Kathmandu's Sustainable Development Plan

8/14/2019 Kathmandu's Sustainable Development Plan

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Kathmandu’s Sustainable Development

There are many issues that I have tried to address at a national level, and many issues at alocal level. However, there are some important issues that do not fall in either of those

categories, and that in-between category is that of my local constituency. In that respect,

while I am running to represent the Kathmandu-4 constituency, I am certain and clearabout the fact that the problems of our constituency are common ones shared by much ofKathmandu. These issues need to be addressed together. This is why the work I need to

do and solutions I propose this as my working Kathmandu Master Plan that considers arange of issues at once for maximum, holistic impact.

As a resident of Kathmandu valley, I know the challenges we face on a daily basis. I havethe same water problems as vast majority of the valley’s inhabitants, and my three year

old daughter breathes the same dangerous air that all of us here do on a daily basis. Whathas happened to the quality of life in Kathmandu? We have urbanized rapidly, but our

quality of life in the valley has decreased just as fast. We need to change our course. Wecannot just blindly urbanize; we need to improve the quality of life as well. In short, we

need to develop consciously and sustainably.

The global 2012 Environmental Performance Index ranks 132 countries on 22 performances. The results are based on 10-years of data sets. In that, Nepal’s overall

ranking was 38. However, in the Environment Health category we came as 106th. Withinthat, for the Air Quality (Effects on Human Health) sub category, we ranked even lower

at 130 out of 132. And for the sub-category Water (Effects on Human Health) we stood at102. We need to do better than this for our citizens.

What about Kathmandu? In the 2012 report, The State of the World’s Cities Report

released by The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, Kathmandu is ranked 60

out of 95 cities in prosperity with a total score of 0.598. That score places Kathmandu inthe second last category of cities with “Weak Prosperity Factors.” Cities scoring 0.600 orhigher is considered cities with “moderate prosperity factors,” and cities scoring 0.800 –

0.899 is considered cities with “solid prosperity factors.” Why have we become weak?

In the same study’s Quality of Life category Kathmandu scores 0.621, while it scores

0.740 for Infrastructure and 0.704 for Environment. But what is the use of infrastructureif it does not improve the quality of life, or it if makes the environment unbearable? We

must think not just for ourselves, but for our children and grandchildren. We must as askourselves if this is the best we can do. I believe we can do better.

Here is the good news: cities can make a comeback, if its policy makers and people work

for it. It is not too late for us. Some of the most prosperous cities today have all had theirdark periods before coming back to regain their glory. As a policy maker, I worked for

this comeback in the last Constituent Assembly and Parliament. Even after the Parliamentwas dissolved, I continued to work for our cause. And now, there is an opportunity for us

to speed up process of making Kathmandu liveable again. We will together make thiscity, our home, a symbol of sustainable urban development while retaining the valley’s

rich multi-cultural heritage. And I am myself now clearer on the work that needs to bedone urgently, and I ask you for your support. This is why I have spent considerable time



studying expert opinions, reflecting and listening carefully to all of you. I present myvision and my plan in this chapter.

A Sustainable Kathmandu:

One thing is clear: the pressure on Kathmandu and its resources needs to be relieved. It isrunning out of space, it is exhausting its habitable and arable land, and its water and air

have become dangerously polluted. The quality of our built environment, particularly inthe context of natural disasters, is highly questionable. Which is why clear parameters

need to establish for the valley, with defined plans for satellite cities. Every topicaddressed below is what I consider to be a part of the bigger master plan I envision for

the valley. And all of it is based on the fundamental belief that:

1) A cut off point needs to be clearly established so that all built environment anddevelopment plans from a certain date follow certain norms and regulations, including

the proposals listed below. That date could be soon after the Parliament is elected andable to work on this proposal, perhaps early 2014.

2) These new, or reestablished codes and regulations must then also be retroactivelyimplemented as extensively as possible for those built environment constructed before

the set cut-off point.

It is imperative for fellow policymakers and Kathmandu inhabitants to understand that wecannot continue to build and urbanize the way we have been for the last decade or two.

Urban development is key to a more sustainable future not just for Kathmandu, or Nepal,

but in the global context too. To lose this opportunity to make Kathmandu a part of thatfuture would be tragic most of all for Kathmandu’s residents, and Nepal. As the leasturbanized but fastest urbanizing country in South Asia, we need to be all the more careful

and dedicated to a sustainable model of urbanization. And Kathmandu must set not just anational example, but a regional one.

Kathmandu valley today is at a critical point: it could either become one of the biggesturban disasters in South Asia, or it could become a symbol of restoration and positive

transformation by emphasizing sustainable development. But as things stand now,Kathmandu is at a precarious point: its food and energy is imported from outside, and its

only major water supply project is designed to tunnel water in from outside too. All thatthe valley was blessed with inside has been rapidly deteriorating of exhausted: air quality

is at an all time poor, farm lands have been converted to bricks or real estate at anunsustainable pace, and its water supplies is based on companies that illegally extractgroundwater with no long-term water availability plans. Building codes need urgent

updates, and the lack of enforcement of codes that exist has helped make Kathmandu oneof the most earthquake vulnerable cities in the world. Population density has increased

but public spaces have decreased. Irrespective of its political structure and designation, be



it a district or a Federal State, there are countless challenges Kathmandu faces today to become truly livable with a sustainable future.

This document, prepared with a lot of discussions and research, is not an over promise ora list of hopes or election promises. This is simply a road map, a guide, for a better

healthier and a more livable and sustainable Kathmandu, so that our lessons, both goodand bad, can be an example for the rest of the country. And it is not optional for us to

move in this direction, but rather an absolute necessity.

As stated earlier, there are some things for which I cannot separate just my constituency.The air quality of Kathmandu has to be restored and improved, not just Constituency-4’s.

