Mongolia to raise policy rate to curb inflation

Mongolia's central bank would raise its main policy rate to contain rising inflation, local media said Saturday.

The rate will be lifted 0.5 percentage point to 12.75 percent from Monday, Bank of Mongolia (BOM) said in a statement.

The statement cited soaring meat and fuel prices, which surged 29.6 percent and 15.6 percent respectively in first two months of the year.

The nation's CPI soared to 12.5 percent in February and the figure for Ulan Bator is 13.3 percent, according to statistics released by the National Statistical Office.

KATHMANDU, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Aiming to increase awareness about the importance of fresh water and raise public awareness for sustainable management of water sources of fresh water, Nepal National Water Week was kicked off here on Saturday.

Various programs will be conducted for raising awareness on the issues of fresh water, climate change and pollution in the water sources during the water week.

International World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

The main objective of the World Water Day is to draw the attention of all in national and international level about the impacts of climate change and pollution in water resources and food security.

To mark the Water Day, "Water Week" is being organized in Nepal with the slogan "Water and Food Security".

The water week also focuses "advocacy, awareness, research, publication and capacity building.

According to the organizers, the other main focus of the water week is to bring together various organizations who are working in the sector of water and climate change.

Minister for Energy, Posta Bahadur Bogati inaugurated the " Water Week" at a program organized in the capital.

Addressing the program, Minister Bogati said that the government has been prioritizing the issue of conserving the sources of fresh water and also food security.

"The government is planning to increase awareness raising programs for the conservation of water," he said.

Secretary of the Government's "Water and Energy Commission Secretariat", Bishow Prakash Pandit said that water week has been organized to make people aware about the water and food security.

"We need to be aware now and make others aware as well," he said.

He added that Nepal's future depends upon the water and water needs to be conserved properly.

A survey conducted in 2010 by Environment and Public Health Organization in 40 rural districts and 28 municipalities in Nepal says in urban areas 70.9 percent of the source water has faecal contamination.

Likewise, 67.1 percent reservoir and 65.5 percent tap water are also contaminated.

Similarly, in the rural areas, 72.3 percent source water, 92.2 reservoirs, 93.7 tap and 97.1 percent household water are contaminated.

Many children die in Nepal annually due to water borne disease, especially diarrhea.

Source: GNA

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