South Asia: Pakistan and the Himalayan States - Dragons and Tigers: A Geography of South, East and Southeast Asia - page 205

much better. While the Maoists had gained control of
almos70 percent of the countryside, political disarray
still characterized Kathmandu. Eventually , in 2006, a
cease-fire agreement was made with the auspices of the
United Nations. Successful elections were held in 2008
with the Maoists winning a plurality of parliamentary
seats. The new government abolished the monarchy and
declared Nepal to be a democratic republic. The Maoist
insurgency displaced more than 100,000 people and was
responsible for the death of at least 12,000.
Poverty and misery remains the reality for most
Nepalis, with a third living in abject poverty (see Figure
5-14). According to the United Nations, 90 percent of the
labor force is in agriculture and 47 percent are unem-
ployed. Incidence of malnutrition, with consequential
mental and growth retardation, and blindness remains
critical. Five thousand girls are trafficked to the brothels
of India every year. Limited resources and isolation stifle
the formal economy .
India has invested and continues to invest in
Nepal' s industrial and commercial realm. There are
two major reasons for this: Nepal provides a buffer
between India and China, and India needs the electricity
derived from dam development that will be incorporated
into its expanding power grid. It is also involved in
Nepal' s production of items such as garments, carpets,
bricks, cement, sugar, soap, and matches. Apparel and
carpets are exported primarily to the United States
and Germany . Imported manufactures come mainly
from India.
The most recent significant entry into Nepal' s econ-
omy is China. Chinese officials and tourists are increas-
ingly frequent visitors to Kathmandu. This is very
disturbing to India, which considers Nepal to be a part of
its sphere of influence. Like India, China is providing
funding for several hydroelectric projects.
Researchers are beginning to recognize that the peo-
ple of Nepal (and elsewhere) managed to survive in their
difficult environment for centuries prior to Western im-
pacts and that modernization and commercialization have
severely damaged both fragile environments and cultural
integrity . Many “solutions'' have backfired, primarily be-
cause they are couched in the industrialized world' s “sci-
entific expertise'' and “development'' (read economic
growth and consumerism) mentality . As we pointed out in
Chapter 3, top-down programs are no longer in vogue.
The new government is courting NGOs to return to the
country now that peace has been reestablished.
T Tourism is Nepal' is number one industry , account-
ing for 60 percent of foreign exchange. However, it

benefits primarily the hill and mountain regions
because most tourists are trekkers. Internecine violence
has severely affected the industry . In 2002, 275,000
tourists visited Nepal but this figure fell 27 percent
in 2003.
Numbers have been rising (even with the global
recession) as the new government is actively promot-
ing tourism appealing to non-trekkers and trekkers
alike. Of the approximately 400,000 people who visited
Nepal in 2009, trekkers accounted for 130,000. Num-
bers of annual foreign visitors are expected to reach
well over half a million by 2016. In 2010, the govern-
ment declared 2011 as Nepal' s “National T Tourism
Y ear.”
Until they are certain of their safety , few North
Americans are taking their chances in Nepal. These days,
most of the country' s visitors are from Asia, especially In-
dians, Chinese, Japanese, and South Koreans.
Environmental problems abound in Nepal, espe-
cially in the Kathmandu V alley . Kathmandu continues to
grow at an annual rate of 6 percent. By 2020, the popula-
tion will reach 2.5 million. About one-third of the valley
remains forested. Most forests have “protected status”
but are disappearing anyway with city expansion. In the
latter half of the twentieth century , valley forests declined
by 40 percent.
Kathmandu is literally a pit of pollution. It is situ-
ated in a topographical bowl and temperature inversions
are common. The city and the surrounding mountains
are bathed by ever-thickening layers of dust and smog. In
winter and spring, tons of dust are blown in by monsoon
winds from India. Air pollution from cars and buses is
compounded by the dirt spewed out of brick and carpet
factories. Effluents from cooking oil, leather, and other
factories pour into open sewers and streams. Only 15
percent of houses are connected to a municipal sewer
system. Most people throw their waste into the rivers, re-
sulting in bacterial levels far above even basic public
health standards.
Because of the needs of the ever-burgeoning popula-
tion in the valley , the two sources of potable water—
rivers (tapped at their source) and groundwater—are
being greatly reduced. In the dry season, rivers provide
less than half of the daily water demand. Groundwater is
being withdrawn at double its sustainable rate.
The Kathmandu V alley is the main source of farm
products. However, as urban phenomena such as shop-
ping centers, bus parks, and squatter settlements sprawl
on the city periphery , agricultural land is disappearing.
Farmlands decreased by one-third over the past two