March 15, 2024, Lalitpur

UN-Habitat Nepal in collaboration with Ministry of Urban Development (MOUD), National Statistics Office (NSO) and Chandragiri Municipality organized a half-day national workshop on March 15, 2024, at Lalitpur. The workshop aimed to share the findings of the national report on “Degree of Urbanization (DEGURBA) in Nepal” and the methodology for the preparation of Voluntary Local Review (VLR) of Chandragiri Municipality.

Setting the agenda, Ms. Pragya Pradhan, Habitat Program Manager - UN-Habitat Nepal, emphasized the importance of localizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) at the local level, to achieve the goals by 2030 that in only possible through local action. She also highlighted Nepal's status of urbanization based on the DEGURBA analysis that would be critical to address the challenges and captures opportunities to guide sustainable urban development.

The technical session was the presentation on DEGURBA Results and Findings prepared by NSO in collaboration with the UN-HABITAT. Mr. Dhundi Raj Lamichhane, Director of NSO, highlighted the results and findings. "The findings emphasize the need for policies fostering rural-urban linkages and addressing migration challenges from hilly regions. Municipalities find DEGURBA crucial for delineating urban areas, aiding regional planning. Additionally, ward-level data availability enables in-depth analysis for urbanization and infrastructure planning," he said.

Dr. Pratap Chhatkuli, Team Leader for the VLR Preparation presented on "SDG Localization Process and VLR of Chandragiri Municipality," covering SDG implementation, VLR methodology, and outcomes. He stressed addressing data gaps and aligning interventions with policy in city development. Highlighting the urgency of achieving SDGs by 2030, he emphasized the need for an action plan and engagement of the stakeholder at all levels. Dr. Chhatkuli also emphasized disseminating VLR reports and enhancing collaboration among local, provincial, and federal agencies for better data management.

Ms. Odicea Angelo Barrios, representing UN-Habitat, ROAP in Japan, expressed gratitude to NSO for shedding light on the significance of DEGURBA in facilitating informed decisions for urban policy development. She extended thanks to MOUD and Chandragiri Municipality for their close collaboration with UN-Habitat Nepal, leading the VLR process, and emphasizing the importance of local involvement. Ms. Barrios also acknowledged the contributions of Municipal Association of Nepal, National Association of Rural Municipalities in Nepal, European Commission for supporting DEGURBA, as well as the communities and participants, recognizing them as crucial partners and stakeholders.

Dr. Hemraj Regmi, Deputy Chief Statistician at NSO, discussed the process of urbanization in relation to civilization. He highlighted various factors including financial, social, environmental, and demographic aspects that contribute to defining an area as urban, peri-urban, or rural. Dr. Regmi also emphasized the need of data-based and evidence back policy and planning and investment to inform development, and further the need for the local governments to invest in data management with dedicated section and resources.

Mr. Padma Kumar Mainalee, Joint Secretary at MOUD, highlighted the planning process and the importance of the result of DEGURBA that categorizes the lowest administrative unit, wards, into urban, rural or peri urban. He committed to using the DEGURBA results to inform urban policies and strategies. Additionally, Mr. Mainalee elaborated the importance of VLR process in the context of federalization. He also advocated for the adoption of a simplified format for VLR and deliberated on the next steps following its implementation. Mr. Mainalee concluded by expressing readiness to contribute further to these efforts.

Mr. Ghansyam Giri, Mayor of Chandragiri Municipality, discussed rapid urbanization and highlighted the importance and need of advanced data collection and management system, specifically using the Geographic Information System (GIS), and committed to allocate budget to establish such system at the municipality. Mayor Giri suggested an enhanced role for the government in managing and developing open spaces, underscoring the importance of integrated settlement management for effective urban planning and development.

Mr. Bhim Prasad Dhungana, President of MUAN, emphasized the necessity of implementing a unified data system to achieve development objectives, stressing the importance of commitment between various levels of government. Additionally, Mr. Dhungana addressed the pressing issue of climate change faced by the local governments and its impacts on achieving the SDG. He concluded by affirming readiness to provide organizational assistance in addressing these challenges and mainstreaming SDGs at the local level.

In the sharing workshop, wider spectrum of national and local stakeholders representing Municipal Association of Nepal (MUAN), National Association for the rural Municipalities in Nepal (NARMIN), various municipalities within Kathmandu Valley, Dhankuta Municipality, professional societies (Regional & Urban Planners Society of Nepal), NGOs, and community-based organizations,  National Planning Commission (NPC), Institute of Engineering (IOE), departments and other government agencies (Department of Urban Development & Building Construction, Kathmandu Valley Development Authority), consultants, and UN Agencies (United Nations Population Fund, United Nations Resident Coordinator Office) were present and shared their views on the findings of DEGURBA & VLR methodology.