Published in the book: Global Power Relations, Geo-politics, Economic Diplomacy and Foreign Policy Shift: A Post COVID 19 Scenarios and Implications. Chapter VI. 6.4. Sustainable and Self-reliant Urban Development.

 

Sustainable and Self-Reliant Urban Development in Post-Pandemic Nepal

Ambika P. Adhikari

Keshav Bhattarai

 

“Modern planning and civil engineering were born out of the mid-19th century development of sanitation in response to the spread of malaria and cholera in cities. Digital infrastructure might be the sanitation of our time.”- Ian Klaus, 2020

Overview

The current Covid-19 pandemic is impacting many aspects of the society, economy and the way people live. The pandemic is also affecting the process of physical planning and development in the cities. It will perhaps permanently change the way planners and policy makers think about the city, and plan for its development. The residents and visitors will also find the city different from the pre-Covid-19 era. The emerging situation would likely require new ways of moving, working and living in the city, and building the different physical components of the city.

Cities continue experiencing a variety of unexpected problems while tackling the crises created by the Covid-19 pandemic. Politicians, policy makers, planners and designers are devising tentative guidelines to minimize and possibly arrest the spread of the disease and improve urban public health permanently. However, some ideas for sustainable post-pandemic planning and development have already become apparent. For example, the urban centers must facilitate the safe and efficient movement of essential workers and residents using real time information. They should also provide open and safe spaces for the residents to gather for recreation, de-stressing and as the means of reducing the urban densities. Planners are thinking to develop effective transportation network that could be more efficient, sanitary and effective to keep urban areas safe if similar pandemic emerge in the future. Planners also are engaged in designing housing aiming to promote public health by the designs that help reduce the transmission of communicable diseases.

The unprecedented and indiscriminate diffusion of Covid-19 pandemic has warned economists and foreign policy experts to find diplomatic ways of self-reliance. To create self-reliance housing, proper planning for transportation, water supply, and sanitation are needed. Likewise, planners also are facing challenges how to sustain food need of the urban dwellers to manage future public health emergencies much better. Ways to promote local food production through urban farming and even roof-top farming need to be devised for this purpose.

The following paragraphs outline possible policies and planning that may be appropriate to some key elements of urban development to enhance sustainability and self-reliance.

Urban Density and Development Pattern

The world is urbanizing in an unprecedented manner fueled by increasing population and growing economy (Wang et al. 2029). The UN-Habitat has identified planned city infill, redevelopment and densification as three critical areas of global urbanization. As cities grow and densify, agglomeration intensifies (Shaker 2015; Kytta 2013). However, any unstructured nature of urbanization presents great difficulties for a sound land use planning. Unplanned urban expansion often causes a series of environmental and socioeconomic problems due to the loss of agricultural and natural land resources, shortage or unequal distribution of water resources and the lack of associated infrastructure and services. The goal of urban planning is to optimize the use of urban land, infrastructure and services to promote sustainability. However, poor planning with obsolete urban patterns can result into undesirable effects, such as gentrification or unreasonable increases in land prices even in the degraded areas making it difficult for the local residents to afford to live there. It is important to properly plan and manage urban expansion and densification to improve urban efficiency while minimizing any negative impacts on the residents.

Land use and cover database classifies urban areas as consisting of different categories of land use such as open space, low-intensity urban, medium-intensity urban, and high-intensity urban. These classifications are based on the percentages of impervious surface with the presence of a mixture of some constructed materials and green covers. These areas most commonly include large-lot single-family housing units, parks, and vegetation planted in developed settings for recreation, erosion control, or aesthetic purposes. Most Nepali cities lack efficient urban services as many are still served by the rural infrastructure despite these areas being legally classified as urban centers.

Managing urban densification is an effective tool for improving sustainability of cities. Using such tools, urban planning offices often forecast models to assess the sustainability indicators for a city. Taking into account the current and possible future urban densities, urban planners can predict the level of future urban population and required infrastructure and services. Proper planning and management for the rapidly growing cities requires improving the efficiency of land use, infrastructure, and services. According to the research of UN-Habitat, most cities in the developing world have forfeited agglomeration benefits and generated sprawl, congestion, and segregation in the last two decades. This process can be seen in many new Nepali towns and cities, which are systematically eating up fertile agricultural lands, and creating challenges to devise efficient transportation for the residents. In larger cities, such as Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Pokhara, housing in the form of multi-family development is required to create appropriate residential densities, to optimize access to infrastructure and the provision of services. 

Compared to single-family housing, multi-family development also is more affordable as it uses less land per dwelling unit. As the intensity of development has increased, and the urban population has grown. For example, Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Pokhara have seen growing multifamily development in the form of mid-rise and high-rise apartment buildings. While the increased residential densities promote sustainability and arrest urban sprawl, the increased densities can also become barriers to reduce transmissible diseases in the event of pandemics such as the current Covid-19.

City planners, architects and developers need to come up with creative solutions to balance the higher residential densities with public health-friendly buildings and unit layouts, and designs. The tenants of multi-family buildings should be able to maintain physical distancing protocols such as through the provision of separate entries, staircases, and entry and exit alternatives. They should also have access to common open spaces both inside the development and in adjoining areas which provide opportunities for passive and active physical activities for the residents.

Transportation, Virtual Work

With the pandemics, many office employees are now working from home. This has drastically reduced the movement using single-occupancy personal automobiles and personal two-wheelers. The impacts of the reduction in traffic have been dramatic resulting in clean urban air, increased visibility and reduction in time for the commuters to reach their destinations. Most people have seen this pleasant side effect of the otherwise dangerous pandemic.

As the vaccine and reliable medicine for the Novel Corona Virus is at least several months away, working from home for many will likely be a new norm. Even when an effective vaccine or some form of relief medication for the Corona virus is found, it is likely that the virus will mutate and render the newly developed medications less effective in curing the emerging disease. According to reports, some forms of mutation have already been noticed. Earlier, it was assumed that the virus will become inactive or go away with the increase in temperature, but the viral infestation has multiplied in many warm places around the world. That means the virus is likely to mutate very quickly and policy makers and planners have to overcome these challenges with new urban planning and design approaches.

As the virus spreads, the beginning stages were very uncomfortable for office goers. However, with the improvement in virtual working environment, remote working is gradually getting better. It is hoped that the new routine for virtual work will further open up many possibilities for the cities to become self-reliant, sustainable and environmentally improved. Walking and bicycling will positively impact on public health. An improvement in public transportation will drastically enhance the self-reliance of the cities. It will reduce out-of-pocket travel costs for the employees, and in fact, help to improve public health by encouraging more physical activities. 

