Biratnagar

Moving into the new hotel proved pretty painless, besides the fact that it was so early in the morning. This hotel, actually called a "guest house," hosts kids entering into the British equivalent of the Peace Corps in Nepal, before they move on to their rural programme districts. There are quite a few young adults, although this time in Nepal, before the monsoon hits, is not exactly tourist season, so westerners are few and far between.

Even though I felt terrible, I worked for a good while yesterday, trying to finish the outline for my project. I am approaching the project somewhat like a giant research paper. So, first an outline, then further literature research, followed by case specific interviews (from both educated and uneducated people), and then a plan of action for this organization based around field and literature evidence. When I finally felt AWFUL in the afternoon, I took what I had to Dr. Subedi to examine. He actually liked it so much, he asked me to give a 30 minute presentation in Biratnagar next week at the big Nepal Tuberculosis conference. God. I really don't know if I can do thirty minutes.

So, Biratnagar is in the far eastern Terai (lower Indian plain) of Nepal. Temperatures in the summer remain well over 100 degrees. As the second largest city in Nepal, the BNMT uses Biratnagar as a springboard to reach impoverished communities in the Terai - I think something like 80 percent of the Nepalese population lives in the Terai, hence the area constitues a main BNMT target.

After the TB conference (and this "speech") Dr. Subedi suggested that I stay a few extra days in the Terai and travel to several of their "programme districts" to interview village elders and gather information about climate change as perceived by those it directly affects. In the interest of safety, I will have one of the staff members of the BNMT with me as a travel companion and also to serve as a translator (still working on the Nepali- but it's coming SLOWLY).

Upon returning to Kathmandu, I will set up interviews with employees from several national and international NGOs, GOs, and INGOs to understand perceptions on the effects of climate change from professional perspectives. When all this is finished Dr. Subedi wants a plan that outlines "Health Adaptation to the Effects of Climate Change." whew, lots of work coming up.