farmland areas in varying years. Despite a prevailing negative perception of bears, a notable level of support exists for their conservation efforts among local communities. Furthermore, these conflicts could be mitigated by reinforcing indigenous crop protection methods and implementing targeted mitigation strategies, as observed in other regions with successful black bear–human interaction management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2015 Nepal Earthquake (Mw7.8) affected more than 9000 schools in the country. Damage distribution in the 14 most-affected administrative districts shows that the construction practices were an important determent for the level of damage extended. The use of improper construction materials, lack of construction supervision, and non-compliance with the existing building codes during design and construction probably contributed to severe damage to most of the school buildings. Based on the damage analysis data and experience of the rebuilding process after the 2015 Nepal Earthquake, this paper highlights the steps to be considered during a rebuilding plan for school buildings after an earthquake disaster. Preliminary damage assessment results show that in the most-affected districts, about 86% of schools (locations) were affected by the earthquake and about one million students were out of their schools for a long time. The damage survey data indicate that about 30% of classrooms collapsed, about 13% of classrooms sustained major damage, and about 17% of classrooms sustained minor damage within the most-affected 14 districts. This damage report is largely based on the secondary data provided by the concerned government authorities. Such evidence of loss and damage in earthquake disasters provides an opportunity to learn lessons for future preparedness and to encounter disaster challenges. This work shares an experience on the rebuilding process of damaged schools and classrooms. It is expected that the experience reported in this paper will help in better planning of the seismic safety of school buildings in Nepal as well as in other similar seismically active regions. Most papers related to the 2015 Nepal Earthquake focus on overall building damage, but this paper addresses the issues of school buildings. As a case report, this paper probably lacks scientific originality, but the presentation of the damage data and the rebuilding process are the original work of the authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 3 November 2023, a moment magnitude (MW) 5.7 (Local Magnitude, ML6.4) earthquake struck the western region of Nepal, one of the most powerful seismic events since 1505 in the region. Even though the earthquake was of moderate magnitude, it caused significant damage to several masonry buildings and caused slope failures in some regions. The field reconnaissance carried out on 6–9 November by the study team, following the earthquake, conducted the first-hand preliminary damage assessment in the three most affected districts—Jajarkot; West Rukum; and Salyan. This study covers the observed typical structural failures and geotechnical case studies from the field study. To have a robust background understanding, this paper examines the seismotectonic setting and regional seismic activity in the region. The observations of earthquake damage suggest that most of the affected buildings were made of stone or brick masonry without seismic consideration, while most of the reinforced concrete (RC) buildings remained intact. Case histories of damaged buildings, the patterns, and the failure mechanisms are discussed briefly in this paper. Significant damage to Khalanga Durbar, a historical monument in Jajarkot, was also observed. Medium- to large-scale landslides and rockfalls were recorded along the highway. The motorable bridge in the Bheri River suffered from broken bolts, rotational movement at the expansion joint, and damage to the stoppers. The damage observations suggest that, despite the existence of building codes, their non-implementation could have contributed to the heavy impact in the region. This study highlights that the local population faces a potential threat of subsequent disasters arising from earthquakes and earthquake-induced landslides. This underscores the necessity for proactive measures in preparedness for future disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guthi, deeply rooted in the social, cultural, and economic fabric of Nepal, has traditionally managed temples, shrines, festivals, and heritage sites since the Lichchhavi era (400–750). Since 1960, however, this system has been challenged by government land reforms, which have impacted its influence on sustainable heritage conservation. Nevertheless, there is compelling evidence that land nationalization and the guthi's declining authority have harmed local heritage conservation. Nevertheless, the guthi system has endured, serving as an important informal means of heritage conservation and highlighting the adaptability of traditional institutions. These community-based trusts, originally established for social and religious purposes, have played a pivotal role in preserving cultural heritage for future generations. This article aims to demonstrate the central role of the guthi as the cornerstone of Nepal's efforts to conserve and manage both tangible and intangible cultural treasures. Using observational techniques, case studies, and a qualitative approach, it explores the historical evolution of heritage conservation through the lens of the guthi, taking into account subjective, valued, and constructed realities. This paper