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Cape Town Included in World’s Top Ten Most Sustainable Cities

February 1, 2019
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Cape Town had been voted as one of the top 10 sustainable cities in the world and most likely to become a global sustainability center by 2020. The South African capital, known also ss the ‘Mother City’ is always looking at new and innovative technologies to create a more sustainable location. They began electricity from wind farms way back in 2008.

Cape Town won Africa’s Leading Destination Award two years in a row and continues to increase the number of tourists visiting it each year and it has been voted as one of the world’s best destinations.

The city is encouraging an idealistic outdoor lifestyle with investment in bike routes and its My CiTi rapid service to help people get around without a car and in an effort to reduce the cars, allows people to transport their bikes on buses for free. Many people have started to grow their own vegetables and make use of solar panels.

“In a world of increasing population pressures and depleting natural resources some cities, such as Cape Town, are proactively adjusting their practices today as well as implementing sustainable long-term practices,” said Ethisphere Institute executive director Alex Brigham.

Cape Town and Sustanability

“This entrenches Cape Town’s credentials as a beautiful, eco-friendly destination committed to solid planning and construction principles in both its lifestyle and business sectors,” said South African Tourism (SAT) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Moeketsi Mosola.

Mr Mosola also added that tourists are becoming more and more aware of sustainability and green tourism practices, and Cape Town boasts a large offering that is not only sustainable, but that are also increasingly mindful of the impact that humanity has on the planet.

Cape Town Sustainable City
Photo credit: SkyPixels / Wikipedia
The city was also included in a list of the ‘20 cities of 2020’ by the Ethisphere Institute, a New York business ethics and social responsibility organization, that chose it as a ‘2020 Global Sustainability Centre’.

“In a world of increasing population pressures and depleting natural resources some cities, such as Cape Town, are proactively adjusting their practices today as well as implementing sustainable long-term practices,” said Alex Brigham, executive director of the Ethisphere Institute.

Cape Town focused not only on the environmental and sustainability practices but also on health and recreation; education; arts and culture; economic and business environment; regulatory framework; law enforcement and transparency; media and speech; transportation and housing and innovation and investment.

“Cape Town is synonymous with rolling waves, rocky shores, dolphins, whales, and sunsets on pristine beaches,” the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment Marian Nieuwoudt said.

South Africa is among the countries most affected by climate change, particularly drought and increased temperatures. The threat of Global warming has raised awareness about how our actions affect the environment and those around us. The country joined the Paris Climate Agreement and intends to have carbon-neutral electricity generation by 2050.

The City of Cape Town’s Economic, Social Development and Tourism Committee has adopted a Responsible Tourism Policy and Action Plan, which is the first of its kind in South Africa. The goal is to set the city as a leading tourism destination.

Cape Town was also named the world’s Earth Hour Capital in March 2014 by the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature). Cape Town demonstrates how city strategies to reduce carbon emissions and fight climate change can also help other development priorities such as food, energy, and water security.”

Cape Town is truly an environmental example to follow for the rest of the developing world.

The number of tourists that are looking for closer interaction with the local people in the country they visit is growing and experience its real natural and cultural heritage.

People are becoming more and more aware of the impact of their travels and are beginning to take steps to reduce it in the places they visit.

Want to learn more about South Africa? Check our other posts.

Main photo credit: SkyPixels / Wikipedia

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Bardia National Park Nepal

Bardia National Park Nepal

September 29, 2019
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Bardiya National Park, also spelled Bardia, is a protected area in Nepal that was established in 1988 as Royal Bardia National Park. Bardia National Park lies in the Southwest region of Terai in Nepal. The park is the largest park of Terai region.

Bardia National Park is one of Nepal’s best-kept secrets. It is Nepal’s largest national park and wilderness area. Located in the Terai region, protecting an area of 968 km² of sal forest, grassland, savannah and riverine forest.

