Sunday, November 17, 2024

Minister Adhikari seeks World Bank support in reforming land administration

 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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