Public transportation must be designed to carry a smaller number of people per vehicle and the vehicles must be cleaned and sanitized regularly. While ferrying a smaller number of people, using high occupancy vehicles will increase the cost of commute, but fewer people will use them safely with needed physical distancing. Many residents may prefer walking and biking to their destinations as these alternatives may become more popular over time. Central and local governments have been subsidizing public transport in most countries. Transportation planners will have to find innovative approaches for the public transportation to make them efficient and cost effective while maintaining the lower passenger capacity per vehicle, and absorbing the additional cost of enhanced sanitation. An alternative is to utilize dedicated bus lanes that will help to increase the frequency of service. Also, as congestion is eased by the reduced number of single occupancy vehicles, public transportation should enjoy reduced commute time and the per-trip costs. The reduction in traffic congestion will likely reduce the overall fuel cost by 20-25 percent (Bhattarai et al. 2019).

Office vs Home Space Needs

All over the world, the amount of living space per person has been increasing over time. This growth is driven by the increasing per capita income, decreasing rate of population growth, and increased awareness of sanitation and personal hygiene. For example, currently, the per capita residential space in the US is estimated to be around 1,000 square feet. This compares to about 150-250 square feet per person in Japan, and about 120 square feet in India and Nepal. As more people will begin to work from home, the per-person residential space will perhaps increase even as people will need more space for home office and other activities in their homes.  Expanding residential spaces per person might not be a problem in countries like the U.S. where the population density is low due to the possibilities of horizontal expansion of settlements. However, for the European and Asian countries where the population density is already high, creating bigger space per person could become very expensive. Improved construction technology, more efficient building materials and better sub-division and neighborhood planning can help in keeping the home prices in check.

As a result of the pandemic, the amount of office space per person will likely begin to decrease as a smaller number of employees will physically work in the office. The remote-working arrangement will reduce the total amount of space needed in the office. For most offices in the US, the estimate for office space need is calculated at about 125-225 square feet per person.  In Nepal, it is perhaps less than 100 square feet per person. In addition to the personal office space, office facilities devote spaces for meetings rooms, break rooms, storage, equipment, bathrooms and other services. As more and more people start working remotely from home, the total amount of office space can be reduced to save expenses and utility costs. The reduction in the total amount of office development will help communities to become more self-reliant, as the land and resources needed for office construction can be devoted to residential development, open spaces, and urban farming.

Open and Public Gathering Spaces

Nepali cities and towns are notorious for the visible lack of public and private open spaces. Building new houses on any available lot size and infilling even small open spaces has resulted in a significant decrease in public open space in the cities (Adhikari 1998). Given the Kathmandu Valley’s seismic vulnerability, planners in the valley recommend adopting 40:60 ratio for built-up and non-built-up land by 2021 (Bhattarai and Conway 2010). There are virtually no public parks in many cities of Nepal. Today, Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has less than two square kilometers of total public green space, including Ratna Park, Balaju Park, Tribhuvan Park, and Sankha Park. These parks are smaller in sizes and their locations make them less useful for the residents. Many cities in Nepal’s neighboring countries India and China are maintaining urban greenery despite high urban population and rapid rates of urbanization. For example, Bangalore and Shanghai are emerging as green cities. In India, in the last decade, awareness for the need of green cities has established ‘Park & Garden Society,’ which is assimilated in urban planning. ‘Park & Garden Society’ makes it mandatory to maintain greenery in all new urban development. In Delhi, currently about 297 square kilometers area is green, and it is estimated that 10 square meters of green space is available for each individual on average. Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat, has 57 percent of its area devoted to greenery. Similarly, Bangalore, the city of gardens, has more than 700 parks. Singapore has no water resource of its own, and buys water from Malaysia. Despite such limitations, it conserves almost all rain waters, and used such water to develop “Bay Gardens.” Singapore has been the greenest city (roads, terraces, roofs and bay areas) of the world, which follows a maximum energy efficiency approach, resulting in reduced carbon emission, and preserved biodiversity. 

In Nepal, the developers, land brokers, and owners of residential, commercial or private office properties try to maximize every square foot of the site area for development, do not leave any extra open space for sidewalks, public and private plazas, urban parks or pocket parks and plazas in and adjacent their development. As a result, public spaces and publicly accessible amenities where residents, workers, and visitors can relax and enjoy passive or active physical activities are rare in Nepali cities. This not only lowers the quality of urban life, but also robs the residents of the availability of any safe space in times of disaster. Especially, in times of public health crisis such as the current pandemic or natural disasters such as earthquake, the residents have nowhere safe to go.

Open spaces and public gathering spaces are vital amenities for urban areas. In the downtown and office areas, the need for open spaces is calculated based on the number of people who live and work in that area. The space needs should be recalibrated based on the reduced number of employees that will occupy the area on any given day. However, as physical distancing might be needed to minimize the potential transmission of any contagious diseases such as Covid-19, the design and total space requirements for public spaces might be different from how they are provided currently.

Open spaces, especially in the form of urban parks and gardens can also be important locations for relaxation for the residents. Singapore has successfully deployed “Therapeutic Gardens”, which residents can visit to enjoy the beauty and therapeutic ambiance created with water, landscape features, flowers, seating areas and views. These gardens are great amenities for the residents to help them de-stress their daily lives. Especially during the pandemics, these gardens can become important reservoirs of amenities to promote public health and mental state of the individuals.

The Residential Density Conundrum

A denser settlement is generally more desirable to promote sustainability, and reduce per-capita cost of utilities such as water supply, sewerage and road and communication network, and health services. Especially, in cities such as those in the Kathmandu Valley, a dense settlement also protects the existing fertile agriculture land and greenery in the area.

Some of the densest cities are in Asia. Kathmandu has a density of about 52,000 residents per square mile as compared to Mumbai (77,000), Seoul (43,000), Mexico City (22,000), Singapore (22,000), London (13,000) and New York (27,000). We see that in Singapore or London, city-dwellers have adequate personal space for themselves. Edward Glasser in his 2011book Triumph of the City wrote that “all of humanity could fit in Texas—each of us with a personal townhouse”. Thus, it is a matter of how one designs for adequate personal spaces, avoiding overcrowding, and providing sufficient public space for the urban residents to ensure good public health.

During the pandemic, it appears that people prefer lower density in the settlements. News reports indicate that some urban residents in the US have begun to move to the rural areas. However, such horizontal expansion is not an option for the densely populated Nepal. The important element is not how dense a city is to cope well with pandemics and transmissible diseases, but how well the city is planned and designed to allow for safe physical distancing between individuals, and to provide for secured and uncrowded access to the residential units. Urban density should not be confused with overcrowding inside residential units. Inside the dwelling, overcrowding will not be good for public health and the mental health of the residents.

