Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mining
Nepal has a variety of mineral resources, but most are found in
deposits so small, or so remote from transportation facilities,
that they are not worth exploiting. The primary commercial
mining operations extract marble, limestone, talc, and magne-
site (used in steelmaking). There are small deposits of cobalt,
copper, lead, and zinc, and some placer gold is extracted from
stream gravels. Building materials include stone, sand, gravel,
and clay. Although small deposits of coal and natural gas exist,
nearly all fossil fuel resources must be imported. Some precious
stones, such as garnet, ruby, tourmaline, beryl, and aquama-
rine, also have been found.
Logging
There is very little commercial logging in Nepal. The cutting of
woodlands, however, is widespread. Wood is used in construc-
tion and as fuel. As a result of excessive deforestation, flooding
and landslides have become increasingly commonplace. Some
scientists, in fact, blame the cutting removal of woodlands for
the massive flooding that occurs in Nepal. Rainfall runs down
cleared deforested slopes much more rapidly than off those on
which forests remain intact. Water from both snowmelt and
monsoon rains arrive in early summer. This runoff moisture
gathers rapidly in tributaries to the Ganges (Ganga) River.
Soon, the Ganges, itself, swells with floodwater. Eventually,
it joins the Brahmaputra River in Bangladesh (which flows
from the heavily deforested northern slopes of the Himalayas).
During periods of extreme flooding, as much as two-thirds of
Nepal is severely affected.
Hydroelectric Power
Many Nepalese (and others) foresee hydroelectric power
generation as the country's most obvious potential source of
economic growth. Mountainous landscapes, high amounts of
annual precipitation, and dozens of fast-flowing streams create
