Kathmandu, Nov. 15
Minister
for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Balram Adhikari, has
emphasised the significant role of the World Bank’s technical assistance in
strengthening land administration and conducting new land surveys across the
country.
Speaking
at the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference jointly organised by the International
Federation of Surveyors (FIG) and the Nepal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
to address shared land challenges in Asia in Kathmandu on Friday, Minister
Adhikari said that the government was actively working to permanently resolve
Nepal’s long-standing land-related issues.
He
underscored climate change as a global challenge and stressed the need for a
comprehensive action plan to prevent natural and human-induced disasters
affecting land use and management.
Stating
that issues such as land classification, characteristics and challenges are
common across Asia, Minister Adhikari mentioned that Nepal was collaborating
with various international organisations to enhance the digitalisation of land
management to make land administration more efficient and effective.
The
two-day land conference in Kathmandu has drawn around 300 participants from 30
countries, according to Ganesh Prasad Bhatt, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of
Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation.
On
the sidelines of the conference, Minister Adhikari met with an international
delegation attending the event. The delegation, led by Mika Torhonen, the World
Bank’s Chief Land Specialist, expressed interest in partnering on land
administration and management projects in Nepal.
During
the meeting, Minister Adhikari recalled efforts made since 1971 to modernise
land surveys and requested support for further advancements. Torhonen stated
that if the Ministry of Finance engages formally, the World Bank could
collaborate with project-based initiatives, such as digital record-keeping and
transferring services to local levels.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 16 November 2024.
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