KATHMANDU — Nepal’s Supreme Court has become the last battleground for campaigners and conservationists, as knowledgeable civil society organizations remain largely silent on conservation issues with long-term repercussions. Looking at its past record, the court has been a strong pillar of support in matters related to environmental and biodiversity protection. It’s now at the center of public attention as it looks into a critical case that could determine the fate of Nepal’s protected areas, home to some of the world’s most endangered species. But without the backing of civil society, the court, which runs the risk of public criticism and being labeled “anti-development,” is left to navigate this delicate issue alone. “People bring their grievances to the court because we’ve adopted an access-to-justice model,” said former Supreme Court Justice Ananda Mohan Bhattarai at a Kathmandu event in February, shortly before his retirement. In April, the government introduced a controversial law allowing private developers to build infrastructure inside protected areas — areas from which local communities have been evicted or heavily restricted. Despite the law threatening decades of conservation gains, civil society remained silent, forcing lawyers to take up the issue. “We had no choice but to take the issue to court,” said lawyer Sanjay Adhikari. “Our Constitution grants the Supreme Court the power to interpret the law.” This silence stands in stark contrast to other public mobilizations. In 2018, when the government proposed changes to the guthi system, linked to religious and cultural land ownership, protests erupted across the country.…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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