concludes by urging policymakers to recognize the significant contribution of indigenous systems such as the guthi system in achieving the backbone of sustainable heritage conservation and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring the impact of land use regulation on the land market involves identifying and classifying relevant impact factors related to the land market. The objective of this study was to identify land market impact factors in the context of the introduction of land use regulation in Nepal. Through a combination of desktop review and the incorporation of stakeholder perspectives, the paper presents a new approach for determining land market impact factors due to land use regulation where both generic and country issues are considered. A desktop review was carried out to identify a preliminary set of impact factors, which were reclassified through intuitive analysis based on the degree of thematic closeness. Perspective-based impact factors were identified through the qualitative analysis of primary data collected through semi-structured interviews with the Nepalese land market stakeholders. These independently derived impact factors were compared with the desktop literature review impact factors, resulting in 14 land market impact factors across four dimensions, including transaction cost, valuation, mortgage availability, taxation, and compensation across the economic dimension; lot size, subdivision restrictions, and coordination across the institutional dimension; awareness, expectation, and proximity across the social dimension; and risk reduction, quality of residential land, and suitability of zoning classification across the environmental dimension. There was significant overlap and commonality across factors identified from both the literature review and semi-structured interviews. The land market impact factors determined in this study may be adapted and generalized across other countries and could be utilized to better understand the impacts of land policy decisions on urban planning and development. Further research is recommended on the process to operationalize the use of these factors to quantify the impact of land use regulation on different land markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sympathetic restoration and conservation of built cultural heritage play a significant role in the management and preparedness for future climate scenarios by facilitating adaptive reuse, enhancing cultural resilience, preserving traditional knowledge, and boosting tourism. The importance of restoring damaged heritage sites after an earthquake drew international attention to Nepal after the 2015 Gorka Earthquake. UNESCO established an office in Kathmandu to promote the restoration of tangible and intangible heritage in the area. This included developing structural analyses of buildings with historical and cultural value that, due to their nature, cannot be intervened with the same methodology as modern buildings. In this paper, the case study of the earthquake-damaged Gopinath temple is discussed. First, an initial visual inspection phase and the following diagnosis of the structure are discussed. Then, the results from a series of static and dynamic structural analyses performed to determine the safety level of the structure, together with a sensitivity analysis, are presented. A sympathetic intervention proposal capable of increasing the temple's safety level, and based on the addition of timber plates, has resulted in substantial improvements in the lateral behavior of the structure. The proposed intervention is deemed sustainable and able to increase the resilience of the temple in the face of future hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent seismic activity highlights the crucial need to enhance seismic design and safety assessment methods, particularly for irregular structures, in both new and existing constructions. The present study focuses on structural irregularities in elevation for buildings, as the design of structural systems involves multiple variables that often result in irregularities in many buildings. This work aims to perform a comparative assessment of the criteria adopted for the evaluation of the structural irregularities in elevation present in European and international seismic codes. This paper is structured as follows: Firtsly, it discusses structural irregularities and more specifically the most common types of structural damage due to seismic events. Then, it shows the documented experiences of structural damages in seismic events associated with structural irregularities in China, Italy, Spain, Nepal and Mexico. Additionaly, it discusses the requirements of the standards on irregularities and their limitation in that matter. At the end of this section, the different approaches of each code in irregularities in elevation are compared. All assessed seismic codes addresses the structural irregularity issue, attributing the desired characteristics of a seismic-resistant structure. However, there are considerable development differences between norms, demonstrated on ambiguity of few codes on criteria of vertical irregularies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Handwashing with soap is a fundamental practice for preventing communicable diseases, particularly in resource-constrained settings like Nepal, where various factors influence maternal handwashing behaviours. A systematic search encompassing PubMed/Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL and grey literature source was conducted. Extracted eligible articles underwent descriptive analysis