The valley needs to be climate and disaster resilient, not just my constituency. And it isthe same for every issue about living here that I can think so. Which is why after

November’s elections, 15 Member of Parliament elected to represent Kathmandu’s 15constituencies will have to work together for critical issues that Kathmandu and its

residents can no longer afford put aside. Of course, our constituency will be at the heartof my policies but in order to get what we want we must seek valley wide policies. We

must work together with all those actions affect us. I will lead the other representatives inthis valley-wide effort.

What is outlined in this document, however, are not the only issues that need to be

worked on. These are one single candidate’s must-do list for Kathmadnu and Nepal. AndI am confident these are at the foundation of every other issue that needs work.

It is my intention that after the elections this document will serve as the foundation foreven greater models and immediately actionable policies to help make Kathmandu as

sustainable as possible and a model for Nepal’s other urban centers. It is my hope thatlike me, the 14 other elected representatives will be able to see themselves not just as

their party’s representatives but also the elected representatives of the people ofKathmandu, that means representatives of their problems, their aspirations, their lives.

From my last experience in the Constituent Assembly as well as the Parliament, it was

clear that many of us were able to efficiently conduct the work mandated in ourrespective CA Committees, as well as in the Parliamentary Committees. And perhaps if

any candidate feels that they cannot perform those two mandated duties, then they shouldmake way for candidates who are more interested and willing.

Nepali Congress as a party is fully committed to making Kathmandu an example of

sustainable development as well as progressive restoration. As a party, we are committedto orienting our policies to reflect the fact that an urban center or a city is not just a space

of humans and their built environment, but integral to any such space is its naturalenvironment too. But we must remember, at once, that we will need to go beyond party

politics and minor squabbles. It is time to work together to solve the larger issues that weface.

These policies, in combination, touch issues of air, water, food, energy, natural disaster

preparedness, climate resilience, public health and safety, mobility, and many otherissues that are critical to ensuring that our valley is as sustainable as we can be, for both



economical and ecological sake. And they will only work if we commit to them as asingle package, in a holistic way, together. It is not enough for some of us to commit and

not others. It is all or nothing.

With this in the mind, the party commits to a sustainable development of Kathmandu,

with the understanding that its ecology and economy are intricately linked. And that foreconomic and human development, Kathmandu’s natural environment must not only be

retained, but a lot of must be reestablished. The policy and action proposals below for aSustainable and Liveable Kathmandu are all important individually, but will be most

effective when undertaken holistically. And it is our belief that the suggestions listed hereremain just as important, irrespective of the political form and title Kathmandu valley

may be given in the future.

1. Restoring Air Quality

Air quality, mainly the pollutants in air caused by human activities, is now identified

as a major reason not just for serious health problems but a cause of death. A newreport has shown that about 2.1 million deaths occur every year globally because of a

toxic pollutant knows as Fine Particulate Matter, or PM2.5. The United NationsEnvironment Program has also made it clear that particles between PM.01 and PM10

have the greatest impact on human health. PM10 is among the most harmful of all air pollutants. When inhaled these particles evade the respiratory system's natural

defenses and lodge deep in the lungs. Health problems begin as the body reacts tothese foreign particles. PM10 can increase the number and severity of asthma attacks,

cause or aggravate bronchitis and other lung diseases, and reduce the body's ability tofight infections. Kathmandu’s air quality has been recording extremely high levels of PM2.5 andPM10 for many years now and has been noted by the World Health Organization hashaving “very high” air pollution. The World Health Organisation has guidelines

recommending that annual exposure be limited to 20 microgrammes per cubic metrefor PM10 and 10 microgrammes per cubic metre for PM2.5 In 2007, Kathmandu’s

PM10 level was already 173 microgrammes per cubic meter. According to a newscientific studty conducted across 9 countries, it has been found that every increase of

five microgrammes per cubic metre of PM2.5 drove the risk of lung cancer up by 18 per cent. And Every increase of 10 microgrammes per cubic metre of PM10 boosted

risk by 22 per cent, including for adenocarcinoma, a type of lung cancer associatedwith non-smokers. This means Kathmandu’s air quality level is at an extremely

dangerous level for public health.

There is also a general consensus amongst experts that exposure to air pollutants islargely beyond the control of individuals and requires action by public authorities at

the national, regional and even international levels.

Which is why unless we take immediate and progressive actions to clearKathmandu’s air, its residents will live in jeopardy every day, breathing in the kind of



air that instead of giving them a full life will make them sick. This is why policiesneed to be developed and implemented so that the quality of Kathmandu’s air is

restored to as a healthy level as possible. In order to do this, a set of multiple actionswill need to be taken simultaneously, and in coordination with each other. These

actions will need to include tackling our primary sources of air pollution, namely

brick factories, traffic, and diesel generators, as well as taking measures to filter thevalley’s pollutants and control dust levels.

The brick factories of Kathmandu have been cited as a big reason for pollution. There

is already work being done to clear up Kathmandu’s brick kilns, which is a greatinitiative. But more actions need to be taken through various sectors. Environmental

effects are a common by product of industrial development, but there are ways tocontrol our exposure to these contaminants.

But urgent work also needs to be done to not just prevent the current dust of

Kathmandu due to road construction work, but also to set a standard for future dust pollution mitigation and general ways to minimize dust pollution in the city. And for

this, we need to develop landscaping, barrier, and fencing mechanisms to reducewindblown dust, a method that many developed countries are adopting to deal with

their own PM10 pollution. Policies will need to be established to make sure and othermaterials are used properly to control dust flow from construction sites of all kinds.

School bus stops, as well as mass transit stops, will also need consideration on beingmade a dust and pollution safe zone. The current level of pollution exposure to those

waiting for school buses and public transit is not safe for their health.

