3.3 Sustainable Development (Land, Water and Natural Resources, Carrying Capacity and Development Policy)

Sustainable Development (Land, Water, Natural Resources, Carrying Capacity, and Development Policy)

Concept and Introduction

The concept of sustainable development emerged in response to the adverse effects of population growth, human activities, and shortsighted development practices, which led to overexploitation of natural resources and environmental pollution. In 1972, the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden, emphasized linking development with environmental protection. In 1983, under the leadership of former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, the World Commission on Environment and Development was established. In 1987, the commission's report, Our Common Future, introduced the concept of sustainable development, defined as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." This involves using natural resources responsibly to ensure their availability for future generations, balancing social, economic, and environmental dimensions, and promoting intergenerational equity through sustainable resource use.

Summary of Sustainable Development

• Development that does not compromise future generations' needs.
• Promotes intergenerational equity.
• Conserves and responsibly utilizes natural resources.
• Balances social, economic, and environmental aspects.
• Prioritizes renewable resource use.

Principles of Sustainable Development

Two complementary principles guide sustainable development:

• Basic Needs Fulfillment Principle: Ensuring essential human needs are met.
• Sustainable Resource Management Principle: Managing resources to maintain their availability for future generations.

Prerequisites for Sustainable Development

• Strong political commitment to sustainable development.
• Implementation of environmental rights.
• Policies, laws, and programs for environmental protection and sustainable management.
• Emphasis on forward-looking development.
• Environmentally friendly infrastructure development.
• Implementation of international commitments.
• Execution of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Citizen participation in policy and decision-making processes.
• Robust social systems.
• Protection and promotion of ecological systems.
• Equitable distribution of ecological services.
• Balance between social, economic, and environmental aspects.
• Interconnection between humans, environment, and development.

Objectives of Sustainable Development

• Conserve and promote natural resources.
• Ensure resource availability for future generations.
• Reduce poverty and improve living standards through sustainable environmental use.
• Ensure sustainable access to environmental services (food, firewood, fodder, energy, water, etc.).
• Control pollution and protect the environment.
• Balance social, economic, and environmental dimensions of development.
• Mitigate the effects of climate change and global warming.
• Address global environmental issues through international partnerships (SDGs).
• Make development sustainable and reliable.

Dimensions of Sustainable Development

Economic Dimension

• Achieve macroeconomic development and stability through integrated use of human, man-made, and natural capital.
• Reduce poverty through equitable distribution of environmental services.
• Create employment and improve living standards through ecotourism.
• Balance economic development and environmental protection.
• Increase production and productivity while protecting the environment.
• Identify and invest in areas of comparative advantage.

Social Dimension

• Develop capable social systems.
• Raise societal awareness for environmental protection.
• Empower communities in environmental policy, use, and conservation.
• Ensure inclusivity in identifying, implementing, and distributing development benefits.

Environmental Dimension

• Ensure conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.
• Increase public awareness for environmental protection.
• Balance development activities with environmental conservation.
• Promote national and international partnerships for environmental protection.

National and International Efforts for Sustainable Development

National Efforts

• Article 30 of the Constitution of Nepal establishes the right to a clean environment, including the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP).
• Environment Protection Act, 2076 BS, and Regulations, 2077 BS, mandate Brief Environmental Studies (BES), Initial Environmental Examinations (IEE), and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA).
• Industrial Enterprises Act, 2076 BS, ensures industrial operations do not harm public health or the environment.
• Forest Act, 2076 BS, and Regulations, 2079 BS.
• Land Use Policy, 2072 BS.
• Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (2016–2030).
• Sixteenth Plan provisions for environmental protection and sustainable development.
• Ministry of Forests and Environment and related departments.
• President Chure-Tarai Madhesh Conservation Development Committee.
• Provincial and local bodies working on forests, environment, and disaster management.

International Efforts

• 1972: UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden.
• 1983: Formation of the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) under Gro Harlem Brundtland.
• 1987: WCED’s Our Common Future report introducing sustainable development.
• 1992: Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, adopting Agenda 21, CBD, and UNFCCC.
• 1997: Kyoto Protocol emphasizing greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction.
• 2016–2030: Global partnership for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Carrying Capacity

The carrying capacity of the Earth refers to its ability to sustain human populations, other living organisms, and ecosystems with available resources. Overexploitation, careless resource use, deforestation, and rapid population growth pose significant challenges to Earth’s carrying capacity. It encompasses not only human needs but also the needs of all living organisms within the ecological system.

Constitutional Policies in Nepal

Agriculture and Land Reform Policies (Article 51(e))

• End dual land ownership and implement scientific land reforms prioritizing farmers’ interests.
• Discourage absentee land ownership and promote land consolidation to enhance production and productivity.
• Protect and promote farmers’ rights, adopting land use policies for land management, commercialization, industrialization, diversification, and modernization of agriculture.
• Regulate and manage land based on productivity, nature, and environmental balance for optimal use.
• Ensure farmers’ access to agricultural inputs, fair prices for produce, and market access.