and their quality assessment was carried out following STROBE guidelines. From the initial screening of 187 database articles and 18 from grey literature, a total of 120 full text articles and records were retrieved to evaluated for inclusion in the review, identifying nine articles meeting the inclusion criteria for the review. Maternal handwashing with soap frequencies varied during critical moments ranging from 6% to 100%, and a 47% availability of soap and water at the household level was reported. Factors influencing handwashing included education, wealth, ecology, and participation in health promotion campaigns. Barriers included knowledge gaps, contrary beliefs, unavailability of soap and water, financial constraints, maternal demotivation, and low participation in decision-making. Limitations include study design heterogeneity (cross-sectional, Randomized Controlled Trials-RCT, Cohort), sample size variability, and geographical bias, potentially limiting generalizability of this study, limited reporting on soap and water availability for mothers at the household level is noted, and temporal variability introduces study inconsistency. Availability of soap, water, and effective health education is crucial for promoting sustained handwashing practices. Community-based interventions involving mothers in decision making and policy initiatives are essential for overcoming barriers and promote behavioural change to improve public health outcomes. This paper aims to determine the rates of handwashing with soap among mothers in Nepalese households and explore the factors associated with the uptake of handwashing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gradual or rapid deterioration of cultural heritage buildings can be a source of the loss of heritage assets over time. Cultural heritage encompasses tangible and intangible aspects of a society's heritage, including historical buildings, archaeological sites, artworks, artifacts, traditions, customs, and ethnic customs. This research paper investigated the causes and effects of the deterioration of the heritage system from the Madhyapur Thimi in Nepal. A case study of tangible heritage (Thimi settlement) and intangible heritage (Bisket Jatra—community celebrations—and Ritual Guthi—a local group formed to conduct cultural activities) helped to achieve the objectives of this study. The existing unique cultures from the Madhyapur Thimi, including the built culture, Guthi, Bisket Jatra, and Ritual Guthi area support the sustainable development of heritage structures to some extent. The cultural heritage is now at risk due to institutional inadequacies, economic and social issues, resource depletion, and natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes. Policy should be modified, and heritage should be conserved and maintained well for future generations to own it as an identity and pride of the Thimi community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economy of South Asia is experiencing growth, yet it faces constraints due to heavy reliance on fossil fuels and frequent power outages. Access to diverse energy sources, particularly electricity, is crucial for sustaining this growth. One feasible solution involves neighbouring countries engaging in the trade of renewable electrical energy. Hydropower stands as one of the many energy sources available in South Asia. However, sectorial constraints pose significant challenges to energy trade initiatives. This study utilises the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to evaluate Nepal's readiness and identify obstacles to its cross-border energy trade with India and Bangladesh. A comprehensive analysis of these obstacles is imperative for formulating effective strategies and policies. Additionally, this study offers recommendations for enhancing preparedness and resolving issues related to energy trading, which may apply to similar cross-border situations. This study ranks energy trading obstacles with neighbouring nations using the AHP, offering key insights for stakeholders and policymakers. Using a non-probabilistic purposeful sampling technique, 25 expert respondents from the energy sector and prominent academicians were selected as part of the data collection procedure. At every level of the interview process, their perspectives were invaluable in guaranteeing a thorough and rigorous investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to compare the socio-environmental benefits of one of the most widely planted forest species, i.e., Pinus roxburghii (Sarg., hereafter 'Pine' or 'Pinus') with naturally regenerated mixed forests in two community forests of Nepal. By analyzing tree rings, we estimate biomass production, carbon accumulation, and growth enhancement in both forest types using regression models, offering insights into sustainable forest management. Pinus forests exhibit instant social benefits through direct economic conversion and a higher rate of carbon sequestration. However, the lack of perpetuated production, due to unimodal stand structures, necessitates anthropogenic interventions for long-term sustainability. Challenges such as the absence of natural regeneration, frequent fires, limited undergrowth, limited species diversity, and likely soil erosion hinder long-term sustainability in Pinus forests. In contrast, natural regenerated mixed forests offer slow carbon sequestration with less opportunity for immediate economic conversion, yet they maintain a proportional age-class distribution and experience minimal fire incidence, abundant regeneration, higher biodiversity, and lower regeneration costs. Although