Two major river passes through Bardia National Park; the longest river of Nepal, Karnali and Babai River. No human settlements are permitted to settle inside the park. The southern border of Bardia National Park touches the Nepalgunj-Surkhet highway.

History of Bardia National Park

Nepal lost the area of Bardia National Park to East India Company in Sugauli Treaty. The area returned to Nepal after Nepal supported Indian Independence Movement in 1960.
In the beginning, an area of 368 km sq was set as Royal Hunting Reserve in 1969 and officially renamed as Royal Karnali Wildlife Reserve in 1976. During the regime of Shah Dynasty, the royal family would come to Bardia National Park for hunting purposes.
After the inception of democracy, all hunting and killing activities are deemed illegal. Bardia National Park is the most undisturbed park of Nepal and attracts tourists who prefer nature in its wild habitat.

The park offers opportunities for sport fishing at the Karnali and Babai rivers. The best time to visit is autumn, winter and early summer when the weather is warm and dry

How To Get to Bardia Park

You have two options to get to the park.
By Bus: Kathmandu to Bardia National Park takes around 12-15 hours and buses run daily from Kathmandu and Pokhara to Mahendranagar via Bardia.
By Plain: You can fly to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu which is the only airport with international operations in the country.

Bardia National Park
Photo credit: Bernhard Huber / Flickr

Animals in Bardia National Park

The park has an elephant breeding center and keeps a constant watch over the elephants. You can see the Bengal tiger, the Asian elephant, and the greater one-horned rhinoceros. Among the other 50 species of mammal living in Bardia are the Marsh mugger crocodile, Gharial crocodile, swamp deer, grey langur monkeys, and leopard. With a little bit of luck, you can spot the rare Gangetic river dolphins along the Geruwa River.

With more than 651 species of birds, including the endangered Bengal florican and Sarus crane, Bardiya is a paradise for bird-lovers.

Butterfly Watching

With 651 species, which is 3.72 percent of the world’s butterflies, Nepal offers fabulous butterfly watching options. The best seasons for butterfly watching are late March/April, mid May/mid June and late August/September.

About 10 percent of the butterflies in Nepal are Palaearctic species found at above 3,000 m. The best places to watch butterflies are Phulchowki, Jamachowk and Shivapuri hilltops and around Nagarkot, Suryavinayak and Chandragiri areas.

Elephant Breeding Center
Photo credit: Peak Digital / Flickr

Elephant Breeding Center One-Horned Rhinoceros

The elephant is becoming one of the most endangered animals and the center was established to increase its numbers. The number of Rhinoceros has seen an alarming decrease and recent count revealed just 29 remaining rhinoceros. Since 1973 the population has recovered well and increased to 544 animals around the turn of the century.

mugger crocodiles
Photo credit: Chris Hartford / wikipedia

Crocodile Breeding Center

This is a small breeding center for marsh mugger and gharial crocodiles, as well as turtles.
The wide range of vegetation types in forest and grassland provides excellent habitat for 642 faunal species. The Karnali-Babai river system, their small tributaries and myriads of oxbow lakes is habitat for 125 recorded species of fish. A small population of gharial inhabits the rivers. Apart from the mugger crocodiles, 23 reptile and amphibian species have been recorded

Birds Watching
Photo credit: Dibyendu Ash / wikipedia

Birds Watching

Current checklists include 407 bird species, among them the Bengal florican, white-rumped vulture, peafowl, and bar-headed geese, which are symbolic of the park.[5] Lesser florican and sarus crane are present; grey-crowned prinia, jungle prinia, pale-footed bush warbler, aberrant bush warbler, striated grassbird, golden-headed cisticola and chestnut-capped babbler occur in the park’s grasslands.

Main photo credit: Paani Program / Flickr

Want to learn more about other Asian sustainable destinations? Check our other posts about sustainable destinations in Asia.

Reduce Your Meat Consumption

10 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Meat Consumption

June 19, 2019
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Eating less meat is better for animals, people and the planet. You can reduce your meat consumption by eating some vegan or vegetarian meals and by reducing the amount of meat you eat in each meal.