Urban Farming to Support Local Food Production

Worldwide, policy makers and planners are realizing that the total dependence of cities on imported food creates many problems, and exacerbates the production of greenhouse gases as the food has to be hauled long distance by trucks, ships and rail. Also, the quality of food suffers as freshness is lost in the long-haul transportation. If at least a portion of the urban demand for the food could be met locally, I will help in improving urban sustainability, reduce greenhouse gas generation, and make fresh food available locally. More importantly, as at least a part of the food can be produced locally, it can enhance self-reliance. In times of public health crisis, the local food supply can provide security to the residents.

As most of Nepal gets good amount of rainfall, enjoys tropical/subtropical and temperate weather, and has fertile soil, urban farming is highly feasible. In the past, cities of the Kathmandu valley produced adequate amount of food within the city limits or nearby. It is only recently that Nepal has forgone this practice, and the cities have become totally dependent on imported food.

While the urban buildings these days have only a limited land space on site, roof gardening, growing plants on balconies, and vertical gardening can help in local food production. Also, community gardens in public open spaces is another possibility. Urban residents can enjoy gardening and landscaping in their own lots. The variety of landscape could consist of edible landscape such as potato, tomato, cabbages, cauliflower, beans, eggplant and flowering herbs that have both aesthetic qualities and food value.  

Distributed Energy Production: Solar and Wind

Energy production by rooftop solar photo-voltaic (PV), and on-site wind power can supplement the residential and office power need, enhancing self-reliance and sustainability. This can be achieved by promoting the installation of solar PV panels on the rooftops, parking garages, and other locations. Nepal is already encouraging the dissemination of the solar PV technologies such as through the government sponsored Alternative Energy Production Center (AEPC). This process needs to be accelerated with possible subsidies for a while to encourage as many home owners and property owners as possible to retrofit or build new for PV installation. The unit price ($ per/ Watts of installed PV power) has gone down drastically in the past decade so the amount of subsidy needed is only minimal and as the PV prices continued to fall, the subsidy period can also be only for a few more years. The PV Magazine (May 19, 2020) predicts that the cost of solar power could be around 1 to 2 US cents/Kilowatt Hours within 15 years. The subsidy or initial grant needed to the residential property owners is perhaps more for the initial installation costs, which can be high.

In addition, many parts of Nepal, especially the towns in the hills, can also benefit from the wind potential, and can install on-site wind turbines to generate electricity. Wind power complements well with solar power, as solar power is available during the day, and most mindpower generation increases during the night. Cleverly installed combination of solar and wind power can provide continuous flow of power during day and night. If solar and wind power generation plants are installed in most urban areas, the need for fossil fuel decreases, and Nepal can achieve improved self-reliance in the residential urban power sector.

On-site Water Harvesting

Most areas in Nepal receive a significant amount of rainfall. For example, the Kathmandu Valley enjoys about 60 inches of rain per year, and Pokhara gets between 130 and 150  inches of rain per year.  This makes on-site water harvesting feasible and economical in these areas. The technology used for on-site water harvesting is simple. It consists of basically installing collection pipes for the rainwater on the roof, letting the first-flush go to the ground, collecting the cleaner water in above ground or underground storage tanks made of PVC, metal or concrete and having a simple plumbing and pumping system to use the collected rain water for irrigation, personal shower, bathroom flushing and cloth washing. With a simple filtering system, the collected rainwater can also be made potable.

The system of collecting and using the on-site harvested water will save on water cost for the owners, make the water more readily available and drastically enhance self-reliance and sustainability. Municipal piped water can then be used only as supplementary source for limited uses, especially, for drinking purposes, and a reserve for the times when the collected rain water is not available or sufficient. 

Some Policy Recommendations

The discussion above provides several perspectives on how Nepali urban centers can become gradually self-reliant and sustainable and can help the cities better cope with the current and any future pandemics.

Based on these discussions, some policy recommendations and planning and design guidelines proposed are as follows.

 

1.            Urban residential densities are important to promote compact development. They encourage walking and biking, support mixed use, and public transit, and make more public space available in the area. From a public health perspective, proper space configuration and design of buildings is important to maintain high densities while creating enough physical space for separation to reduce the spread of communicable diseases.  Lower density area may seem attractive for minimizing the transmission of the virus, but higher densities make it possible to locate close-by medical facilities for the urban residents.

 

2.            To manage medical care in the midst of a pandemic, urban centers with higher densities should provide access to nearby public and human services that are critical during public health emergencies, including the ability to conduct tracking and testing, and providing medical care.

 

3.            Multifamily residential buildings should be designed with multiple communal staircases offering the residents options to use the stairs closest to their units while allowing individuals to physically distance themselves from others.

 

4.            Providing strategically located public spaces, walk-up residential units when feasible, touchless technologies in elevators, and multiple routes for the flow for the residents in and around the building is important. Designing the common exterior walls and floors with washable materials that can be easily disinfected and washed, will help in stopping the spread of any communicable diseases.

 

5.            Open spaces provide important areas for people to seek recreation, fresh air, and to ease their mental health burdens. Open spaces could be used for public gathering in case of emergencies, and also as possible staging sites for make-shift medical facilities such as testing, vaccination and distribution areas when necessary.

 

6.            Nepal can also consider providing therapeutic gardens in its urban centers. Note: Singapore has successfully utilized “Therapeutic Gardens,” which have flowers, greeneries, water elements, and seating areas to provide a relaxing and stress-reducing ambience for the visitors.

 

7.            Nepali urban areas already have self-sufficient local neighborhoods, which provide the majority of day-to-day necessities for the nearby residents. This is an important planning principle that can be valuable especially in times of a pandemic such as the current one.

 

8.            As public transit is an important element of the cities, the Covid-19 pandemic has forced the urban authorities to ensure that the public transit is operated with superior hygienic standards. The transit system must utilize frequent disinfecting, washing, passenger load reduction, hand washing facilities at transit stops, and other sanitary protocols such as requiring masks for all passengers.

 

9.            The Nepalis towns and cities already have strong walking and biking culture. The cities must improve the walking and biking infrastructure. This would provide a safe and healthy mode of transport and help counter the spread of communicable diseases.

 

10.        The need for delivery vehicles, curbside pickup, and providing room to queue outside essential businesses has become more important. Planning regulations and practices must help achieve increased spaces for the parking of delivery vehicles.

 

11.        Municipalities must provide handwashing stations throughout the city in areas such as parks, public bathrooms, public and private plazas, and public plazas. As water supply remains problematic in most Nepali towns, on-site water harvesting can help store water for the handwashing stations, public bathrooms and public gardens.

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Authors:

Dr. Ambika P. Adhikari is a Principal Planner at City of Tempe, Arizona, USA. Earlier, he was a Research Professor at Arizona State University.

Dr. Keshav Bhattarai is a Professor of Geography at Central Missouri University Warrensburg, Missouri, USA,

References:

 

1.      Adhikari, A. P.  Urban and Environmental Planning in Nepal: analysis, Policies and Proposals. IUCN-The World Conservation Union, 1998.