Air pollution is also directly related to the vehicles that are on Kathmandu’s roads.Which is why it is critical to ensure that Kathmandu adopts a strong model for urban

mobility in the transportation sector. This is discussed in greater detail under the

heading Sustainable Urban Mobility. However, an important fleet of vehicles thatdoes not fall into the Private ownership sector is the publicly owned vehicles, andvehicles that are used for public projects. Which is why, it is important to set a basic

standard for those vehicles too. Any vehicles used for projects from governmenttender must pass emission standard tests in order to qualify for the project. At the

same time, Government vehicles must be of the highest and cleanest emission level.The National Security forces, and the valley Police bodies too must upgrade their

fleet to the most efficient and cleanest form possible. NC believes that as arepresentative of the public, it must work to make sure that public offices are not

contributing to factors that harm public health. Which is why these emissionsstandards must be mandatory for public projects and the government.

Understanding peak pollution hours in the valley will also be important as it will

allow policy makers to understand if certain types of outdoor work can be arrangedoutside of those peak hours. Public Service Announcements to help the public

understand when the air quality is best and word during the day is also an importantinvestment to ensuring that public health is not jeopardized due to pollution.



A healthy tree population in the valley is a must to filter the air, control dust flow, andto reduce crating urban heat bubbles. Trees for Kathmandu is discussed in greater

detail under the heading ‘Valley’s Trees’.

While NC commits to addressing issues and solutions outlined in those headings, it is

also our commitment to ensure we have a steady and reliable reading of our airquality. Which is why we believe it is absolutely necessary to invest in monitoring,

and documenting Nepal’s air quality by setting aside a budget not only to extensivelyinstall state of the art air quality monitors in Kathmandu, but in various other locales

such as major and emerging urban centers, Municipalities, and District HeadQuarters. Ensure this budget includes potential costs of a permanent team as well as

part-time team members that will be needed to operate, monitor, and maintain theequipments, as well as the cost of orienting and training them, and other similar

expenses. The budget should incorporate maintenance costs too. The monitors shouldtherefore come with a rollover or an accumulative maintenance budget that could be

transferred to the next fiscal year should it remain unused. It is important to note thatthese investments are not a one-time effort, but something that the nation needs to

commit to for the long-term. In order to maximize the investment in the monitors, thegovernment must also seriously consider investing in digital billboards in all the

locations where the monitors have been installed to constantly display the latestavailable data. And to ensure the monitors are able to do their work uninterrupted, the

budget set aside for it should also include the installation of solar power backup thatwill enable the monitors to function with no power failures. That budget should also

keep into consideration maintenance of such a backup power system.Reliable data should be one of the key foundations on which we base our policies on

an issue that is as sensitive and important as public health.

2. Sustainable Urban Mobility and Air Quality

Urban mobility is a key part of any urban center. And how we design and address this part of the urban center is critical to how it develops and how livable any city

becomes. Currently, Kathmandu’s urban mobility is highly private motor vehicleoriented, with a public mass transit system that is not well managed, and streets that

are not friendly to pedestrians or cyclists. Here are a few proposals that NC commitsto in order to help Kathmandu transition towards Sustainable Urban Mobility.

1) Mass Transit is made more accessible and modern to help reduce the need for

making private vehicles primary mode of transport. In that, the vehicle used for masstransit it self should comply to latest emission standards. Policy will be developed to

ensure Mass Transit that works on clean or renewable energy are able to offer theirservices with as little bureaucratic hurdles as possible. Much like Kathmandu once

phased out a certain model of pollution engine, we must take an equally bold standnow to develop and implement a policy for mass transit that clearly favors clean

energy to power it. Commuters spend a lot of time in traffic inside their mass transitvehicle. If the emissions of these vehicles fail standard tests, then the public is being



But there may be a way in which a significant part of this diesel generatordependency can be reduced while increasing Kathmandu’s sustainable energy

infrastructure.

We need to begin the process of replacing our diesel generators with solar energy,

and an Energy Exchange Agreement (EEA) policy with the Alternative EnergyPromotion Center and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) needs to be set in place.

This would mean extra electricity produced by a building’s solar unit would be sent to NEA, for which NEA would credit the building’s electricity bill at either a fixed rate

or NEA’s tariffs already in place, or a new pricing mechanism that will be establishedwithout adding financial stress on NEA or other consumers.

For technical reasons (voltage fluctuation, transmission loss) NEA is generally open

to signing any kind of power purchase or exchange agreements with sources that produce at least 100kw.

With a net-metering based EEA in place, electricity would flow both in and out of the

building with no obligation for NEA to pay cash for what it takes. If the buildingowner chooses a storage mechanism with batteries, then the building would be largely

using its own solar power and charging its backup system with it too, reducing itsdependency on both diesel generators and NEA. Every 100kw solar unit installed and

used by a building means it saves on diesel and NEA fees. During dry months, whenthe power crisis is at its worst, these consumers would have less demand from and

more supply for NEA, a benefit for both parties. This would also set the stage for a broader future policy overview on enabling some combination of net metering and

feed-in-tariff with those who don’t need to install a 100kw system for their regularuse.

We believe there should be significant switch to solar by those who have to currentlydepend on diesel generators and that process should be subsidized with a mix of grant

and low-interest loan to the greatest extent possible so that the issue of capital cost,the biggest barrier for solar investments, becomes a non-issue. The subsidy itself

needs to be a domestic effort in combination with the help of development partnerswho have already invested and pledged millions to develop Nepal’s energy sector.

There are several international and regional sustainable urban development funds, andmultiple pollution and greenhouse gas emission related funds Nepal could tap into for

this effort.

While the subsidy may cover the installation of solar PVs or other technologies, wewould work to understand if it could be extended to storage components. We would

also work with major urban centers to see if local governments could offer limited property tax holiday or subsidies for those that are making the switch from diesel to

solar.

