Back to news
27 Jul 2016 | News

Bringing Nature into the National Curriculum

2 mins Read

70% Complete

A half-day workshop to explore how nature camp and environmental issues could be better incorporated within the National Education System in Nepal took place 4 July 2016. The event was hosted by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in partnership with the Curriculum Development Centre (CDC) under Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of Nepal.

In 2015, a pilot camp with students from Gorkha provided a platform for discussion and knowledge sharing on the environment, especially biodiversity, global warming and climate change, and the concept of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) through participatory approach by connecting students with nature.  The camp was organised by ICIMOD in collaboration with National Trust for National Conservation (NTNC)

Under the guidance of Bishwa Prakash Pandit, Secretary of Ministry of Education, the consultative workshop had the following objectives: to give continuity to the pilot camp and upscale the initiative to the national level; to solicit actions for integration of the camp concept into the national curriculum; to engage various stakeholders in making the National Nature Camp Initiative (NNCI), a collaborative endeavour; and to develop an action plan for suggested actions.

Forty representatives from MoE,Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MoFSC),CDC, National Centre for Education Development (NCED), Department of Education, Non-formal Education Centre (NFEC), World Wildlife Fund Nepal (WWF), Friends of Zoo,Environmental Camps for Conservation Awareness (ECCA) and ICIMOD participated.

During his opening remarks, Babu Ram Poudel, Executive Director of CDC highlighted the importance of investing and empowering future generations. Mr Poudel extended support on behalf of the MoE to ICIMOD’s Nature Camp Initiative and further collaboration.

Eklabya Sharma, ICIMOD’s Director of Programme Operations underscored the importance of investing in youth and promoting the knowledge of mountain environment.

‘This will be a more systematic and institutional approach to bring awareness about the need for nature conservation in school-going students, which is the best way for learning for life’, Dr Sharma said.

Bishwa Prakash Pandit, Secretary of MoE, suggested the mobilisation of available resources along with existing curriculum could be integrated through proper research and gap analysis.

Brij M.S. Rathore, ICIMOD’s Chief Policy Adviser said nature camp could be an effective tool to promote environmental stewardship and leadership in early-age school children.

A detailed presentation on ICIMOD’s REDD+ Initiative and pilot nature camp was given by Bhaskar Karky and Trishna Singh Bhandari followed by presentations on the current environment school curriculum. Panel discussions were held and recommendations were made to take the initiative forward. Creating a network to connect ministries and departments of government in designing curriculum, and sensitising the school management committee about the importance of nature camp through trainings, were some of the recommendations of the panelists.

Jaya Prasad Acharya, Deputy Director of CDC, suggested the formation of a technical committee to address logistical and social issues; to implement and monitor curriculum; to develop an action plan; to promote the use of the practice in the curriculum.

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related contents

Continue exploring this topic

30 Jun 2017 News
Upper Indus Basin Network and Indus Forum Collaboration Meeting

The key objective of the joint meeting was to synergize the efforts of institutions and individuals affiliated to the Upper ...

17 Mar 2017 Himalica
Brand HIMALICA – Green Products from the Mountains soft-launched at the Sixth Nepal International Trade Fair

Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal inaugurated the Sixth Nepal International Trade Fair in Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu, Nepal, on 16 March ...

18 Apr 2017 News
International Symposium on the Cryosphere in a Changing Climate

The two share their experiences from the event: Inka Koch, Glacier Hydrologist, ICIMOD It was an honour to present our research on ...

12 Oct 2015 Livelihoods
Off Season Vegetables Improving Rural Livelihoods

  Agriculture and livestock keeping are the main sources of livelihoods for all 528 families (100 in Jajurauli and 428 in ...

22 May 2019 Livelihoods
Regional cooperation for tourism development: High-level dialogue on promoting India–Nepal cross-border tourism, trade, and industry

Cross-border tourism and regional cooperation are priority areas of the KLCDI – part of its overarching goal to further landscape-level ...

30 Nov 2015 News
Teaching the Basics of Glacier Monitoring

  As part of monitoring and assessment of changes in glaciers, snow and glacio-hydrology in the Hindu Kush Himalayas, the Cryosphere ...

ICIMOD and Global Biodiversity Information Facility Asia Nodes

  The 7th GBIF Asia Nodes meeting was organised in Tagaytay, Philippines 28 – 30 June, 2016 to review progress, elect ...

9 Nov 2016 News
Regional Workshop on ‘Measurement Reporting and Verification (MRV) in the Context of REDD+ in the Hindu Kush Himalayas’

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development’s (ICIMOD) Regional REDD+ Initiative organised the regional workshop ‘Measurement Reporting and Verification (MRV) ...