ADB_book_18 April.qxp - Himalayan Document Centre - icimod

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Time Series InformationGenerally two types of information are needed: thefirst is the baseline condition and the second ismonitoring data to determine changes from baselineconditions. Developing monitoring networks oftenrequires considerable investment in infrastructure;for example, investments in monitoring instrumentsor computer networks. For a developing country likeNepal, such investments are difficult and their useneeds to be carefully evaluated in terms of costs andbenefits in relation to policy objectives andprograms. They should provide reliable, harmonized,and comparable environmental information formonitoring purposes.In Nepal, monitoring information is often hard toobtain and difficult to compile due to lack ofsystematic data collection and monitoring systems.The monitoring of natural resources is particularlyimportant, since that sector makes major contributionsto the economy. Other environmental problemsrequiring monitoring include air quality in KathmanduValley and other major urban centers. Thisproblem has been aggravated by heavy migration ofpeople to urban centers due to the prevailinginsurgency, although exact figures are unavailable.Information ScaleEnvironmental planning and management are ofteninfluenced by particular geographic conditions andrequire spatial (map) information on naturalresources, including major hydrology, topography,soil characteristics, and human activities. Scale ofinformation suggests the amount of generalizationthat has taken place in compiling a map. The scale ofmaps is a critical but often overlooked factor forenvironmental assessment and monitoring. In Nepal,most maps are at different scales and have differentcoordinate systems, making it difficult to makeoverlays and integrate them into a commongeographic information system (GIS) platform(Shrestha and Pradhan 1999). Data related toenvironmental problems requiring large-scale mapsare unavailable or difficult to compile. Satellitetechnology (remote sensing imagery) is analternative source for such information, but oftenassociated with high costs, and its uses are limiteddue to lack of adequate technical expertise.Institutional issuesBecause resources and environmental informationtends to be sector specific, institutional considerationssurround information collection, processing,and dissemination. Because baseline data iscommonly unavailable, database development isoften carried out on a project basis with little focuson the generic uses of the data, leading toduplication of effort and data redundancy (Shresthaand Pradhan 1999). Seemingly comparable datagenerated by different agencies may in practice beincompatible as a result of differences in dataformat, reporting schedules, or the ultimate purposefor which the data were collected. Further, due topoor understanding of the processes involved andweak technical capabilities, datasets are often of lowquality and lack standards. Little attention is paid tosharing data. An institutional mechanism is neededto encourage coherence while allowing forparticipation by a variety of institutions involved inenvironmental issues, taking into account their ownspecific needs and the need for a national vision.This institutional mechanism should aim for costeffectivenessin funding and allocation of resources,and for policy relevance of the information. Such aninstitutional mechanism is yet to be seen in Nepal,though there is increasing awareness amongprofessionals and scientists of the need for it.Data QualitySince baseline data will likely be used by many users,they must be of the highest quality. Sensitivity testingshould be carried out, and each ministry and agencyshould reassess data quality standards and the data’sability to address their purpose. Generally, qualityassessment procedures are weak in Nepal (ICIMODand UNEP 2001) and the user communities mustmake do with the information that is available.Data Standards and MetadataData standards ensure the quality of data andeffective data interchange. No comprehensiveenvironmental data standards have been developedin Nepal except for some specific applicationdomains (ICIMOD and UNEP 2001).Metadata is a process of documenting existingdatabases that provides information about data foraccess and use by the user community. Metadata isintended to provide as much information as possibleabout the data, its history, use, quality, and otherassociated information to the users. Such documentationof data or creation of a metadatabase has notbeen done in Nepal due to lack of know-how andstandards, which will make future use of data difficult.Status of Environmental Data andInformation in NepalThere is a need for a strong information base on allaspects of Nepal’s environment and naturalresources; this must be collected systematically from196 Environment Assessment of Nepal : Emerging Issues and Challenges
decentralized multisectoral environmental agenciesor institutions, analyzed, and presented in a timelymanner. In Nepal, environmental data andinformation are collected by many sectoral agencies,and tend to remain with the agencies that generatedthem. As explained and illustrated in previouschapters of this <strong>book</strong>, a wide variety of sources areused for data collection. Although access toenvironmental information among governmentinstitutions is theoretically unrestricted, there is noclear, established mechanism to promote access toand circulation of environmental information. Inpractice, various publications and reports circulateamong the agencies, but each agency tends tomanage its own data sources and publicationswithout much coordination or exchange ofinformation about what is produced. As a result,needed information cannot be compiled quickly formultisectoral analysis of environmental issues. Thefollowing section highlights the status of environmentaldata and information in Nepal.Data from the State of the EnvironmentNepalThe State of the Environment Nepal study wasundertaken jointly by the Ministry of Population andEnvironment (MOPE), UNEP, and the InternationalCenter for Integrated Mountain Develoment(ICIMOD) in 1999 as part of an environmentalassessment of Nepal and to contribute to UNEP’sGlobal Environment Outlook initiative. The report(UNEP 2001) highlighted the major environmentalissues of Nepal in five categories: forest depletion,soil degradation, air pollution, water quality, andsolid waste management. The study aimed to set inmotion a data collection and updating mechanismand process to support regular state of theenvironment reporting.The study quoted 64 different