Environmental study delays in Nepal: A comparison with India and Bangladesh and policy recommendations

Authors

  • Umesh Raj Rimal Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Singh Durbar, Kathmandu, Nepal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59552/nppr.v4i1.85

Keywords:

Environmental study, Environmental clearance, EIA, Approval time, Environment regulation

Abstract

This research examines the environmental approval process in Nepal and compares it with those in India and Bangladesh, focusing on the time taken to complete the assessment of environmental study reports. The study conducts three levels of analysis. First, the policy review outlines all relevant environmental policies and laws, highlighting key provisions related to approval timelines. While not every step of the environmental study process has a mandated time frame, the legal time limits for report forwarding and approval are explicitly defined. Second, statistical analysis reveals a significant discrepancy between the statutory and actual approval times. While the legal mandate is just 35 days for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), assessing a report actually takes 339 days on average. The trend line reveals that the average time taken is decreasing. However, it is still much higher than India’s average EIA approval time of 64 days. Third, through a comparative analysis of eighteen different components of the environmental assessment process, this paper identifies the possible factors contributing to the delays, such as ambiguous jurisdiction, lack of nodal agency, lack of integrated guidelines, high centralization, and no use of e-governance. This paper also compares the thresholds that trigger the environmental study across eight sectors for three countries and finds that Nepal’s thresholds are narrower than India’s and comparable to Bangladesh’s. Recommendations made include clarifying jurisdictional roles, developing integrated guidelines, establishing specialized nodal agencies, and implementing digital systems. Overall, this research attempts to address flaws in Nepal’s environmental assessment system, offering solutions for efficient environmental regulation and improving the business environment in Nepal.

Author Biography

Umesh Raj Rimal, Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Singh Durbar, Kathmandu, Nepal

He currently serves as an under-secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Government of Nepal. He received his master’s degree in business studies from Tribhuvan University in 2008 and economics from the Australian National University in 2016. He has 15 years of professional experience working in various government organizations, including the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Forest and Environment, and the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. He has been actively engaged in data analysis, evaluation of public policies, and policy report writing as part of his job responsibilities.

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Additional Files

Published

2024-11-14

How to Cite

Rimal, U. R. (2024). Environmental study delays in Nepal: A comparison with India and Bangladesh and policy recommendations. Nepal Public Policy Review, 4(1), 101–140. https://doi.org/10.59552/nppr.v4i1.85

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Section

Regular Articles