A similar programs for more lower-needs consumers and residences also needs to beestablished so that Kathmandu is not just a net energy consumer, but also a real

energy producer using sustainable and renewable energy technologies and sources. It



is a capacity that Kathmandu needs to progressively increase and make a committedinvestment in for its energy security and sustainability.

5. Public Land Utilization

For far too long, Kathmandu’s public land have been abused to the extent asignificant portion of it has been privatized or given to institutions without a public

discourse over it. Which is why I want to create a public database of Kathmanduvalley’s public land. Once this is done, through a public discourse and in consultation

with planners and experts, I want to see how best those lands can be used for the public good of the valley and its residents, including the option of preserving them

simply as urban forest (discussed in greater detail in the section Valley’s Trees. Onething that is lacking and investment is needed in is to develop large exhibition spaces

much like the Bhrikutimandap, but with modern amenities. Spaces of this naturehelps create the kind of space which private and foreign sectors can use to host public

events which helps keep the city vibrant and its local economy running.

6. Parks

Public parks are an essential part of any urban landscape. It is critical not just from an

environmental point of view, but studies have shown that it is equally important froma social and mental health perspective. Many scientific studies have clearly shown

that there is a direct relationship between benefits to public health and the availabilityof public parks in urban center. Kathmandu is spread over 50Sw Km, with more than

two million residents, and has less than 2Sq Km of green public spaces. This is anunhealthy ratio for any urban center, especially one as dense as Kathmandu. This is

why I will work to establish a public parks at Ward level, with each Ward responsible

for developing and maintaining at least one sizable public park with greeneries andfull time maintenance staff, or community voluntary maintenance. The Word HealthOrganization’s recommendation is a minimum of 9m2 of green space per person,

where as 10m2 to 15 m2 is the generally recommended green space per person. Nepal’s municipalities and emerging urban centers must be planned and designed

around these parameters, while we also work towards reestablishing the samefoundation for existing urban centers.

Part of my responsibility is to restore and expand existing parks in Kathmandu to a

state where they are safe and healthy for public use. Which is why I am committed toallocating a more organized and zoned out new park developments across the valley.

And that special parks and playgrounds need to be made for children, while general public parks need to be developed and maintained. All the parks will have strict use

and maintenances guidelines developed in coordination with the local community,with the possibility of a Private Public partnership.

Cities need to be spaces where families can provide the best for their children. In

Kathmandu, where gardens are becoming rare, air pollution highly dangerous, and thespace for children to play outdoors very limited, the need for children’s parks have



never been more important. Which is why time has come for Kathmandu to invest ina series of modern and safe space for children to play and interact with other children

from their communities. These play ground, designed and walled off with natural and built air and sound pollution retardants, will be designed to serve as a space where

children can come and play and interact on a daily basis, and even more so during

holidays. They would be equipped with filtered drinking water fountains and toiletsthat are kept clean and dry at all times. These spaces would be accessible only tochildren accompanied by adults, and would be monitored by the local Police. The

parks would also be built in partnership with the local community so that there is notonly a sense of ownership, but also an added local layer of social protection to those

using the parks.

At the same time, general public parks need to be developed and maintained with

certain rules and regulations that the local community must help enforce in partnership with the local elected representatives’ office.

To ensure that the Park initiative is a worthy and successful endeavor, the city will

also make an investment in an Urban Parks Department whose only duty will be tomake sure that Kathmandu’s parks are maintained and remain a safe and healthy

space for the public.

7. Parks as Community Centers:

These parks and public spaces should also be aligned with Kathmandu’s Disaster

Preparedness Plan, so that the space can serve as a safety zone with a sectiondedicated to being stocked with basic emergency supplies for rescue and shelter. Its

solar power system should also be designed to be able to power basic emergency

equipments, and it should include a rainwater harvest tank too. If and where space permits, parks must also be equipped with smaller debris clearing vehicles. With this purpose in mind, it makes it all the more important for there to be as many open

public community parks across the city as possible.

From a Community Center perspective, developing the park is also an opening todevelop other important communal resources in the vicinity, such as a center that

houses library, offers public internet access, and maintains a public restroom.

Open, public spaces are essential to a democractic society because they provide open

spaces for discussion and meeting. They foster discussion and interaction, and thusunderpin democratic dialogue at the local level.

8. Women's Space and Safety:

Girl and Women’s safety is an important issue and Kathmandu needs to make serious

investments to ensure their safety. This will not only include basic actions such asincreased vigilance and action from law enforcement agencies, but a broader



conversation and policy discourse is needed to discuss how urban planning anddesigning can help cities become safer for women, as is being had in other cities

around the world.

At the same time Kathmandu must strive to become a city that is as comfortably

accessible to live in and use the services and infrastructure of for those who aredifferently-able too. Which is why these issues will all be part of the Kathmandu

master-plan.

9. Valley’s Trees:

There are multiple reasons for any city to invest in a good tree population. For

Kathmandu Valley, two key reasons would include fighting its increasing air pollution, and to mitigate its growing urban heat bubbles in the city. Which is

Kathmandu needs to make a dedicated move for multiple Urban Forests.

In Kathmandu’s context, its urban forests should be a mix of private and public

partnership. The policy to plant two-tress per house that has been introduced inKathmandu needs to be expanded.

While the existing policy allows the replacement of the tree-requisite with potted

plants, the policy we need to implement is that the trees are mandatory and thosehome owners who do not have space for trees should contact their local municipal

office and plant their trees in the community’s Urban Forest. This policy should also be studied to explore ho it can be implemented to include not just new homes but

homes and properties built before the original policy was set in place. This way, thelocal government and community would be able to partner in developing and

maintaining their community’s Urban Forest. These urban forests will be developed

as public parks.

