Posted on December, 02 2008

Kathmandu, Nepal - Students in Nepal delivered 126,229 signatures to the country's president, Dr. Ram Baran Yadav urging him to build a common national commitment on saving the endangered species like rhinos and tigers.

The signatures, collected by students from the Shuklaphanta Ecoclub Network (SEN) in western Nepal, were presented on 601 metres of cloth, representing the 601 assembly members who are currently drafting a new constitution for Nepal after the country was declared a federal democratic republic earlier this year.

“Nepal is now poised for a major socio-political and economic change after decades of conflict and injustice," said President Yadav.

"The impacts of years of neglect, disregard and exploitation of natural resources have created tremendous pressures and imbalance in our fragile ecological systems. The time has now come to join hands in working towards correcting it.”

The students also handed over a 12-point appeal to the president, which asks all political parties to commit to biodiversity conservation, particularly increased protection for endangered species such as rhinos and tigers.

In addition, the appeal asks the government to take initiatives that would see Nepal build a tri-national agreement with India and China to control illegal wildlife trade across their shared borders.

The signature campaign was coordinated by SEN with support from WWF Nepal. Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda' was among the signatories.