Nepal’s environment can no longer be polluted in peace

The severity of environmental problems has now been noted by the Government of Nepal. Finland has supported the strengthening of the environmental administration in Nepal’s eastern area since 2001.

Viemäri Nepalissa. Kuva: Marja-Leena Kultanen.

Nepal has been a challenging operating environment, among other reasons because the environmental sector was not previously considered to be important there. The picture, taken in 2007, shows sewage flowing into the holy Bhagmati River in Kathmandu. Photo: Marja-Leena Kultanen.

Waste problems and environmental pollution caused by industry are regularly featured in the Nepalese press even though industrialisation of the country is only at an early stage. For example, the exploitation of hydropower and minerals still awaits investment decisions.

Rural road construction has, however, already polluted water bodies and insecticides have been detrimental to health and the soil. The use of chemicals is poorly controlled and the level of knowledge is low among supervisors, farmers and consumers alike.

Tourism services also are without waste management plans and recycling is poorly organised.

The problems are recognised

Through the programme Strengthening of Environmental Administration and Management, or SEAM, Finland has supported the strengthening of the environmental administration in Nepal’s eastern area since 2001.

The aim of cooperation is to assist the local Nepalese authorities and industrial plants in developing environmental planning and management capacity.

Nepal has been a challenging operating environment, among other reasons because the environmental sector was not previously considered to be important there.

According to the Nepalese representatives who visited Finland in May, the Government has now recognised the severity of the environmental problems and the need for grassroots educational work.

Nepalilaisvaltuuskunta tutustui Suomen ympäristöhallintoon. Kuva: Anne Heinonen. Join Secretary Bodh Raj Niroula from the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (back row, left), Join Secretary Rishi Raj Koirala from the Ministry of Industry, Under Secretary Chakra Pani Sharma and Secretary Shanta Bahadur Shrestha from the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development, and Local Development Officer Rajendra Dev Pandey (front row, left), Director General Yubak Dhoj from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment and Joint Secretary Romi Manandhar from the Ministry of Industry visited in May to learn about Finland’s environmental administration. Photo: Anne Heinonen.

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Developmenthas presented the initiative for taking the environment into consideration already in the planning of the budget and in political decision-making thereafter.

In addition, the Ministry has prepared an environment-friendly local government sector programme, and it is hoped that Finland, too, would support the programme.

Making the results known to citizens

The strengthening of the environmental administration has now reached the final phase, during which the sustainability of the results are ensured.

The most important task of the final phase is to transfer the methods and technologies that have been developed from the six-county area to the central government level.

During the final phase, dissemination of the results is also linked with environmental monitoring, because knowledge alone does not reduce pollution. Information must be transmitted to decision-makers and citizens, and in an intelligible form.

The Finnish Environment Institute and the new Department of Environment operating under the Nepalese Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment have also discussed cooperation in training the staff of Nepal’s Department of Environment.

The training would deal for instance with laboratory work and climate change and with the safe management of chemicals.

Environmental cooperation between the two countries is therefore likely to continue in the future as institutional cooperation.

Environment permits to the regional administration

Bringing the environmental administration model to the local level by means of the long-term SEAM programme has been groundbreaking pioneering work.

Thanks to the programme, eastern Nepal has gained experience of organising regional environmental administration. For example, during the programme the environmental permit procedure for industrial facilities was transferred from the Ministry of  Environment to the district administration committee for handling.

The change in local actors’ thinking is progressing in small steps, and the adoption of new practices takes time.

Through the SEAM programme, however, local administration and village communities have gained an increased understanding of the importance of the environment to human well-being.

Helena Kuivila

ympäristö