The Challenges
Nepal is one of the fast urbanizing countries in South Asia. Haphazard and unplanned urban sprawl have contributed to the growth of slums and informal settlements, inequalities, and inadequacy of basic services including housing, water and sanitation facilities. Unjust land tenure and ineffective land management are further challenges to shared prosperity and development. The pressures of urbanization on natural and cultural resources and assets are huge. Development gains are at risk of recurrent disasters.
As a landlocked and least-developed country, with a fairly recent legacy of civil war and significant outbound migration, Nepal nonetheless promulgated a federal constitution and set into motion devolution to local governments. The call for transformative commitments of the New Urban Agenda is of strong relevance to Nepal, with regard to ending poverty in urban and rural settlements, increasing spatial inclusion, promoting a productive urban economy that provides opportunities to children and youth and creating safe, green, healthy and resilient places for all people.