2.      Bassett, M. T., “Just Because You Can Afford to Leave the City Doesn’t Mean You Should: It’s a mistake to blame density for the spread of the coronavirus”. New York Times, May 15, 2020.

3.      Bhattarai, K., Yousef, M., Greife, A. and Lama, S. Decision-Aiding Transit-Tracker Methodology for Bus Scheduling Using Real Time Information to Ameliorate Traffic Congestion in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal. Journal of Geographic Information System. 2019, 11, 239-291. doi: 10.4236/jgis.2019.112016.

4.      Bhattarai, K. and Conway, D. Urban vulnerabilities in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal: Visualizations of Human/Hazard Interactions. Journal of Geographic Information Systems, 2010. 2: 63-84.

5.      Glaeser, E., Triumph of the City, The Penguin Press, 2011.

6.      Greca, Paolo La; Barbarossa, Luca; Ignaccolo, Matteo; Inturri, Giuseppe; Martinico, Francesco. 2011.  The density dilemma. A proposal for introducing smart growth principles in a sprawling settlement within Catania Metropolitan Area Cities. Dec2011, Vol. 28 Issue 6, p527-535. 9p. DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2011.06.009.

7.      Hooper, M., “Pandemics and the future of urban density: Michael Hooper on hygiene, public perception and the “urban penalty””. Harvard Graduate School of Design Newsletter. April 13, 2020.

8.      Klaus, I., Pandemics Are Also an Urban Planning Problem, City Lab, March 6, 2020

9.      Kyttä M, Broberg A, Tzoulas T, Snabb K. Towards contextually sensitive urban densification: Location-based softGIS knowledge revealing perceived residential environmental quality. Landscape and Urban Planning. 2013; 113: 30–46. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2013.01.008.

10.  Miller, G., “Density can work post-COVID-19, with good urban planning.” Policy Options, IRPP, Canada, June 8, 2020.

11.  Shaker RR. The well-being of nations: an empirical assessment of sustainable urbanization for Europe. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology. 2015; 22(5): 375–387.

12.  Wang L, Omrani H, Zhao Z, Francomano D, Li K, Pijanowski, B. 2019. Analysis on urban densification dynamics and future modes in southeastern Wisconsin, USA. PLoS ONE 14(3): e0211964. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211964

 

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What is a Smart City?

 

Ambika P. Adhikari

Keshav Bhattarai

 Introduction

 In the past two decades, the concept of smart city has been gaining popularity globally. While several cities such as Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Barcelona, Chicago and Hong Kong have been implementing elements of smart city planning and design concepts, some city planners and civic leaders are also speaking about the benefits of adopting smart city notions for Nepal.

Smart city idea follows several recent innovations in land use and urban development. For example, in the United States, the idea of smart growth has become quite popular in the past three decades. Primarily aiming to curtail the ubiquitous urban sprawl, and making the urban development sustainable through efficient land-use decisions and higher density settlements, several jurisdictions in the country have officially adopted smart growth principles and regulations.

A smart-city approach makes use of information technology. Sensors, robotics and auto-control configurations use real time data to continually manage urban functions such as traffic, energy distribution, public amenities, and vehicular parking. Using real time data, a smart city helps to reduce pollution, promote clean energy use, and improve the overall urban physical environment. Although a smart city primarily improves service delivery and efficiency, it also helps to create a more sustainable and equitable urban development.

Smart city works by integrating information and communication technologies with urban infrastructure and service to optimize and enhance the quality and performance. This idea is based on the concept of “Internet of Things” (IoT) applications and communications networks. IoT connects physical elements of infrastructure, equipment, and physical facilities by the internet creating a larger system of virtual connectivity that provides real-time feedback mechanism allowing continuous monitoring, adjustment and manipulation of several activities related to service, infrastructure delivery, utilities and services. The IoT can make the connected system and each device smarter than it would have been separately or on its own

How Does a Smart City Work?

A smart city is designed to improve the efficiency of urban functions. One example is the traffic, transit and transportation system which are managed and directed to avoid congestion based on what is happening on site, improve traffic flow, create an appropriate balance between the various modes of traffic, and to minimize the overall travel time for the urban users.

Another example is to optimize the energy grids and stormwater systems in the city for improved efficiency and service by directing the flow of energy and storm water capacity as per the real time need in different locations. The demand management is achieved through a centrally connected system that reads the demand as captured by the sensors deployed across the city. Optimization of energy system will synchronize the supply and demand, and help reduce the carbon emissions by cutting down the waste of energy.

Public space is an essential component of any smart city to bring people together to socialize, recreate, and work. Public gatherings help to attract people to the city, builds relationships, and spurs innovation and new ideas that fuel a city's economic growth. Efficient use of open space and public parks help to optimize the investments made in streetscapes, plazas, parks, and greenways and the city as a whole.

According to a research conducted in France, a person spends almost four years in lifetime while looking for a parking space. Efficient parking system will help in minimizing search time and reduce vehicular emissions. Sensors are used in parking areas to monitor parking capacity and availability of spaces and increases fee revenue and create jobs. This information is transmitted electronically to a central platform that evaluates the data and communicates with the costumers.

Smart cities focus primarily on the increased surveillance capacity with highly networked cameras and sensors. These surveillance technologies are embedded into the urban infrastructure to watch different activities in the urban areas. They use real-time data to improve the management of pedestrian and vehicle traffic, weather preparedness and energy use.  However, more cameras and sensors can also infringe on people’s privacy rights.

A city contemplating to become smart should conduct a costs benefits analysis. The costs will include investments in digital infrastructure, high speed internet, fiber optics cables, and wireless internet systems. Further, digitizing components e.g., transportation, home energy systems, parks use, sidewalk use, traffic lights, water supply and waste water sensors will add to the costs. The benefits would include the savings gained in efficiency, reduced traffic congestion, optimal use of parks, parking areas, sidewalks, streetlights, water supply, sewerage and other services. While loss of personal privacy can be a social cost, enhanced sustainability could be a social benefit.

Creating Smart Cities in Nepali

Nepali cities still face may planning-related challenges. As the basic urban services and infrastructure in most Nepali towns and cities are not up-to-date and effective, the idea of creating a smart city sometimes looks like a daydream. One can frequently find social media postings mocking the talk of smart city by the municipal leaders and juxta positioning the images of muddy streets, broken sidewalks, and large potholes on the road in Kathmandu.

Most Nepali cites lack adequate infrastructure and services. In addition to highly congested roads, lack of sidewalks, and severe dearth of open spaces, many cities have limited urban services such as water supply, sanitation, drainage, and parking. In many cities, surveillance cameras are non-existent. Overall, the urban management is also generally considered needing improvement. The energy supply, broadband and other technology services are often not well-managed. Some dramatic examples can be seen in the overhead electrical and data cable lines, which appears to be completely muddled up, knotted and messy.

