Migration from villages to cities has been a major driver of urbanization, which has, however, been hollowing out Nepal's hills and rural communities. The government has not done enough work to respond with a long-term solution to problems created by internal migration. The real problem is Nepal is rapidly urbanizing without having proper infrastructure to handle such growth. According to the Economic Survey for Fiscal Year 2024/25, 17% of the population now resides in cities, with 40% living in rapidly urbanizing areas. The urban population has grown by 10% during the last decade. Over that time, the government has raised the number of municipalities from 58 to over 300. While this shows progress in administrative reform, the growth has happened without securing basic amenities like roads, drinking water, health clinics, schools, and open space. Declaring places as municipalities based on population counts without regard for ground reality has created complications. Nepal's urban regions lack basic amenities such as open spaces, emergency shelters, and recreation facilities. In Kathmandu, just 0.51% of the total area of open space, significantly below the 5 to 10% recommended, particularly in earthquake-prone areas. When cities expand without safe evacuation zones, the risk to life and property grows.
As young people migrate in quest of education, employment, and higher living standards, the hills and rural regions are losing population. The Terai-Madhesh presently houses more than half of the country's population on a fraction of its area. Meanwhile, the hills and mountains face increased infrastructure and service expenses while a large number of people are leaving these places. This disparity has only raised development costs and has also undermined local economies. People leave behind their houses, property, and communal ties. This can only be reversed if rural communities receive robust assistance. The government should not see urban development as the sole indicator of progress. To reduce the tendency of migration and make life simpler in the hills, policy must promote services and jobs in the communities. Schools, health clinics, and small enterprises should be built in rural locations, not just to prevent depopulation but also to provide people with a quality life and livelihoods in the areas where they live. Traditional farming cannot cover all of today's demands; thus, initiatives to promote tourism, forest-based industries, and skill training should be implemented in those areas. This would also help stop the shift of load on urban centers and city areas.
EU, IOM Nepal to launch project on mainstreaming migration into...
The newly authorized Urban Policy 2081 includes disaster risk, technology, and sustainability, but no tangible results are seen as of now. If policymakers do not look outside the city and urban areas, Nepal will face even greater challenges. The existing growth model is not balanced. If cities continue to attract all services and villages are disregarded, the country would become uninhabitable outside urban areas. Instead of pouring everything into cities, the state must help build a better future for remote areas, quiet settlements, and high mountainous regions, where people have already been residing. Providing these areas with all vitality can help the country gain true strength. Cities and urban areas in the nation may have large populations, but it is the rural areas where the soul of a true nation resides, and therefore the authorities must work to give them vibrancy by infusing them with all infrastructure and means of livelihoods.