no abrupt environmental disasters were observed through the dendrochronological assessment, a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) was found between age and girth at breast height, biomass, and volume of the forests. This study underscores the crucial role of human intervention beyond conventional management focusing on the protection motive to production-oriented forests in optimizing the socio-economic and environmental benefits of both forest types in the changing socio-environmental challenges through informed management planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epiphytic species are ecologically important and a significant component of biodiversity. To ensure their efficient conservation, we need to understand their ecology and host plant associations. It is also important to investigate how the predicted temperature change will affect their future distribution. Here, we use data collected in Nepal to investigate how epiphytic orchids are associated with host species, their distribution patterns, and how they may be threatened by the predicted increase in temperature towards the end of the 21st century. We used the phi coefficient (Φ) of association to calculate the associations of epiphytic orchid species with plants and rarefaction to describe the diversity of orchids associated with a particular host species. We used interpolation to estimate the distribution of epiphytic orchids and their host species along altitudinal gradients. The phi (Φ) coefficient of association revealed that 30 species of host plants showed more association with different orchid species than expected. The number of epiphytic orchids increased with the number of host individuals. We predict that an increase in temperature by ~3 °C, which is a more moderate value of temperature increase by the end of the 21st century, will affect at least 52 narrow-ranged species of orchids and 58 narrow-ranged species of host plants. Therefore, we should make efforts to prevent many plant species from becoming extinct, as an increase in temperature is likely to affect their existence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ramaroshan Lake Complex (RLC) in Sudurpaschim Province, Nepal, is a Himalayan lake cluster that holds significant ecological, economic, religious, and esthetic importance. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive characterization of the hydrochemical properties of water within the RLC and assess its suitability for irrigation purposes. A total of 38 water samples were collected from seven different lakes of the complex. The physicochemical parameters and major ions were then analyzed. The water samples from the RLC were alkaline, and based on total hardness, they ranged from soft to moderately hard categories. The presence of major ions included the following: Ca2+ > Na+ > Mg2+ > K+ > Fe3+ > NH4+ and HCO3− > Cl− > SO42− > NO3− > PO43−. The alkaline earth metals (Ca2+ and Mg2+) dominated the alkali metals (Na+ and K+) and weak acids (HCO3−) dominated the strong acids (Cl− and SO42−). The dominant hydrochemical facies of the lake water was a Ca-HCO3 type indicating a calcium carbonate type of lithology. Carbonate rock weathering was the most dominant process in influencing the hydrochemistry of the water. A high ratio of (Ca2++ Mg2+)/Tz+ and a lower ratio of (Na+ + K+)/Tz+ revealed the dominance of Ca2+ and Mg2+ resulting from carbonate weathering, with little contribution from silicate weathering. Different irrigation indices revealed the suitability of the RLC water for irrigation. The insights derived from this study are pivotal in safeguarding water quality and bolstering sustainability efforts. The study also furnishes foundational data crucial to an array of stakeholders including researchers and policymakers and significantly contributes to advancing water management strategies and fostering ecosystem conservation in the Himalayan freshwater lakes, particularly in the face of the overarching challenge posed by global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to develop a yak/chauri-specific welfare assessment protocol, we sent a set of 31 potential welfare measures to 120 Nepalese experts and asked them to identify the measures that they thought would be useful and propose additional useful measures. Eighty-three experts responded, with 13 measures being identified by >50% of respondents as likely to be useful. These thirteen measures plus one new measure (hematology) were included in an assessment protocol that was tested in the second phase of this study in five chauri herds in two districts in northern Nepal. Animal-based evaluations along with sampling for mastitis, intestinal parasites, and hematology were undertaken during or just after morning milking. Resource- and record-based measures were assessed through structured interviews, with verifications on-site where possible. No chauris exhibited poor body conditions, skin injuries, significant locomotion issues, or significant subclinical mastitis. Fecal testing suggested a high prevalence of intestinal parasites at the herd level, while blood testing suggested no evidence of hematological abnormalities. However, for both results, we need more data to use these effectively as measures of welfare. The resource-based assessment revealed significant challenges across all resources, and veterinary services were reported as being inadequate. A high estimated annual mortality rate (10–21%) needs further investigation. This protocol provided a useful start towards developing a welfare assessment protocol for yak/chauri and identified issues that need