sources identifiedduring its efforts to compile information and deriveindicators. Major sources of data were annual reportsof the ministries and departments concerned, reportsof the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), paperspublished in national and international journals,unpublished official records, and informal discussionswith the experts and heads of the organizations anddepartments. Table 13.1a,b summarizes the differenttypes of datasets collected for the report and thesources from which they were obtained.Data on Environmental ImpactAssessmentPerformance of environmental impactassessments (EIA) was initiated in Nepal in the mid-1980s. Attempts towards institutionalizing EIAsinclude the National EIA Guidelines 1993 and EIAGuidelines for Forestry and Industry Sectors 1995. EIAguidelines for other sectors such as water resources,roads, mining, and urban development have beendrafted. Integration of EIA through legal measureshas also been initiated through the EnvironmentProtection Act 1996 and Environment ProtectionRegulations 1997 (amended 1999). The Nepal Stateof the Environment study listed 44 differentnongovernment organizations (NGOs) and 20different consulting firms used to undertake differentEIAs in Nepal. Many of these EIAs depend onsecondary sources of information and in some casesprimary data collection. EIAs are mostly carried outindependent of each other and there is very littlesharing of data and information and lessons learned.Environmental StatisticsBesides collecting and processing social andeconomic data, CBS also collects and publishes datarelated to agriculture, fisheries, and forestry, and theenvironment. CBS regularly compiles and publishesenvironment statistics for Nepal prepared under theFramework for the Development of EnvironmentStatistics (CBS 2004). The statistics relate to flora andfauna, atmosphere, water and sanitation, land andsoil, and human settlement.Under the framework, CBS relates thesecomponents to social and economic activities;natural events; environmental impacts of activitiesand events; response to environmental impacts; andinventories, stocks, and background conditions.Data Collected by GovernmentOrganizations and OthersThe Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has anAgricultural Statistics Division that regularly publishescomprehensive statistical information on agricultureand related variables in its publication StatisticalInformation on Nepalese Agriculture (<strong>ADB</strong> 2004).The data released are advance estimates of districtstatistics on cereal crops, cash crops, pulses,livestock, poultry, fishery, and horticulture. Itsstatistical functions are limited to producing forecastdata of crop area, agricultural production, and otheragricultural statistics. CBS also carries out anagricultural census, and the differences betweenCBS and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperativesdata must be evaluated and reconciled. Despiteextensive data collection, there are considerablegaps in national estimates in terms of sources,desired frequency, and desired level of geographicdisaggregation.The Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservationcompiles statistics related to forest and the environ-Chapter 13: Environmental Information, Analysis, and Integration197
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About the OrganisationsAsian Develo
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© 2006 International Centre for In
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AcknowledgementsWe would like to ex
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PM2.5PAHRSSAARCSACEPSEASO 2TSPUKUND
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Chapter 6: Energy Resources 65Intro
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List of FiguresFigure 2.1: People a
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Table 6.1: Energy Consumption and P
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forests are also used for infrastru
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as data gathered by different agenc
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Table 2.1: Population Growth Rates
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mortality rates for rural and urban
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Agglomeration village in the centra
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soil erosion, and depletion of wate
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provision remains inadequate becaus
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Malnutrition remains a serious obst
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Table 2.24: Existing and Projected
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Table 2.28: Income Poverty Indicato
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Table 2.31: Change in Employment St
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In 2004, the average annual househo
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Mountain areas have the most food i
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Schaffner, U. 1987. “Road Constru
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Table 3.1: Agricultural Economic De
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Table 3.4: Estimated Soil Erosion R
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B. PradhanImpacts of land degradati
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Carson, B. 1985. “Erosion and Sed
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The trend of forest coverage in the
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BiodiversityState of BiodiversityNe
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The Government has given legal prot
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Different ways of maintaining biodi
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———.2004. State of the Enviro
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Appendix 4.1: Table continuedMajor
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Appendix 4.2: Protected Plant and W
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Table A4.2.3: Nepal's Share in Plan
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to intense weathering, and percolat
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Table 5.5: Water Supply and Water T
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Table 5.9: Water Quality of Shallow
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species are reported to be endanger
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Ministry of Water Resources (MOWR).