However, there are benefits of moving towards smart cities even if it is partial and applied only to selected services such as traffic and parking. Perhaps the first area that some large Nepali cities can adopt smart city concepts is in real-time traffic management. In place of the traffic signals that operate on pre-programmed cycle for fixed duration, smart traffic signals can sense the actual traffic movement at the intersection and adjust immediately to optimize the traffic flow. The human traffic police sometimes do that in the street of Kathmandu, but it is an unsafe and tedious task. Smart traffic control system can automatically manage the traffic and help it flow better.

Nepali urban leaders and planners can also review and identify a series of urban components which can be good candidates to create the building blocks of a smart city. These will likely include transportation, street lighting, energy use in public buildings, utilization of public amenities, parking lots, and making urban services more efficient.

Challenges and Conclusions

Many smart cities have not functioned as envisioned. For example, work on Masdar City in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) begun in 2008. Planned as a smart and sustainable city, it is only partially occupied and the initially planned goals such as reduction in carbon emission, and increase in mobility have not met the goals. Similarly, the multi-billion-dollar Sidewalk Labs funded by the Alphabet company to create a smart sidewalk project in the waterfront of Toronto in 2017 ran into several problems. However, the residents opposed the sensors and high-tech implementation that could compromise personal information, and the project was abandoned.  Several other smart city projects were also considered to be overpromised and under-delivered.

Development of a smart city is an evolutionary process. Cities will begin to adopt increasing number of smart elements as they move towards a digital, robotic and artificial intelligence configuration. It appears that some basic elements of smart city can perhaps be initially implemented in selected Nepali cities which can benefit the residents. The feasible elements for smart functions can include traffic management, parking management, and energy transmission.

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Dr. Ambika P. Adhikari is an Urban Planner based in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Dr. Keshav Bhattarai is a Professor of Geography at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri, USA.

 

Revisiting BP’s socialism

Ambika P. Adhikari

Most Nepali Congress leaders use BP’s ideas when they speak, but they do not always practice or implement it when they are in power

B P Koirala is remembered as a charming and inspiring leader by most Nepalis. Rarely have we seen another Nepali leader who has reached BP’s political height, who has been able to articulate ambitious political programs and inspire the masses, and who has the ideological clarity, personal integrity and vision to reshape the economy of the nation. In other words, no political leader in Nepal has been able to fully match the all-round personality and popularity of BP. 

An accomplished literary figure, BP was equally adept as a writer as he was as a political leader, and his two talents were mutually reinforcing. Literature gave him penetrating insights into human psychology, personal insecurities, ambition and aspirations. Politics provided him with a mechanism to work toward the fulfillment of the societal and personal needs that creative writers often imagine.

He had the courage, personality, oratory and writing prowess and ideological and personal integrity to provide a strong leadership for people. He was among the first formidable democratic leaders to challenge the autocratic rule of the Ranas and then the authoritarian rule of the monarchs. The democracy that Nepali people have eventually gained was built on the ideas that he pioneered and on the foundation he and his team had built over a long struggle. In fact, BP also played an important role in supporting the freedom struggle of India. He also participated in shaping the Indian socialist movement and forged strong personal relationship with many of India’s post-independence leaders. This relationship later helped BP in his political pursuits to bring democracy in Nepal.

Vision of socialism

BP often stated that the capitalism was unsustainable and communism was unworkable. He advocated the vision for democratic socialism as the best political and economic system for any state. He often gave the example of how a poor farmer in a village in Nepal lived, and urged the leaders and planners to think of the poor farmers while making plans or doing politics. BP himself lived an ordinary middle-class life but had a decent house to live in, and managed to eat two good meals a day. BP often said that his aim was to enable all the Nepalis to enjoy at least his standard of living. But even after more than 50 years since he uttered those words, a large number of Nepalis have been unable to enjoy a decent living standard. Some 12 percent of Nepal’s population has migrated to foreign countries seeking a modest livelihood to feed their families. The migrants often end up working in harsh conditions. Thus Nepal is still a long way from realizing the most humble level of economic development for its people as advocated by BP.

In the 1950s, when he first adopted the democratic socialism as an ideology, he seemed keener on the welfare aspect of the democratic socialism so that the system would uplift the most downtrodden, while keeping the democratic political system intact. BP often stated that without the uplifting the villagers, there would be no development in Nepal. 

Toward the end of the 1970s, he was more influenced by the notion of appropriate technologies, decentralized governance systems, and self-sufficiency as propounded by Mahatma Gandhi, as the best means of national development and ensuring people’s welfare.  He was also a pragmatist, and was keenly observing the progress made by the Western countries through market mechanisms.

In many parts of the world, socialism is not always looked at in a positive light these days. It is often believed that a market economy may not be totally consistent with the idea of socialism, where the state plays a central role in redistributing wealth to ensure that the most vulnerable and poor have at least the decent living means. Through progressive taxation and other governmental programs in the areas of health, education and shelter, a socialist government seeks to provide for the benefit of the people who cannot do well for themselves in the free market. BP thought the resources in a country belonged to all of its citizens. Thus, for him, even in a market economy, the state would ensure that people who do well financially utilizing the resources and labor, must also support in the state’s efforts to help the working-class people and other marginalized groups.

In the current mainstream US political psyche, the idea about socialism does not resonate well. Most people seem to believe that any hint of socialism in a political system will kill the personal incentives. It is believed that the profit-seeking motives are the fundamental premise for the creation of wealth and economic dynamism in America.

However, even in the US, the ultimate bastion of capitalism, the need to cater to the basic needs of the poor and vulnerable population is now increasingly being recognized as an important element of state policies. A 2018 study by United Way ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) project found that 43 percent of the American households cannot afford the basic necessities such as housing, food transportation, medical care and communication. So some have started to question whether a pure capitalist model of economy can help all the citizens. 

The USSR and its socialist satellites practiced socialism where the means of productions were completely controlled by the state. That system failed as it killed individual incentives and promoted corruption. The modern-day China has shown that a one party-communist rule and a market-economy driven by collaboration between the state and private sector can bring accelerated progress. But the Chinese model has its own social costs and is not applicable in all societies.

Socialism in Nepal  

The Nepali Congress, founded by BP and his colleagues, still officially adopts democratic socialism as one of its core values. But the first NC government after the 1990 people’s movement, pushed for liberalization and market reforms including privatization of state controlled enterprises. It was not much different from the regular capitalist market economic model. 

Leaders such as Krishna Prasad Bhattarai believed in social democracy although Bhattarai himself did not really practice it while he was in power. This was mainly because Bhattarai was a PM only for short period on each of the two occasions. During his first premiership, his mandate was less on governance and more on election and constitution writing, which he accomplished successfully. Among the current NC leaders, most seem to believe in democratic socialism as the main motto of the NC and leaders like Ram Chandra Paudel and Pradeep Giri are its vocal advocates.

