The Public Policy and Delegated Legislation Committee of the National Assembly discussed policy issues related to national parks with the Policy Research Institute.
Federal Parliament Secretariat, Singhdurbar
The Public Policy and Delegated Legislation Committee of the National Assembly is undertaking a monitoring study to understand the situation of national parks by conducting on-site visits to various national parks and holding discussions with national park-related agencies and officials. In this regard, the committee discussed policy issues related to national parks and solutions with the officials of the Policy Research Institute. At the program, the Chairman of the committee, Hon. Maya Prasad Sharma, welcomed the PRI team and elaborated on the purpose of the discussion. The Executive Chairman of the Policy Research Institute, Prof. Dr. Lekhnath Sharma, then gave a brief presentation on “Policy Problems and Solutions Related to National Parks: Applications in Conservation and Development.” The presentation covered the current status of protected areas in Nepal, a list of policies and laws, policy and practical problems related to national parks and conservation, issues of controversy, and dimensions of policy solutions.
After the presentation, the institute’s senior research fellow, Dr. Deepak Kumar Khadka, spoke about the role of the PRI and issues related to protected areas. He said the institute could supplement the report of the Public Policy and Delegated Legislation Committee’s monitoring by adding additional data and information to form a comprehensive investigation or at least review the final report and provide objective feedback. He said that such additional information could include national park-related delegated legislations and policy reviews, international practices, and data available from other secondary sources. He said that a combined concept of conservation-friendly development and development-friendly conservation is necessary for every policy, and a prudent balance should be found by calculating both the environmental cost of development and the economic cost of non-development in conservation. He also said a regulatory sandbox policy is necessary for new technologies and innovative businesses. Similarly, the institute’s Office Manager, Mr. Laxman Prasad Bhattarai, emphasized that the committee should oversee the implementation of public policies. He also provided examples of how delegated legislation sometimes overstepped the bounds of primary legislation and created problems.
Thereafter, the honorable members of the committee raised questions and opinions on various issues related to national parks, conservation, development, policy research, and policy making.
Hon. Madan Kumari Shah (Garima) shared the experience of the committee’s monitoring visit and discussions with officials of the concerned agencies and said that the committee is planning to hold talks with experts as well. She said that it is understood that there should be no extremism of development or extremism of conservation.
Hon. Padam Bahadur Pariyar said that revising the policy after the study on national parks should resolve the ideological conflict between development and conservation, and the PRI will have a unique role in that.
Hon. Renu Chand said that there are a plethora of policies and regulations, that policies must be made and explained to stakeholders, and that the role of local governments and communities must be clarified.
Hon. Yuvraj Sharma spoke about policy formulation, policy conflicts, the size of forest areas and protected areas, modern zoos, and botanical gardens. He said the conservation and utilization formula and a Sale Act are necessary for resource management.
Hon. Rukmini Koirala highlighted the problems in the buffer zone. Hon. Shreekrishna Prasad Adhikari said that the issues on the ground have been identified, but reviewing the policy, Act, and delegated legislation is necessary. He said the policy is flawed due to the lack of balance between development and conservation. He said that the committee, the National Planning Commission, and the Policy Research Institute need to participate and collaborate in the policy discussions related to the National Park.
Hon. Goma Devi Timilsina, while explaining the problems of local concerns, said there is a need for a balance between development and conservation. Hon. Sumitra B. C. spoke about the stakeholders’ issues. He also shared that he felt the committee and the PRI had congruent thinking. Hon. Nar Bahadur Bista clarified the need for excessive reliance on delegated legislation by giving the example of the Tribhuvan University Act. He also said there was bias in plans and programs due to conflict of interest in policies and programs.
Then, Dr. Deepak Kumar Khadka spoke about the specifics of possible contributions the institute can make to the committee’s report. He pointed out the possibility of a backfire in the future if the policy on protected areas is too narrow. He also said that in Nepal, the roles of communities mentioned in international treaties can be fulfilled with authority by local governments to some extent. The role and framework for explaining the policy to the policy stakeholders were necessary, and he said it could be concluded based on the statements of the honorable members.
Executive Chairman Prof. Dr. Lekhnath Sharma concluded the discussion by stating that policies must be formulated using methods that consider the anatomy and pathology of the National Park as a living body. He also emphasized the importance of policy interpretation. Finally, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Maya Prasad Sharma, concluded the meeting by proposing to include representatives of the PRI in future discussions on policy issues related to the National Park.
Attendance
National Assembly, Public Policy and Delegated Legislation Committee
Hon. Maya Prasad Sharma (Chairperson)
Hon. Goma Devi Timalsina
Hon. Nar Bahadur Bista
Hon. Padam Bahadur Pariyar
Hon. Madan Kumari Shah (Garima)
Hon. Yuvraj Sharma
Hon. Rukmini Koirala
Hon. Renu Chand
Hon. Shreekrishna Prasad Adhikari
Hon. Sumitra B.C.
Mr. Sanjaya Dahal (Committee Secretary)
Policy Research Institute
Prof. Dr. Lekhnath Sharma (Executive Chairperson)
Dr. Deepak Kumar Khadka (Senior Research Fellow)
Mr. Laxman Bhattarai (Office Manager)
Mr. Bimal Chandra Sharma (Library Management Coordinator)