Apart from that, a massive tree re-plantation program must be undertaken to replace

by at least double if not more the number of old-growth trees that were cut down forthe road expansion projects.

Lining the streets with trees so that it produces canopy will also be given a priority.Trees selection will be done in consultation with specialists who understand what

trees work best for such circumstances.

In global real estate practice, properties with trees are also often evaluated as morevaluable. This is a practice worth promoting in Kathmandu too.

Another crucial benefit of trees is it helps to reduce urban noise pollution. More

details of this under the Reducing and Mitigating Sound Pollution section.



and productively as possible for the sake of both property owners and users, as wellas the valley’s infrastructure. Instead of letting the rain run-off into our sewers, often

causing streets to flood, we can use it for our daily needs. It is proven, both in history,and in modern times, that rainwater harvesting is an excellent way for Kathmandu to

deal with its water needs. And it must be incorporated into our general building

codes, as outlined in various parts in this document and more specifically under theheading Infrastructure Codes.

10.4. Infrastructure:

Our drinking water infrastructure also is need of a dire restructuring and modernupgrade. There are countless cases of homes that have been given water connections

with no water supply. In consultation with the relevant bodies, program such as thesewill need to be expedited. A combination of independent water sources and a modern

municipal or federal water infrastructure is a basic for any society, let alone a valleyas populous as Kathmandu. So while the supply sources need to be developed and

sustainably managed from multiple sources, the distribution system needs to bedeveloped simultaneously, also from a general security perspective. It is not rational

or safe in any way or form to have a city of more than 3 million people with acrumbling and in several cases defunct water supply system.

11. Food Security:

As Kathmandu’s population has swollen in the last two decades, its food productionhas decreased drastically with rapid urbanization taking place. That pace continues at

a rapid rate today too. Yet, if we fail to address the valley’s food and water securitytoday, we would be doing great injustice to its inhabitants for generations to come.

And even those living in the valley today would find themselves in serious jeopardy.

The valley’s food security is often tested by simple weather events, when the roadsand highways leading into Kathmandu are blocked by landslides. Or sometimes when

political strikes force vehicle movements to stop. Considering high population ofKathmandu and its daily needs, the valley must find ways to ensure that there is a

significant food production base that is maintained within the valley so that it canminimize the risks posed by unforeseen causes that lead to disruption of food supply

from outside to inside the valley.

Not only that, there has also been a major crisis in public health with farmers usingchemical fertilizers and pesticides on their crops for the sake of immediate high value

they might get. Food Security must in Kathmandu’s context not only include theactual production of food supplies within the valley, but also ensure that is done so in

a safe and nutritious manner that does not pollute the farmer or the consumer, or theearth and water of Kathmandu.

11.1. Urban Farming:

Kathmandu must steadily move towards various models of urban farming. Some ofthese will be new ideas, others may simply be better managing or scaling up ideas



On built environment, the city should move towards subsidizing concrete, paint androofing tiles and other building materials so that they are both produced as

sustainably as possible, and their use enhances the city’s quality of life andsustainability. Subsidizing building materials is not a new concept in Kathmandu

where municipalities to help the city have a common traditional façade subsidized

traditional brick facades. Now, we must employ similar assistance to help the cityretain and regain its livability factor.

Some of this work is already being done in the bricks sector, with factories being

retrofitted to reduce their pollution drastically. But Kathmandu could take advantageof greater modern technologies that exist to ensure our city is building a city of the

future starting with the materials it is using itself.

For example, Traditional roof tiles remain a popular roofing material in Kathmandu.They are either mined from the ground or set from concrete or clay – all energy

intensive methods. Once installed, they exist to simply protect a building from theelements despite the fact that they spend a large portion of the day absorbing energy

from the sun. With this in mind, many companies are now developing solar tiles.Unlike most solar units which are fixed on top of existing roofing, solar tiles are fully

integrated into the building, protecting it from the weather and generating power forits inhabitants.

It is also equally important to emphasize and enforce that the building materials are

Clean sourced, by companies who have updated Environment Impact Assessmentsfor the work they are doing. And the Government must be prepared to help much of

our construction material industry make that important sustainable transition, bothtechnically and fiscally.

This may be particularly important for the most widely used material, concrete, whichis attributed to 5% of human caused carbon emission annually globally. Today, there

are technologies and methods that make it possible to reduce CO2 emissions in the process of making concrete by altering a raw-materials used, and also concrete that

more pro-actively breaks down or absorbs the CO2 around it.

But it is not just the CO2 levels that needs to be dealt with. Nitrogen Oxide is also amajor pollutant and a threat to public health. Today, there are already building paints

that have been developed in a way which helps it to break down the Nitrogen Oxidefrom the area. Painting 11 square feet surface with this paint can absorb as much

pollution as a full-grown tree. This is an existing technology that needs to be used inKathmandu to fight pollution, especially the winter smog that is associated with

extreme public health threats. It is important to push that all public buildings inKathmandu are painted with paint that have this property. Walls along the main

roads, schools, hospitals, would also be a critical infrastructure to paint.

Another construction model that will be given priority is to use paper-basedinsulations when constructing buildings. Made from recycled newspapers and

cardboard, paper-based insulation is a superior alternative to chemical foams. Bothinsect resistant and fire-retardant thanks to the inclusion of borax, boric acid, and



calcium carbonate (all completely natural materials that have no associations withhealth problems), paper insulation can be blown into cavity walls, filling every crack

and creating an almost draft-free space. This also helps the building become over allmore energy efficient.

There are other models and materials that can ensure our built structures of the futurewill be better to live and work in for our communities as well as the planet. Many of

them are already in production and use locally, and only need help to be adoptedmore widely. Many of them will need to be mandated, and subsidized for users and

manufacturers. And it is an avenue that I fully intend to explore and expand upon.