When Man Mohan Adhikari of CPN-UML was the Prime Minister, his government instituted the old age pension program and “build your village yourself” program, representing the concept of welfare and decentralization mechanism, which are cornerstones of the democratic socialism principles. In 2018, the government of Sher Bahadur Deuba decided to increase the amount of the old age pension.

Various Nepali governments have also explored or partially implemented the policies related to universal medical insurance, farming subsidies and state support for education. 

Most Nepali Congress leaders use BP’s ideas when they speak, but they do not always practice or implement it when they are in power. The idea of democratic socialism would have been more refined now if BP was still alive. The world has seen the spectacular collapse of communism in the former USSR and seen the rise of state capitalism even in China. Russia has become a fully market driven economy, and the Europeans’ practice of democratic socialism has also gone through an evolutionary development. Most nations now practice a mixed economy, consisting of capitalism and socialism. 

For a developing country like Nepal, the idea of democratic socialism is still appealing. Perhaps, universal medical system and state-funded school level education can be the cornerstones of democratic socialism in the present-day Nepal. 

It will take much thinking and deliberations to make a plan on how the elements of democratic-socialism are woven into the policies of the government. It will be a tribute to BP to research on this topic and come up with appropriate recommendations.

A market economy propelled by profit incentives is important to help the economy grow, while ensuring that the businesses pay taxes, are well regulated and that the state uses the revenues to support welfare programs that truly help the poor. We can extract this element from BP’s idea of democratic socialism and insert in the modern day governance in Nepal.

The author is an urban planner and educator living in Phoenix, Arizona

My time at Dharan Public High School

 

My time at Dharan Public High School

 

Ambika Prasad Adhikari, DDes.

Phoenix, Arizona, USA

 

 

I attended Dharan Public High School (DPHS) grade 7 to 10, and passed the SLC exam from there. The four years I spent at DPHS were my formative and enjoyable years, while I acquired basic knowledge in arts, science, history, geography, math, and humanities providing me a strong foundation to build on for my higher studies and professional career. The school also provided me an opportunity to forge deep friendships that have lasted a life time.

 

Many teachers provided me valuable lessons not only in academic subjects, but also on life skills related to personal discipline, physical well-being, social skills and civic responsibilities. I still vividly remember some of my teachers imparting lessons in respective fields. My teachers included Devi Lal Shrestha (Geography), Rewati Nanda Jha (English), Jageshwar Jha (English and Physical Training), Bhagawan Shrestha (Rural Economics), U. C. Dutta (Science and Math), Gopal Khanal (Nepali), Gangadhar Upadhyaya (Sanskrit), Sushil Sharma (Various subjects), and Hemant Aryal (Nepali). Harihar Prasad Srivastav, and active educational leader, was the Head Master of the school during my studies there.

 

My memory is full of several interesting events that took place during my time at DPHS. Here are some example episodes.

 

Our teacher Mr. Devi Lal Shrestha was a legend (and somewhat feared) in disciplining students. He made students stand on the benches in the class for some time if the student misbehaved. I also had to face his ire a few times including doing sit ups in the class. Discipline then was thought of differently than these days, and his actions should not be viewed from today’s standards. I must also add that Mr. Shrestha was a kind man, and wanted to instill a sense of discipline and responsibility to his students.

 

Mr. Rewati Nand Jha received training in teaching English in an American program, and was mesmerized by the American language education system. He helped us with many phrases and sentences from that perspective. Although he based his teaching of grammar on Nelson’s classic book The Hidden Treasure, he also updated us with the new uses of English phrases prevailing then.

 

Nepali teacher Mr. Hemant Aryal was an eloquent speaker. He had a solid mastery of the Nepali language, and was passionate about the Nepali literature. When he spoke about the beauty of the language, quoted poems, and proses from the master-writers, he inspired the students and left us awe-struck. I often would get lost in the imaginary realm when he described poems and proses with a fervent passion and interest.

 

Mr. Jageshwar Jha was a man of high energy. Later, he lived in the school’s residential quarters that were built on the back side of the school’s sports ground. During the summer months, he made us come to school early for about an hour of physical training (PT), and led us to jump up and down to exercise. He would pick up anyone slacking and take disciplinary action on that person. In classroom too, he was equally strict.

 

Mr. U. C. Dutta taught us math and science. He also ran a book shop near the school and sold books and stationaries. He mixed some Bengali words in between when he was teaching in Nepali. One word I still remember is the Bengali word “tarpore” has used to say for the word “next’. He had a knack of teaching algebra and geometry by simplifying and making the logic of math sound easy at the high school level.

 

In retrospect, I am amazed by all the teachers we had at DPHS. The teachers had limited education themselves, had minimal training and exposure and were paid very low (perhaps around Rs 100-200/month. Still, they had a passion and drive to teach and change the lives of the young kids. Many graduates of the school were later able to get high quality higher education and many excelled in their careers. Many DPHS alumni of my days became doctors, engineers, architects, professors, teachers, political leaders, social role models, sportspersons, entrepreneurs, academics, and leaders in other fields. The excellent basic education and trainings received at DPHS made all of this possible.

We also had two American teachers who came to teach us under the Peace Corpse program. It was an interesting opportunity for us to encounter two overseas foreigners first-hand and hear them. The two teachers were trying to learn Nepal themselves, and often would sound comical with their spoken Nepali that sometimes mismatched the subjects and verbs. However, they helped us expand our young minds to foreign cultures.

 

The DPHS had an impressive building for its time with great classrooms, a big common hall, relatively clean bathrooms, large playground and central location. It also provided venue for sports and civic events in town. It hosted inter town football and other sports, civic events such as public meetings for the visits of dignitaries. I remember late King Mahendra visited the school once and addressed the town residents at the DPHS grounds. DPHS also regularly presented well known writers of those days. I remember that poet Kul Mani Devkota, and well-known writer Surya Bikram Gyawali came and spoke to the students during my years there. The High School ground s also served to host town fairs and other events that came to Dharan. Town leaders often visited the school and spoke on the issues that were important during those days.

 

After passing the SLC examination from DPHS, I moved to Morang College, Biratnagar to pursue the Intermediate of Science degree. I then went to India, USA, for higher education. I had a chance to see and experience the many countries, meet people from many parts of the world and make my humble contributions towards solving some problems in Nepal and elsewhere.  Most importantly, I also became a teacher, mentor and counsellor to countless individuals living in several countries. I often go back to my memory and think of my days in DPHS, and profusely thank the selfless teachers who nurtured my young mind.