addressing to optimize chauri welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a data-driven and machine-learning approach to design a personalized tourist recommendation system for Nepal. It examines key tourist attributes, such as demographics, behaviors, preferences, and satisfaction, to develop four sub-models for data collection and machine learning. A structured survey is conducted with 2400 international and domestic tourists, featuring 28 major questions and 125 variables. The data are preprocessed, and significant features are extracted to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of the machine-learning models. These models are evaluated using metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, F-score, ROC, and lift curves. A comprehensive database for Pokhara City, Nepal, is developed from various sources that includes attributes such as location, cost, popularity, rating, ranking, and trend. The machine-learning models provide intermediate categorical recommendations, which are further mapped using a personalized recommender algorithm. This algorithm makes decisions based on weights assigned to each decision attribute to make the final recommendations. The system's performance is compared with other popular recommender systems implemented by TripAdvisor, Google Maps, the Nepal tourism website, and others. It is found that the proposed system surpasses existing ones, offering more accurate and optimized recommendations to visitors in Pokhara. This study is a pioneering one and holds significant implications for the tourism industry and the governing sector of Nepal in enhancing the overall tourism business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) are one of the most severe disasters in alpine regions, releasing a large amount of water and sediment that can cause fatalities and economic loss as well as substantial damage to downstream infrastructures. The risk of GLOFs in the Himalayas is exacerbated by glacier retreat caused by global warming. Critical economic corridors, such as the Rongxer Watershed, are threatened by GLOFs, but the lack of risk assessment specific to the watershed hinders hazard prevention. In this study, we propose a novel model to evaluate the risk of GLOF using a combination of remote sensing observations, GIS, and hydrological models and apply this model to the GLOF risk assessment in the Rongxer Watershed. The results show that (1) the area of glacial lakes in the Rongxer Watershed increased by 31.19% from 11.35 km2 in 1990 to 14.89 km2 in 2020, and (2) 18 lakes were identified as potentially dangerous glacial lakes (PDGLs) that need to be assessed for the GLOF risk, and two of them were categorized as very high risk (Niangzongmajue and Tsho Rolpa). The proposed model was robust in a GLOF risk evaluation by historical GLOFs in the Himalayas. The glacial lake data and GLOF risk assessment model of this study have the potential to be widely used in research on the relationships between glacial lakes and climate change, as well as in disaster mitigation of GLOFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dam breaches have catastrophic consequences, causing severe property damage, life loss, and environmental impact. The potential dam breach downstream flooding of the Kulekhani reservoir, Nepal, was studied using a 2D Diffusion Wave Equation (DWE) and Full Dynamic Wave Equation (FDWE) through an open-source solver, Hydrologic Engineering Center-River Analysis System (HEC-RAS). The suitable dam breach model was identified based on the dam geometry and sixteen historical dam failure cases. The simulated downstream peak was tested with an empirical relation, considering reservoir volume and duration of failure. Model comparisons through the flood plain mapping of water depth, flow velocity, flood intensity as per guidelines of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and arrival time were carried out for flood hazard assessment. FDWE was able to capture the physical flow phenomena in the river bend resulting in higher flow velocity at the outer bend, lower velocity at the inner bend, and formation of eddies due to the application of the turbulence model, considering possible momentum losses, whereas DWE was unable to capture these effects due to a simplified momentum equation. The total area of flood extension was found to be increased by 30% using FDWE than the DWE due to higher water surface elevation. Most of the towns along the Kulekhani River were classified as "Very High" intensity flood regions according to ASCE, due to the V-shape valley. The peak time difference at the Bagmati River confluence was evaluated between the models. This plays an important role in decision-making for the selection of the flood model to make a safe evacuation plan. The application of FDWE was found to be suitable for the rapidly varying unsteady flow in the steep meandering river. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The China–Nepal Transportation Corridor is vital to the country's efforts to build a land trade route in South Asia and promote the Ring-Himalayan Economic Cooperation Belt. Due to the complex geological structure and topographical environment of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, coupled with the impact of climate change, the frequent occurrence of geological disasters has increased the operational difficulty of the China–Nepal Highway and the construction difficulty of the China–Nepal Railway. However, to date, there has been no systematic study of the spatial distribution of landslides along the entire route within the area, the factors influencing landslides at different scales, or the causes of landslides under different topographic backgrounds. There is an even greater lack of research on areas threatened by potential landslides. This study comprehensively applies remote sensing, mathematical statistics, and machine learning methods to map landslides along the China–Nepal transportation corridor, explore the influencing factors and causes of different types of landslides, and investigate the distribution characteristics of potential landslides. A total of 609 historic landslides have been interpreted in the study area and were found to be distributed along faults and locally concentrated. The strata from which landslides develop are relatively weak and are mainly distributed within 2 km of a fault with a slope between 20° and 30°. The direction of slope for the majority of landslides is south to south-west, and their elevation is between 4000 and 5000 m. In addition, we discovered a power law relationship between landslide area and volume (VL = 2.722 × AL1.134) and determined that there were 47 super-large landslides, 213 large landslides, and 349 small and medium-sized landslides in the area, respectively. Slope is the most significant influencing factor for the development of landslides in the area. Apart from slope, faults and strata significantly influence the development of large and medium-small landslides, respectively. We have identified 223 potential landslides in the region, 15 of which directly threaten major transport routes, mainly in the Renbu Gorge section of the China–Nepal Highway and the proposed China–Nepal Railway section from Peikucuo to Gyirong County. In addition, we also discussed the causes of landslides within three geomorphic units in the region. First, the combined effects of faulting, elevation, and relatively weak strata contribute to the development of super-large and large landslides in the Gyirong basin and gorge. Second, the relatively weak strata and the cumulative damaging effects of earthquakes promote the development of small and medium-sized landslides in the Xainza-Dinggye rift basin. Third, under the combined effect of the hanging wall effect of thrust faults and the relatively weak material composition, landslides of various types have developed in the Nagarzê mountain. It is worth noting that potential landslides have developed in all three geomorphic units mentioned above. This study provides data and theory to assist in the accurate mitigation and control of landslide hazards in the corridor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastic pollution is an emerging environmental concern, and has been found in remote regions, including the high Himalaya mountains. However, the abundance and sources of microplastics in the region are not well documented. This research investigated the abundance, types, and potential sources of microplastics in the Sagarmatha National Park (SNP), a rural and sparsely populated region of Nepal on the southern side of the Himalaya mountains. Water samples were collected from streams and tributaries in SNP in May of 2022. The average microplastic concentration among all samples was 2.0 ± 1.7 pieces/L, similar to that of water samples collected in other high mountain areas and is in the lower range of that found in water samples across the globe. Microplastic abundance is higher in water samples collected near settlements than in streams far from human settlements, indicating the impact of human activities. The presence of microplastics in all samples, including headwaters immediately beneath glaciers, illustrates the widespread distribution of microplastics and suggests the potential for airborne sources. While the concentration of microplastics does not change dramatically from upstream tributaries to downstream rivers, the total load of microplastics increases due to higher discharge downstream. This research demonstrates the anthropogenic and air-borne influences on microplastics contamination on the southern side of the Himalayan range and contributes to filling the data gaps towards a better understanding of the global fate and transport of microplastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The conservation of endangered Asian elephants (especially when driven by those from non-range countries) is made more complex in cultures where 'owning' individuals for tourism practice is widely accepted. How can a wide variety of stakeholders find common ground upon which to build conservation plans amidst shifting social and environmental pressures? Endangered Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) find themselves at the center of debates involving politics, land use, human–wildlife conflict, and environmental justice. The intensity of such debates has led scholars to label conservation challenges as wicked problems with profound implications on local and global practice. In elephant range states such as Nepal, these debates are made more complex through human 'ownership' of endangered individuals for use in tourism, worship, or co-work. Human perspectives on the ethics of using animals for tourism are changing, even in areas heavily reliant on the tourism industry for survival. These debates become inflamed when non-residents take on adversarial positions despite an acceptance of the 'ownership' or 'use' of endangered individuals among local communities. Novel approaches are needed if there is any hope of establishing a common ground upon which to build relationships which may benefit community members, international interests, and endangered individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]