Surroundings in Nepal

Nepal uses a federal system for managing everyday surroundings. The Ministry of Forests and Environment and its Department of Environment handle national environmental standards, monitoring and pollution control. The Ministry of Water Supply and its Department of Water Supply and Sewerage Management support water and sanitation systems. Municipalities, called nagarpalika, rural municipalities, called gaunpalika, and ward offices handle many local services, including waste collection, street cleaning, drainage, public spaces, local water systems and parts of disaster management. Community groups, water user committees, utilities and private service providers may perform these functions in practice. The quality of services varies strongly between the Himalaya, Hill and Terai regions, between the seven provinces and between individual local governments. Nepal had 29,164,578 people in the 2021 census, including 19,296,788 in urban municipalities and 9,867,790 in rural municipalities. The official category urban municipality does not necessarily mean dense built-up development, so a municipality label alone does not show the actual living conditions. Local service requests normally begin with the ward office or municipality, while specialist matters may require the Department of Environment, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology or another responsible body. Water access is widespread but service quality remains uneven. The 2024–25 Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey recorded improved water sources and at least basic water access for 98.0% of the population, but safely managed water for 55.5%; the figures were 61.8% in urban areas and 42.8% in rural areas. A tested improved source was free from E. coli in 90.9% of cases, provided sufficient water in 91.2% of cases and was on the premises in 91.2% of cases. Water may come through piped systems, tube wells, boreholes, protected springs or wells, tankers and carts. Household treatment, septic tanks and other on-site sanitation remain relevant where sewerage is unavailable. At least basic sanitation reached 79.9%, open defecation was 5.5% and basic handwashing facilities were available to 86.2%. Waste collection and drainage depend on the local service zone, contract or community arrangement. Local authorities may provide household collection, street cleaning, transfer and landfill services, while recycling and composting can involve private companies or community groups. The Solid Waste Management Act 2068 provides a regulatory framework, but there is no reliable current national figure that compares coverage and charges across all places. Uncollected waste can block drainage and increase odour, vector and water-contamination risks. Burning waste creates additional air-quality risks. Air quality is measured through air-quality monitoring stations, known as AQMS. The Department of Environment reported 27 installed stations nationwide, while the cited assessment analysed data from 10 stations in four provinces. Monitoring therefore does not represent every settlement equally. Reports commonly cover PM2.5, PM10 and total suspended particles, and the Department publishes monitoring and status information. Pollution levels can change substantially by season and are especially relevant in densely settled valleys and parts of the Terai. Nepal's National Noise Level Standard 2069/2012 sets different day and night limits for zones. For example, the limits are 55 and 50 dB(A) for urban residential areas, 45 and 40 for rural residential areas, 65 and 55 for commercial areas, 63 and 55 for mixed residential areas, 75 and 70 for industrial areas, and 50 and 40 for protected areas. Enforcement is shared between the Department of Environment, local authorities and, where relevant, police or municipal services. A person affected by noise can seek measurement and make a local complaint, but no uniform national complaint fee or deadline is established in the available material. Parks, open spaces, urban greenery and public land are mainly managed locally. Local governments are expected to protect and manage parks, open spaces and public areas, but Nepal has no nationally uniform open-space quota per person in the reviewed material. Green spaces can improve shade, heat conditions, drainage and flood retention. Protected areas, forests and biodiversity protection belong primarily to the Nature topic rather than this everyday-surroundings scope. Floods, landslides, earthquakes, fires, lightning and heavy rainfall affect safety in different places. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, provincial and local disaster committees, emergency services and municipalities share responsibilities. NDRRMA recorded 32,375 incidents, 3,672 deaths, 446 missing people, 11,752 injuries, 57,271 affected houses and 43,168 destroyed infrastructure units during 2018–2024. The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology provides weather and flood warnings around the clock, and the flood hotline 1155 and warning bulletins are free, although reach and response time vary locally. BIPAD provides disaster risk and incident information, while local emergency operation centres and evacuation planning support local response. People can participate in environmental and spatial decisions through public notices, ward and community processes, written submissions and formal environmental assessments. An Environmental Impact Assessment is an EIA, an Initial Environmental Examination is an IEE and a simpler environmental study is a BES. Public hearings generally take place before EIA approval, and cited EIA notices commonly allow seven days for comments. Access and response quality depend on the project, the responsible authority and local conditions. The Right to Information can provide another channel for requesting documents from a public body. Nepal's National Adaptation Plan 2021–2050 and its third Nationally Determined Contribution set longer-term directions for climate-resilient settlements, safer land use, improved drainage, greener public areas, circular urban development and, where necessary, safer settlement planning or relocation. Implementation depends on funding, local capacity and coordination. The NDC 3.0 timeframe reaches 2035, while Nepal's stated net-zero target is 2045. Nepal has no single nationwide surroundings service, standard complaint deadline, universal waste-collection schedule, uniform fee, open-space quota or one-stop office covering every issue. The practical starting point is usually the relevant ward or local government, followed by the specialised federal, provincial, utility or emergency body responsible for the specific problem.