VOA新闻杂志2025--Nepal Supreme Court Bans Large Business Development in Protected Areas

Nepal's Supreme¹ Court has struck down disputed laws that permit waterpower centers, visitor housing such as hotels, and other business development in protected natural areas. Environmental defenders² say the January 15 ruling is a victory for efforts to protect the country's natural areas.

Nepal has recognized one fifth of its territory as protected natural areas. The country has 12 national parks and six conservation areas. They include lowland areas such as Chitwan National Park. The park is home to many wild animals such as tigers and rhinos³. Other protected areas include Sagarmatha National Park, home to Mount⁴ Everest.

Waterpower, or hydropower, and tourism represent major economic sources for Nepal. Last year, its government passed laws to permit development of large projects in some parts of national parks, forests and other protected areas.

Padam Bahadur Shrestha is a Nepalese environmental activist⁵ who took legal action against the laws. He told Agence France Press that the laws' passage showed that the government lacked insight⁶ and was only seeking to please business investors⁷.

Shrestha praised the Supreme Court's ruling, saying it "preserves ecology and biodiversity."

Nepal is recognized worldwide for its actions to protect its wild animal and plant life.

Nepal's environmental protection laws have helped the local tiger population increase from 121 animals in 2010 to 355 in 2023. And while only about 100 one-horned rhinos were living in Nepal in the 1960s, their number increased to 752 in 2021.

Nepal also increased its tree cover by almost 100 percent between 1992 and 2016. Wood industry activities, or logging, had deforested many areas of the country for tens of years earlier.

Rampreet Yadav is a former conservation officer of Chitwan National Park, Nepal's largest protected area. He said the recent laws "should never have been passed."

"If development projects are allowed in protected areas, they will destroy our nature and animal habitats," he added.

The Nepalese government wants to develop its hydropower industry, especially along rivers in the Himalayan mountains. Last October, it signed agreements with India and Bangladesh to export thousands of megawatts of hydropower.

Nepal also earns much money from tourism. Last year, around one million foreign visitors came to Nepal, and the government has been spending money on the development of its airports.

I'm Andrew Smith.

Andrew Smith adapted this story based on reporting from Agence France Press.

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Words in This Story

tourism - n. the practice of traveling for recreation

insight - n. the power or act of seeing into or understanding a situation

preserve - v. to keep safe from injury, harm, or destruction

biodiversity - n. biological variety in an environment as indicated by numbers of different species⁸ of plants and animals conservation - n. planned management of a natural resource to prevent exploitation, destruction, or neglect

allow - v. to permit; to let

megawatt - n. one million watts

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 rhinos   

n.犀牛（rhino的复数形式）

参考例句：

• There are many reports of people taming and even training Indian rhinos. 有许多关于人们驯养甚至训练印度犀牛的记载。 来自辞典例句
• The rhinos had fed during the night in the rice fields of these villagers. 犀牛夜里在这些村民的庄稼地里也已吃饱了。 来自辞典例句

4 mount   

n.山峰，乘用马，框，衬纸；vi.增长，骑上（马）；vt.提升，爬上，装备

参考例句：

• Their debts continued to mount up.他们的债务不断增加。
• She is the first woman who steps on the top of Mount Jolmo Lungma.她是第一个登上珠穆朗玛峰的女人。

5 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

6 insight   

n.洞察力，洞悉，深刻的见解

参考例句：

• Good teachers have insight into the problems of students.好的教师能洞察学生的问题。
• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms.这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。

7 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

8 species   

n.物种，种群

参考例句：

• Are we the only thinking species in the whole of creation?我们是万物中惟一有思想的物种吗？
• This species of bird now exists only in Africa.这种鸟现在只存在于非洲。