Religious pluralism in contemporary Nepal: Nepali indigenous movements and recommendations to creating a ‘fully democratic’ Nepal

This paper examines the criteria for identification of indigenous peoples in Nepal and their concerns. It goes one step further to include voices of those not actively participating nor represented in indigenous movements

High Mountain Areas

The cryosphere (including, snow, glaciers, permafrost, lake and river ice) is an integral element of high-mountain regions, which are home to roughly 10% of the global population. Widespread cryosphere changes affect physical, biological and human systems in the mountains and surrounding lowlands, with impacts evident even in the ocean. Building on the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), this chapter assesses new evidence on observed recent and projected changes in the mountain cryosphere as well as associated impacts, risks and adaptation measures related to natural and human systems. Impacts in response to climate changes independently of changes in the cryosphere are not assessed in this chapter. Polar mountains are included in Chapter 3, except those in Alaska and adjacent Yukon, Iceland, and Scandinavia, which are included in this chapter

Indigenous movements identification of indigenous concerns in Nepal

This thesis aims to identify the concerns of indigenous nationalities in Nepal and to analyze them from an anthropological perspective in the national political context. It describes the situation of indigenous nationalities in Nepal. The discriminatory governmental practices and social exclusion experienced by the indigenous nationalities are examined. The thesis highlights the major concerns of indigenous nationalities along with the general perception of the indigenous movement based on the questionnaires and focus groups conducted as a part of this research in Kathmandu, Nepal in the summer of 2008. Recommendations are presented for public policy to heed indigenous concerns and issues to create a 'fully democratic' Nepal. The findings of the research reveal that the position of indigenous leaders may not always be supported by the people they represent