Development Policies (Article 51(f))

• Formulate and implement strategies for inclusive economic development with regional balance.
• Prioritize underdeveloped regions for balanced, environmentally friendly, high-quality, and sustainable infrastructure development.
• Enhance local participation in development processes.
• Increase investment in scientific research, innovation, and protection of intellectual and specialized talents.
• Develop and expand information technology, ensuring public access and maximizing its use in national development.
• Prioritize marginalized citizens in equitable distribution of development benefits.
• Develop an integrated national identity management system for citizen data and link it to services and development plans.
• Update demographic data and integrate it with national development plans.

Conservation, Promotion, and Utilization of Natural Resources (Article 51(g))

• Conserve, promote, and sustainably utilize natural resources in line with national interests and intergenerational equity, prioritizing local communities in benefit distribution.
• Prioritize domestic investment and public participation for multipurpose water resource development.
• Promote renewable energy production and ensure reliable, affordable energy supply for basic needs.
• Control water-induced disasters and develop sustainable irrigation systems.
• Raise public awareness for environmental cleanliness, minimize risks from industrial and physical development, and protect forests, wildlife, birds, flora, and biodiversity.
• Maintain forest cover in necessary areas for environmental balance.
• Adopt measures to mitigate negative environmental impacts.
• Implement principles like polluter pays, precaution, and prior informed consent for environmental protection.
• Reduce natural disaster risks through early warning, preparedness, rescue, relief, and rehabilitation.

Water-Induced Disaster Management Policy, 2072 BS

• Develop and implement master plans at national and local levels for integrated watershed conservation and water-induced disaster control (floods, landslides).
• Formulate short-, medium-, and long-term programs based on priority, with participation from affected communities.
• Adopt integrated water resource management and basin-based approaches for disaster control programs.
• Mobilize internal and external resources for large-scale river and landslide disaster control programs.
• Emphasize early warning and forecasting systems for disaster management.
• Classify areas based on risk levels (high, medium, low, and risk-free) for prioritized interventions.
• Encourage settlement development and economic activities based on risk classifications.
• Ensure proper utilization of risk-free reclaimed land.

Localization of Sustainable Development

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a global framework for achieving prosperity and peace within Earth’s carrying capacity. Nepal has adopted 17 goals, 169 targets, and 301 indicators for sustainable development. SDGs should be integrated into national economic, social, and environmental policies rather than treated as a standalone concept. Nepal, along with other nations, has committed to implementing SDGs through periodic and annual plans. The Constitution of Nepal allocates exclusive and concurrent powers across federal, provincial, and local governments, aligning their jurisdictions with SDG objectives. Localization of SDGs involves provincial and local governments integrating these goals into their plans and exercising their authority to achieve them. The “Leave No One Behind” (LNOB) principle is a strategic commitment of SDGs, requiring a whole-of-government approach involving government, private sector, cooperatives, and communities.

Need and Importance of SDG Localization at Local Levels

• Significant public service responsibilities are delegated to local governments by the Constitution and laws.
• Decentralization of resources (revenue rights, financial transfers, revenue sharing).
• Prioritization of SDGs based on local contexts.
• Enhanced quality and productivity of local expenditure (Economy, Efficiency, Effectiveness – 3Es).
• Increased public participation.
• Ensured inclusivity (LNOB).
• Improved coordination among government tiers.
• Reduced duplication of resources.

Key Components for Achieving SDGs at Local Levels

Local governments must adopt result-oriented planning, budgeting, and implementation across public management processes, focusing on:

• Formulating result-oriented plans.
• Preparing detailed, result-oriented annual plans and budgets aligned with local periodic plans.
• Ensuring even recurrent expenditures are outcome-based through segmented budgeting.
• Aligning annual plans with medium-term expenditure frameworks.
• Ensuring inclusivity, accountability, transparency, and responsiveness in every stage of planning, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Collaborating with provincial and federal governments, private sector, and communities through cooperation, participation, and partnerships.

Implementation of SDGs

Local governments should focus on the following for SDG implementation:

• Identifying needs.
• Prioritizing actions.
• Adopting policy tools.
• Mobilizing resources.
• Establishing institutional mechanisms.

Contributions of SDG Localization to Local Development

• Aligning SDGs with local needs and priorities.
• Integrating SDGs into policies, periodic plans, and annual budgets.
• Developing result-oriented plans and budgets.
• Ensuring participatory and inclusive planning processes.
• Enhancing capacity and public awareness.
• Establishing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
• Promoting coordination and partnerships.
• Improving quality and access to service delivery.
• Promoting environmentally friendly development.
• Encouraging innovation and use of local skills.
• Maintaining financial discipline and transparency.
• Empowering youth.
• Fostering self-reliance and ownership.
• Promoting peace, justice, and institutional strengthening.
• Ensuring gender equality and inclusivity.

Current Status of SDG Implementation in Nepal

• In the 2025 SDG Index, Nepal ranks 85th among 167 countries with an SDG Index Score of 68.58 and a Spillover Score of 94.85.
• Progress has been made on approximately 41.7% of the 301 SDG indicators.
• 41% of indicators have been achieved, 35% show positive progress, and 20% show negative progress.
• Significant progress has been made in social sectors like health, education, water, electricity, and sanitation, while progress in economic development and infrastructure remains disappointing.
• The estimated annual cost for SDG implementation in Nepal is NPR 2.3 trillion.