These policies will be effective and beneficial to kathmandu’s residents whenimplemented in combination with each other, to make a shift that is long over due for

the valley. And it could serve as a model for the many towns and villages across Nepal that is rapidly urbanizing. At a time when we are adding exponentially to our

built environment and our natural environment is most vulnerable, this shift towardssustainability is not an option, but rather a need.

13. Infrastructure Codes:

There are some things that need to be established as basic standards and benchmarksfor Kathmandu to develop as a sustainable city of the future with a high quality of

life, and a model that other parts of Nepal, in whatever model it maybe, can learnfrom.

13.1 Certification for Building Codes:

Building codes based on integration of mechanisms such as waste to energy,

rainwater harvesting, eco-infrastructure, must all be included in a certification program as part of the Kathmandu master plan designed for implementation at thenearest possible future date in 2014. Financial institutions financing such new

building projects must meet the certification requirements the same way they do anyother basic regulations needed to get a building permit. Any building failing to meet

these requirements would be forced to lose their financing, while the financialinstitution itself would have to bear heavy penalty for failing to do its due diligence

before financing the project. Essentially, this newly established certification processmust mean that the building meets the basic pre-requisites and codes as set in the new

Kathmandu master-plans.

13.2 Building Codes:

The valley needs to update and develop a strict building code that addresses variousissues and mandates some initiatives as a pre-requisite for all new buildings, at thesame time develop a way for existing buildings to adopt much of those mandates.

While a lot of it has been covered in sections above, it is important to view homes and buildings being built in the valley not as elements that will challenge and disrupt the

natural environment but rather something that can exist as sustainably as possible, inthe process making live safer and healthier.



Therefore, along with other standards, buildings codes must help make Kathmandu’s buildings as food, water, and energy secure as possible, and built with disaster

resilience and preparedness in mind. The way homes and commercial properties aredesigned are integral to the kind of pressures that the city’s basic infrastructure – such

as drainage system, electrical grid – faces. Which is why a standard must be

established and implemented as an integrated approach to making Kathmandu a moremanaged city where the quality of life of its residents are improved. Many of thesestandards have been discussed in the chapters above.

A minimum of 25% of the home’s energy needs should be met through its ownrenewable energy installation, and the rainwater harvest infrastructure should be

designed of a scale that is the similar, if not the same, as the property’s original mainwater tank. Homes should now be designed to also be the producer of its car’s fuel –

electricity.

For Commercial properties, at least 75% of their energy consumption must berenewable, designed to mitigate the use of diesel generators as much possible, and to

be independent of the grid to a great extent too. Details of how this are outlined insection Urban Energy Security.

As stated earlier, the Building Codes must be strictly enforced for all new

developments with incentives put in place for developers and homeowners. For thegreatest impact, the date for implementation should be earliest possible, perhaps

2014. This will ensure that all new properties being developed will immediatelyreduce projected pressure on the valley, and in the medium and long term greatly help

the finances of the property owners. At the same time, these codes will also have to be retroactively implemented for properties that were built pre-2014.

13.4. Government Building Codes:

Government buildings must be developed as fully rainwater harvest sufficient and

renewable energy powered. In fact, when space allows, they must be built with thekind of rainwater harvest and renewable energy producing capacity to help the local

community around it. Cut-off dates for new buildings, and retrofits, should applystricitly to government buildings too.

13.5. Road Standards:

Road quality is key to public health and safety, and directly linked with out economyand tourism too. While we have already engaged in a valley wide road widening

project without following some due process, such as an Environment ImpactAssessment, it is important that moving forward we must not only have to rectify past

mistakes but work in a way where we get it right the first time.

Today there are new methods and technologies that exist in road construction that isnot only eco-friendly and energy efficient, but also more cost and time efficient.

These technologies and material help to reduce rainwater run-offs, which means oursewer systems will not be overwhelmed in monsoons.



keeping in mind our socio-cultural ways and waste management needs, it is importantto re-introduce the large garbage tanks to our city’s street corners and community’s

junctions. Every part of the city already has a section that the locals have made theirdefault garbage disposal spot. Now we simply need to place garbage tanks there so

that they are inside these tanks and not out on the streets.

At the same time, Kathmandu also needs a set of trash cans dedicated to mixed waste,

plastic waste, and paper waste at least per every two street corners.

15.5. Protecting Our Waste Managers: Dealing with waste management is not only an unpleasant task but also means being

exposed to unsanitary and unhygienic conditions. However, our waste managers have been working for years without proper equipments and protective wears. Which is

why I want to propose immediately ensuring our waste managers are given theadequate equipments and protective gears needed to do their work without putting

themselves in danger or at unnecessary risks.

15.6. Modernizing Our Waste Collection: Currently, our tricycle based waste collection carts are cumbersome. And not easy to

manage for our waste collectors. It is time to upgrade our waste collection methodsand use enclosed automated vehicles designed for waste management. Today, cities

can purchase even electric vehicles designed specifically for urban wastemanagement. These vehicles would be especially useful for Kathmandu’s streets,

which tend to be small in places. It would also make the waste management processover all more efficient for everyone involved.

16. Reducing and Mitigating Sound Pollution:

Kathmandu’s ambient sound has increasingly become a matter of concern. Accordingto local experts, the standard the standard sound level is 85 dB (A) for busy city areas,

but Kathmandu exceeds that limit and reaches up to 120 dB (A), which is considereda dangerous level. Which is why the pre-dominant sound of motored vehicles and

their horns need to be controlled urgently to improve the quality of life inKathmandu. Apart from affecting the locals, the traffic noise pollution is also one of

the most negative experiences for tourists who are here.

