Their actions are in clear violation of the Special Conservation Zone Act & Procedure, enacted by their first elected local government in 2020, which prevents hydropower, road building, mining and other such destructive activities in the area.
Photo credit: The Lungba Samba Community
Leonardo DiCaprio actor and climate activist supports Nepalese in Supreme Court Fighting Nepal’s hydropower plans- ‘attack on our ancestral lands’.
AN EXCERPT FROM THE PETITION SUBMITTED TO THE NEPAL SUPREME COURT
Lakpa Angjuk Bhote
Secretary, Chyamtang Kathmandu Welfare Society
Chairperson, Lhomi Singsa Kalyan Kendra
“If allowed to proceed, over two dozen glacial lakes would be completely destroyed, harming the overall ecosystem. Their actions are in clear violation of the Lungba Samba Biocultural Heritage Special Conservation Zone Act and Procedure enacted by our first elected local government in 2020, which prevents hydropower, road building, mining and other such destructive activities, and was passed with the support of 235 households.
Now, these hydropower companies, which use names like ‘shangri-la’ and ‘white flower,’ want to dam all 3 free-flowing rivers, a move that would devastate countless vulnerable species, including aquatic biodiversity, and displace us from our homeland forever. Our homeland is the real Shangri-La. We are the guardians of this biocultural heritage landscape. We refuse to be displaced by profit-hungry extraction companies. We will not relent till you leave!
Full Petition … Here>>
Local Nepalese communities are urging the Nepalese Supreme Court to halt these construction plans on the sacred rivers of the Lungba Samba Biocultural Heritage Special Conservation Zone.
Karma Bhutia, a conservationist from the Lungba Samba valley, warned that Sangrila’s planned hydropower project would have devastating consequences, destroying forests and yak pastures vital to local livelihoods, as well as medicinal herbs and animal habitats in an area over 20 hectares (49.4 acres).
Sangrila’s own environmental assessment, seen by This Week in Asia, estimates the hydropower project would require about 192,000 tonnes of explosives and 188,000 detonators for construction.
With 26 Himalayan glaciers nearby, Bhutia said the explosives could trigger glacial lake outbursts and other natural disasters, underscoring the urgent need to halt the project.
(read FNGN May issue China Damming HERE>>)
Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio has urged the Nepalese government to cease the construction of dams that endanger the sacred rivers and landscapes of the Lungba Samba Biocultural Heritage Special Conservation Zone in Taplejung district.
He stressed the importance of preserving these pristine environments and respecting the rights of indigenous communities who have traditionally managed these lands sustainably for generations.
Exerts from DiCaprio’s Instagram Post: Hydropower dam construction in Nepal threatens one of the Earth’s most pristine places – home to Snow Leopards and Endangered Red Pandas.
The magnificent Chhujung, Chhunjam, and Bakhang Rivers are deeply sacred for the Lhomi Singsa and Bhote people, who are among the most marginalized Indigenous Peoples of Nepal. These groups sustain their livelihoods through farming and collecting medicinal herbs and other non-timber forest products while honoring the land.
If constructed, these dams would be a clear violation of the Lungba Samba Biocultural Heritage Special Conservation Zone Act and Procedure enacted by the first elected local government in 2020, which prevents destructive hydropower, road building, and mining practices.
A view of the headwaters of the Chhujung River in Lungba Samba, Nepal, where planned hydropower plants have sparked an outcry among conservationists and indigenous people. Photo: Lungba Samba Community/Handout
Environmental groups have increasingly criticized hydropower projects in remote regions of the Himalayas for their impacts on ecosystems, indigenous cultures, and potential to exacerbate natural disasters like landslides and floods. DiCaprio has been an outspoken advocate for indigenous rights and environmental protection causes around the world.
Help the Lhomi Singsa and Bhote people continue to be guardians of this vital landscape like they have for generations: https://secure.avaaz.org/…/shangrila_urja_pvt_ltd…/
Check-out DiCaprio’s + Conservation Scientists publication Rewild:
