Policy Research Institute, Narayanhiti.

Policy Research Institute successfully conducted a Public Policy Dialogue focused on identifying and addressing existing practical and policy-related issues related to land. The event was organized as part of a qualitative data collection initiative for two ongoing studies: one on “Fragmentation of Arable Land and the Use of Agricultural Land for Non-Agricultural Purposes,” being conducted at the request of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers; and another on the “Review of the Land Use Policy, 2015 and the National Land Policy, 2018,” commissioned by the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation.

The event was attended by subject experts who made active contributions in the areas of land use, classification, and policy reform, along with other stakeholders directly or indirectly associated with these issues. Welcoming the participants, Dr. Mukti Ram Rijal, Senior Research Fellow at PRI, highlighted the research methodologies adopted by the Institute and emphasized the importance of incorporating stakeholders’ experiences, perspectives, and arguments in policy research.

Dr. Prabhat Raj Dahal, Associate Researcher at PRI’s Centre for Natural Resources and Technology Policy, made a presentation on the current policy frameworks concerning land, land use, and land classification to establish a foundation for the dialogue.

The main discussion topics presented in the dialogue were as follows:

• Land classification at the local level (ten types including agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial, mining and minerals, forest, aquatic, public, and cultural) and the implementation status, challenges, and solutions of land use plans
• Issues and solutions related to land rights, ownership, acquisition, encroachment, land markets, and commercial usage
• Status, challenges, and remedies concerning the use and fragmentation of agricultural land, as well as fallow land
• Information on stakeholders, key informants, and reference materials relevant to land policy studies

Participants representing various sectors, levels, and institutions highlighted technical and institutional issues encountered during the formulation and implementation of land use plans at the grassroots level. They emphasized the need to enhance the capacities of local governments and ensure continuous professional development. Additionally, emphasis was placed on the necessity of an integrated policy initiative that aligns all land-related policies with the goals of social justice, increased productivity, and environmental protection.

Participants’ insights generated during the review of current achievements in data collection, identification of actual landless populations, classification and mapping of land based on usage, and land suitability planning are expected to significantly support the Institute’s research in identifying core problems, suggesting appropriate solutions, and highlighting future areas of focus.

The dialogue was facilitated by Dr. Deepak Kumar Khadka, Senior Research Fellow at PRI. In concluding the program, he mentioned that further discussions and interviews with key informants would be conducted to ensure data adequacy for the study.

Event note by: Soniya Bashyal and Snehi Rijal
Photo credit: Bimal Chandra Sharma

PARTICIPANTS

Invited Experts:
Prof Dr. Taranidhi Bhattarai (Senior Research Fellow, Nepal Development Research Institute)
Dr. Jagannath Adhikari (Senior Research Fellow, Nepal Development Research Institute)
Janak Raj Joshi (Executive Director, Land Management Training Center)
Dr. Subash Ghimire (Associate Professor, Kathmandu University)
Dilli Giri (Secretary, Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal)
Dr. Deepak Rijal (Consultant, LI-BIRD)
Dr. Devendra Gauchan (Agricultural Economist and Food Policy Specialist)
Sushma Neupane (Campaign Coordinator, Community Self Reliance Center)
Jagat Basnet (Member Expert, Land Issue Resolving Commission)
Sanjib Kumar Shah (Survey Officer, Land Issue Resolving Commission)
Yogesh Purna Shrestha (Land Use expert, World Bank Nepal)
Tara Devi Khatiwada (Land Use Sensitization Expert, World Bank Nepal)
Bhimarjun Adhikari (Joint Secretary, Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation)          
Rajesh Gautam (Under-secretary, National Planning Commission)
Suresh Sunar (Under-secretary, National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Authority)
Tirtha Raj Baral (Director, National Statistics Office)
Hari Prakash Subedi (Assistant Administrator, Guthi Sansthan)
Rajendra Dahal (Assistant Administrator, Guthi Sansthan)
Panchakaji Shrestha (President, Rastriya Krishak Samuha Mahasangh)

Policy Research Institute:
Dr. Deepak Kumar Khadka (Senior Research Fellow)
Dr. Mukti Ram Rijal (Senior Research Fellow)
Dr. Niranjan Devkota (Research Fellow)
Dr. Subash Adhikari (Research Fellow)
Dr. Prabhat Raj Dahal (Research Fellow)
Dr. Maheswar Giri (Associated Research Fellow)
Gopal Acharya (Associated Research Fellow)
Rija Manandhar (Analyst)
Soniya Bashyal (Analyst)
Bimal Chandra Sharma (Library Management Coordinator)
Milan Shrestha (Senior Assistant)
Ashish Bhandari (Intern)
Balihang Limbu (Intern)
Snehi Rijal (Intern)
Satish Sapkota (Intern)
Juna Shrestha (Intern)
Ayushka K.C (Intern)

Please click here for the photographs of this event.