 

As I approach the end of my professional career that has spanned several countries including Nepal, Canada, USA and several other countries, I still reminisce the good days spent and fine education obtained at DPHS. I came from a humble economic background, and had extremely limited exposure to the world, but DPHS provided me with the first window to the world.

 

The nearby British Library was also a resource I personally was able to use well. I am thankful the then librarian Mr. Ishwar Thapa, who made it easy for me to use the British Library and borrow good books on science, which had nice colorful images, well bound and printed in high quality paper. In those days, that level of quality in the text books seemed extraordinary.

 

I am thankful to all the teachers and administrators of the school who served the students with all their heart and deep dedication. Thanks also to the friends I made in the young days at DPHS, who have been a source of comfort and enjoyment ever since. These include Deep Shrestha, Govind Sharma, Chandeshwar Mayur Chaudhary, Chuda Basnet, Kedar Bhattarai, Netra Bandhu Karki, Harihar Acharya, Yubraj Dhakal, and Krishna Acharya, and Subarna Shrestha.

 

All the local people who supported the high school also did an excellent public service by providing a great platform for students in Dharan and surrounding areas who could get quality education locally and practically free.

 

-end-

Some moments with Kishun jee (Published in Myrepublica 3-19-2011)

	Some Moments with Kishun jee AMBIKA P ADHIKARI “Only the actions of the just; Smell sweet and blossom in their dust.”        - James Shirley Volumes of books will be needed to capture the life history of Kishunji. He was a multi-dimensional man, often larger than life, with a long saga in public life, and with a wide list of impressive achievements in the struggle for democracy and egalitarianism for the Nepali people. My attempt here is to capture just a few episodes of memorable moments about him as a way to pay tribute to this great leader. With the demise of Kishunji an era has ended in Nepal. It was an epoch where stalwarts of democracy, such as Ganesh Man Singh (GMS), Kishunji, and G P Koirala (GPK) struggled for democracy and eventually prevailed. GMS was the epitome of courage, who often said, “I helped in transforming the Nepali people from being mere subjects to full-fledged and free citizens”. GPK gave his life-time in helping Nepalese earn democracy and then implement it, often a harder part. For all his faults, GPK was a principled individual and above all, a man of action. Kishunji brought morality into politics, and as a practicing Gandhian, exemplified to the populace that you can be the most powerful person in country without owning a piece of land or having a bank account in your name. He was a Lal Bahadur Shastri of Nepal, a dedicated visionary, who owned minimal material possessions. Nepal was fortunate to have leaders like GMS, Kishunji and GPK, not to mention the so many other great leaders of their era, such as Bal Bahadur Rai, Bhim Bahadur Tamang, Man Mohan Adhikari, Sahana Pradhan, Basu Risal, and Yog P Upadhyay, just to name a few. Nepal was rich in leadership, and its pursuit for democracy was more potent because of them. We can appreciate how important it is to have a multitude of high level and charismatic leaders, when we see so many countries in Asia and Africa feeling deprived of alternatives in democratic leadership. These nations are still in the clutches of dictators, and people often have to safeguard just a single and fragile symbol of democratic leadership, such as in Myanmar. As Kishunji is no longer with us, I wanted to share some of my impressions and memories of the saintly leader. In doing so, I wish to present a few episodes of my personal experience related to Kishun jee. THE PEOPLE’S MOVEMENT OF 1990 When Kishunji became the first Prime Minister of Nepal after the restoration of democracy in Nepal, he proved that he was the right man in the right time at the right place. Within nine months, he was able to help complete the writing of a democratic constitution, and also to organize relatively free and fair election in Nepal. Given the entrenched power residing in Kathmandu then, and the tendency of our neighboring and international powers to freely meddle in the affairs of Nepal, Kishunji’s keen and principles leadership successfully achieved the two crucial objectives of his government, which was not a small feat. The strength of Kishunji was not in the utilitarian realm of politics, but in providing a moral compass for the messy politics of Nepal. He led his life as per his beliefs that materialism was not the answer for all the problems Nepal was facing. Yet, Kishunji remained humble, and while never losing the big picture, appreciated the minute details of the transition. As students in Boston, a group of us had organized to collect a small amount of money to be sent to help the families of the martyrs of the people’s movement of 1990. We sent a check of a modest sum of US$ 250 in the hand of Dr Arun Joshi, who now works in the World Bank. Arunji later narrated that he was warmly welcomed at the PM’s office, where Kishunji personally signed his name on the back of the check endorsing it to be deposited in the funds for the martyr. This was quintessential Kishunji, wresting long-held power from the clutches of the kings and generals, but personally endorsing a check of $250 for the martyrs! ONTARIO, CANADA IN 1993 AND 1995 Kishunji visited Canada to have cataract surgery, for one eye in 1993 and for another in 1995, both at London, Ontario near Toronto. Dr. Narayan Khadka, who then lived in Ottawa, was instrumental in organizing these visits. Many diaspora members in Canada, including Dr Kunjar Sharma, Dr Kumud Sharma and our families were honored to spend some quality time with Kishunji and discuss the diaspora’s favorite topic – Nepali politics! Kishunji would relish small things, and would oblige people even in their trivial errands. A neighbor of Kishunji in Nepal had asked him to bring some Nepali dried food item to their children in Canada, and Kishunji agreed. That was the level of human instinct simplicity in the towering political figure of Nepal. Kishunji’s humorous and witty personality would keep everyone comfortable and cheerful in his company. While he was staying at a hotel in London, Ontario, Canada’s then Prime Minister Kim Campbell, a single woman was also staying at the same hotel. Kishunji would jokingly tell us that the two single PM’s were staying at the same hotel at the same time! On more serious note, Kishunji would discuss how badly he felt for the plight of the poor and downtrodden in Nepal, and how he wished to make even a small difference in their lives. SECOND TIME PRIME MINISTER When Kishunji became the PM for the second time in 1999, I was living in Nepal and working for an international organization. Just after he won the election in 1999, I visited him at his Bhaisepati residence. In front of many well wishers in the room, he smiled and said, “Do you know, I’ll become the Prime Minister again”. That childlike cheerfulness, interest and excitement represented what was most contagious about the great man. His spartan living, humorous nature, easy access to people, and straight language when he wanted to say something was characteristics of his personality. He would ask some people, who would be in a rush to leave, to have another “half cup of coffee” before leaving him. If his schedule did not allow him to meet an individual, he will personally shout from the window, “Can you come tomorrow?” I once asked him that given his solid achievements when he was the prime minister of the interim government, and his high stature in politics, why he should not become more active in resolving the major problems Nepal was facing, such as poverty and corruption. His response: “A person does one or two good deeds in his life time, and people should not count on only them to solve continuing problems. New leaders should jump in for new problems”. I think it summed up his spiritual philosophy that everyone does his/her part, and the world continues to move forward. No need for any individual to worry about all problems in the world all the time. OTHER SIDES Kishunji is now gone, and it serves no purpose to criticize him, even if he was a public figure. But just to see him as a mortal human is also helpful to gain a total picture of the late leader. In my impression, his management style was rather lax and he would often just go with the flow. His spiritual and philosophical side would often prevail over the mundane, that he would not always handle the affairs of the state as per the practices of modern management. For these types of tasks, GPK was the man, who was so well organized, punctual, business-like and result oriented. The strength of Kishunji was not in the utilitarian realm of politics, but in providing a moral compass for the messy politics of Nepal. He led his life as per his beliefs that materialism was not the answer for all the problems Nepal was facing. Further, that a genuine progress in Nepal would need spiritual enlightenment where people would focus on the quality of life, humor, simple living and appreciating small things, rather than the pursuit of material wealth alone. ambika@alum.mit.edu
Published on 2011-03-20 01:10:43 - MyRepublica