There are several ways to address this problem. Trees and plants can play a role in

helping to quiet areas in cities and towns by softening the urban environment andreducing noise. Researchers have found that roofs with vegetation in particular have

the potential to significantly reduce road traffic noise. Greening roofs and walls withmaterials suitable for growing plants softens the urban environment keeping soundlevels low, whereas hard, man-made structures tend to amplify traffic noise.

A more direct approach must also be taken at the very source of this noise pollution.It is important to begin a process in which all motored vehicle distributors and

resellers are required to maintain a very specific and revised level to decibel for theirhorns. Mandating this level means ensuring that vehicle horns can only be loud to a



If Traffic inside Basantapur Durbar Square area cannot be stopped altogether, it mustthen be managed better, including again, speed and noise limits.

When people travel thousands of miles and spend thousands of dollars to comeexperience our ancient heritage, we need to make sure that experience is not ruined

by loud and busy traffic. Managing that would benefit the locals even more.

In the course of making the city more tourist friendly, our location maps and signsneed to be updated and made clearer recognizing the fact that Kathmandu may be

Nepal’s capital but the people signs will be used also by the hundreds of thousands oftourists who come to the valley.

With better-managed traffic, and street development as outlined in the section

Restoring Air Quality, our streets would be safer and healthier not just for locals butalso the tourists. This means they would walk through our city a lot more, which

increases foot-traffic to a lot more local businesses. This also means the tourist- bicycle rental would receive a big assistance as more tourists would be willing to bike

through a city without having to worry as much about traffic navigation and pollutionand dust.

Another area that Kathmandu could invest in to expand its tourism sector is toincrease Homestays. Currently only 3 Registered homestay managements are

registered in in Kathmandu and 2 in Lalitpur. Informally, there are more for sure. Weneed to have all the ones registered and operating formally so it helps the economy.

And in return, they should also get some assistance and incentive. For both districts,registered Community Homestay managements are recorded as zero. This is

opportunity loss. There is a good market for tourists wanting to stay in communitymanaged homestays, particularly in the Patan, Bhaktrapur and other culturally rich

areas.

There is an urgent need to ensure the preservation and management of our UNESCOWorld Heritage Sites, which is a big international branding assistance for Nepal.

Kathmandu cannot compromise with its World Heritage Sites, and whatever sternaction needs to be taken to ensure its preservation should be taken as per the law.

Apart from these sites, the valley also needs to develop and promote new

destinations. These destinations shouldn’t just be the traditional cultural and religioussites, but also contemporary and new activities and locations related to arts, music,

museums, annual events and more. Art tourism is a major international economy initself, and one that Nepal, or Kathmandu, has largely not tapped into yet.

19.1. Innovation and Academic Tourism:

One sector of tourism that Nepal could formalize and invest in even further isAcademic Tourism. We are already one of the most popular countries for academic

research. And new issues and technologies, and interest in our region of the world, isincreasing interest ever more globally. The valley needs to recognize that it has the

potential to be recognized as a major international hub for academics and a well- planned public-private partnership could benefit all the sectors involved. It would also



go a long way to help establish global innovation that is happening and it’s future potential here in Nepal.

19.2. Youth and Tourism Development Through Sports:

Sports must be reintroduced to the life in Kathmandu unlike before. Today, there are

entire research departments in cities and universities around the world studying thesocial benefits of youth engaged in sports in urban areas. Not only do investments in

sports have a generally positive impact in communities, especially amongst the youth,it will also help to take Katmandu to becoming a major sporting destination. And in

that regard, the city must also work towards establishing of a new state of the artsporting facility that can be home to various regional and international sporting

events. Based out of that new facility, Nepal could also take advantage of its climateand terrain to develop international training centers for various athletics. This would

be beneficial both to our sporting community but a thriving sports tourism would also be a boost to our national economy.

19.3. Multi-Cultural Kathmandu:

What truly makes any city rich is its cultural heritage. And Kathmandu is a treasuretrove of a multi-cultural heritage that dates back centuries. Which is why, I want to

ensure the valley also promotes and preserves this mixed cultural heritage, be itreligious or architectural. At the same time, I will also ensure Kathmandu remains an

inclusive valley, not just culturally, but also socio-economically.

20. Bipartisan Action and Public Participation Mechanism:

Let us be honest, the real serious problem with our development models and

unplanned urbanization is not just political instability, as often cited. It is the result of

a dangerous cocktail of outright lack of political interest in development issues and political patronage to violations of laws and regulations.

I truly believe that the road map I have charted in this document, the foundation formy Kathmandu master plan, can truly transform Kathmandu’s socio-economic

conditions, and the quality of life, and take us to a much needed sustainable model before things get worse. If we can start taking actions now, and if we have a list of

actions that we can take, there is no reason or excuse to delay taking them.

But what I am clear about is that not a single one of these ideas can transpire without

a strong cross-party bipartisan effort and commitment. In the last Parliament, Iindividually initiated several cross-party commitments and proposals. Because those

ideas were generally neutral with no political interest of any single party, I was ableto convince fellow Parliamentarians to sign on to them.

It was I who introduced the proposal to stop enlisting children below the age of 18 in

student unions, and to not engage in Nepal Bandhs. Both proposals won support inthe Parliament. But I also learned in the last Parliament that sometimes even if you

get proposals agreed upon by various Parliamentarians from different parties, it may



not be endorsed by the cabinet. This must change, and that change can only comefrom with public participation.

The new Parliament must create new forums and use existing ones, such asParliamentary Committees, to create a platform on which the role of public

intellectuals, experts, and communities and the general public, finds real space androle in policy formulation and implementation. These platforms will also serve as an

important pressure mechanism for policy makers whose reluctance maybe a result of party politics more than public interest.

If there is a clear path on how to start making our air healthy again, how to ensure

better water supply in the valley, how to make the city safer for women and childrenand more friendly for the differently-abled, and if the public wants to make sure those

actions take place, then the public must make that clear to their representatives. In thelast Parliament, I engaged many public intellectuals in the Natural Resources and

Means Committee, so I know how effective public participation can be to policymakers. The next Parliament needs even greater public participation to make that

process stronger and more meaningful with clear action plans for real outcomes.

