KATHMANDU, Feb 20: An advocacy group under the Nepal Forum of Environment Journalist (NEFEJ) today organised an interaction programme aimed at further strengthening the NEFEJ's role in the promotion of environment in the changed context.

Environmentalists and experts have called on linking environment with development and economy for its sustainability.

They said that they would not be able to find a long-term solution to the problems triggered by the decline on environment and ecology if they treated the issues of environment in isolation.

They also stressed on the coordination among the government agencies, NGOs and private sector for effectively dealing with the environmental issues

"Many years have elapsed since we have been active in the field of environment conservation but a lot of things are yet to be done," said Bhairab Risal, coordinator of the group.

Risal said that they wanted to explore new issues and areas that required protection and awareness generation.

He said that the NEFEJ wanted inputs from the experts how they could enhance its role for the greater benefit community.

Scientist Dr Mukesh Chalise said that the journal published by the NEFEJ should not only dig problems caused by environmental degradation but it should also offer some insights to solve them.

"The NEFEJ has adequately raised various environment issues but the time has come to properly address them," added Dr Chalise.

Former president of NATA Ravi Paudel pointed out the need to inter-link environment with tourism since they were complementary in each other.

Senior government official Chandi Shrestha said that the environment campaigners should abandon dogmatic attitude and be pragmatic in dealing with environment issues that were directly related to the life of the people.

There is a tendency among the people of not paying due attention to the public property causing health and environmental problems in their life, he said.

Speakers including NEFEJ president Laxman Upreti, executive member Purna Hari Amatya, experts Binod Panta and Dronha Ghimire had also expressed their views at the interaction. (The Rising Nepal Online)