World’s leading health organizations now encourage a reduction in the amount of meat people consume. The World Cancer Research Fund recommends we “choose mostly plant foods, limit red meat and avoid processed meat”. A study by Oxford University’s department of public health found that eating meat no more than three times a week could prevent 31,000 deaths from heart disease, 9,000 deaths from cancer and 5,000 deaths from stroke, as well as save billions of dollars.

The cost of meat has risen 10 percent in the last decade. Plant proteins such as lentils, peas or dried beans cost less than the equivalent amount of animal protein. Eating less meat can save you money!

Below you can find the 10 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Meat Consumption

Meat Free Monday helps reduce meat consumption

1. Try going meat free for one day a week

Sign up for Meat Free Mondays! This 15% reduction in your meat consumption can be massively beneficial to the environment and your health.

vegetarian protein sources

Photo credit: rawpixel.com from Pexels

2. Ensure you get enough protein from vegetarian sources instead, like lentils and almonds.

Proteins are essential nutrients for the human body. They are one of the building blocks of body tissue and can also serve as a fuel source. The Recommended Daily Allowance of protein is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

Buckwheat Garden Salad
Photo credit: thehealthyfoodie

3. Experiment with new grains and vegetables

Add a variety of new flavours and textures to your meals by trying combinations with new veggies. You can try this buckwheat garden salad.

vegetarian dishes
Photo credit: Ella Olsson from Pexels

4. Look to cuisines from countries with well-known vegetarian dishes such as Indian and Mexican recipes.

chicken noodle soup
Photo credit: HM Grand Central Hotel from Pexels

5. Buy meat on the bone, as bones not only add extra flavor but can also be used to make stock for another meal – such as chicken noodle soup.

reduce meat consumtion
Photo credit: Marta Dzedyshko from Pexels

6. Adding a meaty texture to your meal

If you really like your meat, add ‘meaty’ flavors by using dried mushrooms or soya sauce, and ‘meaty’ textures like aubergines following this mushroom risotto recipe.

meat dishes with beans
Photo credit: Pixabay from Pexels

7. Bulk up meat dishes with beans, grains or vegetable.

Try adding extra carrot into a Bolognese. Or if you are making beef burgers, try putting some cooked lentils into the mixture to make lentil and beef burgers.

hummus recipes
Photo by Naim Benjelloun from Pexels

8. Reach for whole and unprocessed snacks rather than vegan junk food

Carrots and hummus or apples with peanut butter rather than cookies – as getting maximum nutrition means you will feel the most satisfied with your meal.

Red Cabbage
Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

9. Use meat sparingly, and as an extra flavor, such as bacon pieces in this Braised Red Cabbage.

Mushroom Sausage Rolls
Photo credit: thebrownpaperbag.com.au

10. Try substituting your favorite foods for meat-free versions

Instead of pre-packaged sausage rolls, try making these Mushroom Sausage Rolls.

More reasons to reduce your meat consumption

Think of the animals

Billions of animals are killed for meat each year. Most of them are raised in overcrowded cages, with no room and no access to daylight or fresh air. All farmed animals end their lives with a brutal death. Reducing consumption and eating less meat is a step that helps not only animals but the environment as well.

The facts:

Animals convert plant protein and energy into meat protein and energy inefficiently.
12 kgs of grain are necessary to produce 1 kg of beef.

This means that the amount of the world’s available nutrients is reducing disproportionally.

Over 800 million people on the planet are suffering from hunger or malnutrition, and the amount of cereal that could be enough to feed three times this number of people is used to feed stocks.

Stop the extinction of species

Agricultural expansion and overfishing are the two major factors causing loss of species and biodiversity. If we do not stop this, in the next 100 years will be a global mass extinction of species.

Check out these article for more tips about how to eat more environmentally-friendly.

Photo credit: Pixabay from Pexels

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