Forest fire has adverse ecological and economic effects and is a major concern in many countries. A reliable and timely fire detection and monitoring system is an important part of forest fire management. In view of their large-area repetitive coverage, satellite data are useful for near real-time fire detection, monitoring, and burnt area assessment.

KATHMANDU - The Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction (MoPR) together with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and German development agency Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), today inaugurated a new road that connects remote villages of Baitadi district in far-western Nepal, providing communities with better access to markets, health centres, schools and other key facilities.

The European Union (EU) has said that the ongoing electoral process in Nepal provides a "historic opportunity to secure lasting peace".

Issuing a statement on the occasion of Europe Day on Wednesday, the Delegation of the European Union to Nepal said, "Credible, transparent and inclusive elections in 2013 are essential to stabilising the political situation and restoring crucial democratic institutions."

EU also called on all actors involved to contribute "actively and responsibly" to this process.

Link: Nepal Monthly Update - April 2013

Joint UN, NGO and government team deploys emergency.lu to provide high speed internet connectivity in Dadeldhura

Dadeldhura is one of the most remote districts in Nepal. Tucked away in the western mountains, this forgotten land is a four-hour drive from the nearest airport along winding roads peppered with landslides.

It is also the location of a small World Food Programme (WFP) sub-office that runs a number of food and community empowerment programmes while acting as the de facto headquarters of the local humanitarian community.

The inclusion of children and armed conflict (CAAC) in the agenda of the Security Council is a vital step towards protecting children in situations of armed conflict from some of the most egregious violations of their rights. The successes of the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM) have been well documented; to date, a total of 23 action plans have been adopted by 21 parties to armed conflict (two parties having concluded two action plans).

En dépit des rudes défis qui se posent à eux, l’analyse des dernières données disponibles sur ces pays révèle des lueurs d’espoir

WASHINGTON, 1er mai 2013 — En dépit des défis persistants qu’ils connaissent sur le plan politique et économique, 20 pays fragiles ou touchés par un conflit ont dernièrement atteint un ou plusieurs objectifs du Millénaire pour le développement (OMD), et six autres sont en bonne voie d’atteindre certains de ces objectifs avant l’échéance de 2015. Tel est le constat que fait le Groupe de la Banque mondiale dans sa dernière analyse publiée aujourd’hui.

Earthquake preparedness in Nepal took a step forward this week with the allocation of support roles to sites earmarked for humanitarian use around the capital, Kathmandu.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) and IOM elaborated the list during a two-day workshop. The 83 humanitarian open spaces identified jointly by MoHA and IOM will be at the disposal of displaced and affected populations in the event of a disaster. Services provided could include shelter, food and non-food items, medical services, and security.

This report covers the period 1 January to 31 December 2012

Overview