21. Public Services:

As a representative from Kathmandu, I want to make an example and continue to

work towards improving public services. I have long been a steward of publichospitals. As tax paying residents of Kathmandu, the public services available should

be uncompromised. Which is why I plan to continue working towards making makeessential services like hospitals, education a priority.

Consumer Rights is also a serious concern. What Katmandu’s consumers are able to

access is directly linked to their quality of life issues, an element that as I’ve made

clear needs drastic improvement. Which is why it will also be important for localrepresentatives to be pro-active and ensure basic commodity goods are strictlyregulated in quality, prices and suppy. It is also essential to ensure that essential

commodities of good quality are accessible across the board and not confined to acertain higher economic demography.

22. Urban Security:

As Kathmandu develops, we will need to keep in mind rising crime rates. We are allfamiliar with how unsafe Kathmandu feels compared to even ten years ago. This is a

common occurrence as cities develop. However, it is not automatic. There are ways tokeep our neighborhoods safe through partnerships and dialogue between local

residents and the metropolitan police. Public safety will be an important focus of providing public services. We must make our neighborhoods safe for our children,and the elderly even at night. And we must make sure that we can feel confident

leaving our homes empty during the day.

There is a trend that local Police depots no longer maintain land-line phones, and one

needs to call the cell phone of the police officers assigned to there. This is a serious problem. Even if you personally happen to have stored a local police officers phone



number, the officer will only be in stationed at that beat temporarily, and may not beon duty at the time of need.

There is also a technical issue with some cell phone service providers not linkingcallers correctly to the Police when using the emergency #100 hotline.

Keeping these basic challenges in mind, I will work to explore the restoration of atleast one permanent phone service, be it cellular or land-land, at every police beat.This way, locals from the area will only need to know one number to contact

whichever officer may be on duty at the time. Additionally, phone service providersmust find a way for their service users access our three-digit emergency lines.

23. Strengthening Institutions and International Secretariats based in

Kathmandu

I have always been worked to ensure our public institutions are strengthened. They

are important hubs of knowledge and resources that helps to get done the kind of wework we want done for the public good. It is why I was relentless in using the

Parliament to work on policy issues as pro-actively as possible. And there is no doubtI will continue this work, with even greater vigor.

At the same time, Kathmandu is home to several important working Secretariats for

international regions and scope of work. It is critical to ensure that they workeffectively and Kathmandu remains a logical base for those Secretariats. It gives

Nepal and Kathmandu an important diplomatic and development role in a regional orglobal platform, often dealing with complex issues.

One critical and relatively new secretariat is South Asian Wildlife Enforcement

Network (SAWEN). While Nepal itself has become a transit hub for international

smuggling rings, Kathmandu’s role as a transit point has also become active. We haveseen this in the smuggling of Red Sandalwood to Red Panda. It has been establishedin Nepal and abroad that groups engaging in illegal trade of wildlife or flora and

fauna are often tied to and engaged with the smuggling of other kinds, includinghuman trafficking. Proliferating smuggling syndicates also has direct national and

financial security implications for us.

As an MP who called for many hearings through the Parliamentary Committee on

Natural Resources and Means, as well worked extensively on issues related to forestand conservation, and smuggling, I want to make sure we strengthen Secretariats like

SAWEN so that both Kathmandu and Nepal are able to effectively fight backenvironment crimes and other illegal trades as much as possible. Our work and role in

these Secretariats give us the unique opportunity to work on, and for, local-globalissues with leadership. We must take that lead and build on it.

24. Implementation and Financing

Much of the proposals in this document are condensed versions of draft working

plans. And all of them are simply starting points for actionable policies. The start ofthe implementation period is planned from 2014. Most of the proposals in this



document get into some specifics about why and how to implement them. However, Ifully intend to hold further discussions with experts on how to refine the ideas further

particularly in their technical specifications. The reason I am not as concerned withthe ‘feasibility’ of the capital cost that these proposals might require is because what

is truly unfeasible is in fact inaction and status quo on these pressing issues. The

proposals here in this document need to be implemented in the best form possible.

In terms of working modality, I remain convinced that a public-private partnershipand cooperatives may be best models to implement a vast majority of the ideas in this

document. Having said that, some parts of it may simply require a larger leadershipfrom the private sector, but in close coordination with the public partner.

As far as financing the implementation of these policies go, Kathmandu is at the heart

of Nepal’s economy and has credit rating worthiness. A Nepal Rastra Bank studyrecently noted that one-third of the country’s economic activities are concentrated in

the valley. Revenue collection in the three districts in the valley (Kathmandu, Lalitpurand Bhaktapur) has come to about Rs 123.67 billion (43 percent of the national total).

Kathmandu alone has collected over Rs.72 billion Inland Revenue. If governance isefficient, there is enough revenue, and public-private and community based

partnership opportunities and interests, to implement and finance much of these plans.

At the same time, Kathmandu also qualifies for various international funds designedto help cities and urban centers become climate resilient and adopt a model of

sustainable development. I intend to seek out, apply for, and use such available fundsso that Kathmandu can benefit.

The proposals in this document may cost short or medium term expenditures, but theyare only a small capital investment in Kathmandu’s immediate and longterm

sustainable future. For a future of any other kind is an alternative we cannot afford.

Please note: This document includes quotes and paraphrases, and data from variousnational and international publications and research papers. We apologize that we

have not cited them but we would like to thank them for their valuable research, andwould be happy to credit them publicly if they reach out to us.

Kathmandu's Sustainable Development Plan

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Transcript of Kathmandu's Sustainable Development Plan