Protection of Himalayan Biodiversity
International Environmental Law and a Regional Legal Framework
- Ananda Mohan Bhattarai - Court of Appeal, Nepal
SAGE Law
The debate between the technology-rich First World and the bio-rich Third World is studied in detail, with a focus on issues of access and benefit-sharing. The book also examines the gaps in existing and evolving national laws and policies on the protection of biodiversity, and in doing so, envisages a framework of regional laws on the subject.
The Himalayas are home to millions of people and a rich and unmatched biodiversity that controls the climate pattern of the whole region. It is this richness that Dr Bhattarai…tries to portray…. [The book] argues for a regional approach to protecting the Himalaya…. The author…tries to create awareness, establish a coalition of governmental and non-governmental actors, civil societies and researchers for the protection of Himalaya and its people…. The heavy citations with footnotes and the elaborate bibliography hint at the depth of the research. Development policymakers in the Himalayan region must read at least Chapters One and Six to understand the issues and to craft long-term, viable solutions to pressing biodiversity concerns.
This book pleads for equal level playing field for all in the access to benefit from the sharing of the Himalayan biodiversity, and the book proposes as to what is to be done to accomplish the same… this book is a great contribution to this field, an immense resource to those who work in this area and global warming for the sake of the protection of our Planet Earth. It is a “must read” volume for those working in the areas of conservation policies and laws.
This well produced book, written by a Judge in the Court of Appeal in Nepal takes a detailed look at the various laws and policies regarding the protection especially of Himalayan biodiversity… All in all, a book that abounds in clear thinking and scholarship and a must-read for those who are working on issues related to biodiversity though even an interested layperson will easily understand as (s)he reads through.