Advisory Center for Affordable Settlements & Housing

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Document Type General
Publish Date 20/07/2005
Author Udon Thani
Published By United Nations
Edited By Saba Bilquis
Uncategorized

THE STATE OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN NEPAL

The nature of the urbanization process in developed countries was characterized by the declining growth rate of population, decreasing family size as well as increased life expectancy. However, the urbanization process in developing countries including Nepal does not reveal a similar trend. Most developing countries are characterized by a high population growth rate with an unprecedented rural-urban migration resulting in an urban explosion (Joshi 1999:7). Nepal is one of the least urbanized countries in the World and also in South Asia with more than 80 percent of its population still residing in rural areas and the urban population accounts for about 14 percent of the total population according to the census of 2001. The urban population is concentrated in 58 municipalities of Nepal. Almost one-third (30.9 percent) of the country’s total urban population is concentrated only in five municipalities located in the Kathmandu Valley. This is followed by Terai and Inner Terai. Moreover, in terms of ecological or geographical regions, Kathmandu Valley alone is accommodating almost 61 percent of the total urban population of Nepal.

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