Here is the link to my presentation at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM, USA in 2014.

http://web.nmsu.edu/~nesa/talks2014/Ambika_P_Adhikari.pdf

Updates on NRNA’s Open University of Nepal (OUN) Initiative - Published in the Souvenir for 9th NRNA Regional Conference in NJ, Aug 2016

Updates on NRNA’s Open University of Nepal (OUN) Initiative

Dr. Ambika P. Adhikari, Dr. Pramod P. Dhakal, Dr. Drona P. Rasali, Dr. Raju Adhikari

NRNA OUN Task Force, SKI Committee

On July 14, 2016, President of Nepal signed the Open University Nepal (OUN) bill into law. This was a major milestone for the OUN project championed by NRNA in collaboration with the Government of Nepal and several other stakeholders. Other major partners who have played significant role in the mission are Canada Foundation for Nepal (CFFN), Athabasca University, Canada and several other Nepali and international organizations.

The bill establishes OUN as a public university under Government of Nepal, where NRNA as a key partner organization, will have significant representation in its highest governing body

The Nepali government and Nepali academics had envisioned such a university since the 90’s.  Under the Skill, Knowledge and Innovation (SKI) Committee of NRNA, the OUN Task force has been operating since 2010 to take this mission forward and help the Nepali government and academics realize the vision.

What is Open University?

By creating an open admission process, eliminating the need for a pre-requisite degree for admission, allowing flexible time period to complete the course, and offering on-line access to courses, an open university can drastically improve access to higher education for the disadvantaged groups. While the education in an open university will be of high quality with credits that are completely transferable to any top-tier university, it is open for anyone who can pass an entrance examination, and can get admission. Open universities have revolutionized higher education in the world by providing cheaper, easier, convenient, and on-demand higher education to all, especially providing benefits to the communities that are marginalized, poor and living in remote locations.

Creating Support Base in Nepal

NRNA carried out robust partnership with Government of Nepal and stakeholders in Nepal for the past six years to collaboratively advance the OUN initiative.  To assist in the process, NRNA established several task forces and committees and wrote many background papers, business plans, and created national and international partnerships. Also, to further the cause of OUN, in 2012, Nepal government officially formed Open University of Nepal Infrastructure Development Board (OUN-IDB - http://ouidb.edu.np/), which included a member from NRNA in the board. The Board helped further push the initiative towards garnering resources, and preparing the background for introducing the OUN bill in Nepal’s parliament.

Towards making the OUN Bill become a reality, NRNA focused on undertaking the following tasks.

·         Attracting and developing network of diaspora academics and leaders to participate in the OUN mission.

·         Persuading the leaders of the major political parties and members of the parliamentary committee to support the OUN.

·         Lobbying and creating an informal all party committee of parliamentarians in support of OUN Bill and OUN, and organizing regular meetings.

·         Forming a high level team of parliament members, academics, and civil society leaders to actively petition for OUN with active engagement of NRNA.

·         Organizing wide interactions to create awareness and support for OUN among Nepali academics, Diaspora members, Nepali government and political party leaders, Nepali bureaucrats and civil society members.

·         Supporting in the creation and functioning of OUN Infrastructure Development Board.

·         Regularly organizing all-day discussion program on OUN during the NRNA global conventions in Nepal, and during other major Diaspora events in several countries.

These interaction and promotion programs in Nepal were designed to create awareness about the OUN initiative, and to generate support for the initiative among the key stakeholders. The OUN team also organized many group and individual meetings and events with senior government officials, Nepal-based academicians, educationists, business people and potential beneficiaries of OUN.  In addition, OUN proponents in NRNA held numerous meetings with the members of the Parliamentary Committee on Women, Children, Elderly and Social Welfare and the officials of the Ministry of Education to help draft and finalize the bill to establish OUN. 

There were some unexpected delays in getting the OUN Bill approved because of rapid replacements of concerned Nepali government officials, including frequent changes in the government. With the constant push from OUN’s Nepal-based project chair, and with the persistent support from NRNA leadership, and with unyielding support from the government of Nepal, most issues were resolved in due course and the initiative continued to make great progress, and eventually succeeded in legally establishing the OUN.

Mobilizing International Support

The Canadian Nepali Diaspora began the OUN initiative in 2009, and it was formally launched in 2010 during the NRNA regional conference in Houston, USA. To define the project and to create a wide international support, NRNA organized numerous meetings in several international locations including Canada, USA, Korea, Australia and Malaysia to advance the OUN agenda which contributed to garner support, and refine the plans for OUN. As the initial idea came largely from the Canadian Nepali Diaspora, OUN held numerous meetings in many cities in Canada including in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Calgary, Athabasca and Edmonton. Outside Canada, the meetings were held in many cities including in Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, Melbourne, Seoul, and Kuala Lumpur. In 2015, OUN Initiative (OUNI) was showcased at the Asian Open Universities Conference in Kuala Lumpur.   

Many international organizations have been consistent supporters of the OUNI. Prime among those has been Alberta-based Athabasca University (Canada’s Open University), which has solidly supported the initiative right from the beginning.  Athabasca continues to provide expert advice, and technical and logistic support. OUN team has held numerous meetings with high officials of Athabasca including its president, vice president, academic managers and the director of distance education. Athabasca University has offered a few pilot courses to students nominated by OUNI. California State (CSU) University in Long Beach, California and University of Houston, Texas have also remained steadfast supporters of the OUN initiative. CSU also helped establish an online library for OUN within its global online library platform Merlot (http://ounl.merlot.org/).

Now the OUN has become a formal and legal entity in Nepal, the NRNA OUN team will redouble its efforts to work with Government of Nepal and other stakeholders to help the Nepal Government successfully implement the project. NRNA and government will work in full swing and seek the support from the Diaspora members and international donors and organizations to help establish and operate the university, maintaining international standards and keeping its doors open for the marginalized and disadvantaged Nepali communities within Nepal and outside.