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Definition, Forms, and UnitsEnergy
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Table 6.5: Hydropower PotentialRive
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Chilime Hydroelectric Project: An E
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load occurs from 6 pm to 9 pm with
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assessment of wind energy and lack
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Review of Dams and Development by t
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IUCNElizabeth Khaka, UNEP-NairobiRu
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therefore reflect the three guiding
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is a seasonal dust storm. Anthropog
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Figure 7.3: Average Air Quality, Ja
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matter, hydrocarbons, and NO x (Nae
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Figure: 7.9: Vehicle Registered in
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Brick Kilnchlorofluorocarbons (HCFC
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Climate ChangeA region’s climate
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Figure 7.14: Mean Annual Precipitat
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Table 7.3: National Ambient Air Qua
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India. Available: http://www.cleana
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———.1999. “Ambient Air Qual
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Appendix 7.1: World Health Organiza
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Table 8.1: Criteria for Urban Statu
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accommodate the rapidly increasing
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managing solid waste. They are part
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In most municipalities, hazardous w
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in worsening public health conditio
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objects of archaeological, historic
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Min BajracharyaB. PradhanVehicles a
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Department of Health Services (DOHS
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Table 9.1 describes the major highl
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the period to up 2017. The document
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earthquakes; and awareness raising
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Sub-regional LinkagesOther developi
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Figure 9.1: The Key Environmental I
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(iv)(v)(vi)plants, and other non-ti
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environmental governance can be bet
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can vary considerably. Both sides h
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Dhungel, D.N., and A.B. Rajbhandari
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Table A9.1.2: Industry-Specific Tol
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. Cultural Heritage8. Convention fo
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Appendix 9.3: Some Prominent Enviro
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Some funding arrangements made by t
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Page 162 and 163: Table 10.2: Annual Income and Expen
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Page 166 and 167: From Hands Around Everest bookFrom
Page 168 and 169: Table 10.8: Subsidy Rate for Biogas
Page 170 and 171: microorganism communities and the n
Page 172 and 173: subsidies (Mason 1996). All these a
Page 174 and 175: addressed only part of the problem.
Page 176 and 177: historical practice of community-ma
Page 178 and 179: moved or relocated. The fact that s
Page 180 and 181: Kathmandu Valley and receives a lar
Page 182 and 183: cooperative ventures provided neith
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Page 186 and 187: http://www.pugwash.org/reports/pac/
Page 188 and 189: United Nations. 2003. World Populat
Page 190 and 191: how other countries with substantia
Page 192 and 193: (i) Broad-based and sustainable eco
Page 194 and 195: Although progress is encouraging, m
Page 196 and 197: Nepal’s Changing Pattern of Trade
Page 198 and 199: Table 12.2: Trade/ GDP RatiosFY1981
Page 200 and 201: Table 12.5: Percentage Share of Maj
Page 202 and 203: well as other provisions in specifi
Page 204 and 205: Future Implications for NepalIncrea
Page 206 and 207: International Trade Forum (ITN). 20
Page 208 and 209: - Gross domestic product per unit e
Page 212 and 213: Table 13.1a: Different Datasets Col
Page 214 and 215: elevant due to its multidisciplinar
Page 216 and 217: Figure 13.6: Examples of Applicatio
Page 218 and 219: Judith DobmannThere are many source
Page 220 and 221: ———.2003. Mapping Nepal Censu
Page 222 and 223: sustainable livelihoods requires an
Page 224 and 225: and haphazard. Population pressures
Page 226 and 227: issue. These deficiencies stem from
Page 228 and 229: population must be assessed. MOEST
Page 230 and 231: Appendix 14.1: List of Key Environm
Page 232 and 233: (vii) The EIA report approving agen
Page 234 and 235: Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty a
Page 236 and 237: Nepal’s Progress Towards the MDGs
Page 238 and 239: Goal 4: Reduce child mortalityReduc
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