Abstract
Rural development in Nepal
is a complex phenomenon involving an interaction of economic, social, political
and cultural factors. The concept of rural development is a process of
development and change to improve rural social life entirely. It is linked to
infrastructural development, commercialization of agriculture, proper
utilization and mobilization of resources, food security, creating
opportunities, inclusive social development in the rural community and
modernization of overall society. However, achievements of rural development
efforts in Nepal are not satisfactory because of imposed development, unstable
political situation, absence of people's participation, lack of research and
political commitment.
Key Words:
Rural development, rural poverty, human development in Nepal
1. Background
Nepal is a developing
land-locked country with diverse cultural and ethnic identity. It covers an
area of 147181 Sq. Km. with an average width and length of 193 Km. and 885 Km
respectively. It lies between two giant nations China and India. Nepal is
divided into three diverse ecological zones; the Tarai (the plain), the Hills
and the Mountain with distinct resources, opportunities and problems.
Administratively, the country divided into 5 development region, 14 zones, 75 districts,
3157 village development committees and 217 municipalities. It is a multi caste,
multi-religious and multi ethnic country. Broadly, Nepalese society is the
composite form of Aryan and Mongolian people from its beginning. Economically,
it has low human development. Unfortunately, latest development indicators are
not satisfactory in comparison to other South Asian Countries. However, efforts
of modern development have been continuing since 1956 through national
planning. Politically, it is on the restructuring process of the state in the
nature of republic federation after new constitution. The population increased by nearly 18.5 million in 1991
to 23.1 million in 2001 with annual growth rate of 2.25 percent (CBS, 2002).
Out of total land of Nepal about 77 percent is covered by mountains and hills.
Topography of nation is one of important factors when considering overall
development efforts. Development of Nepal has been affecting due to the unfavorable
geographical setting. However, we are unable to identify the great
potentialities of development on the basis of its resources in different
geological variations. The population in urban areas is 14.2 percent of the
total population in 2001. Majority of population is still live in rural areas
with economically vulnerable life. Data shows that concentration of mass
poverty is in the rural areas. Most village homes are empty of youth people.
Old and sick parents and dependent children with women are facing social and
economic problem due to the absence of their youth in the community. Most of
the rural youth have been migrated to the mainly Arab countries and Malaysia
increasingly for livelihood with very low salary due to the low level of skill
and weak diplomatic relations between the countries. The total number permitted
to go foreign employment by the government of Nepal till the April 2007 is 9,
70,824 (Economic Survey, 2007). I think this is not good message for us those
who want sustainable, prosperous and independent Nepal. Country's 80 percent
people are into agriculture. But they have no minimum access on irrigation,
often they are depend upon rain, locally called blessing of Lord Indra for
water. Nepalese rural people are poor due to the lack of access to resources,
low productivity, and land roads to obtain agricultural inputs and to sell
agricultural produce.
2. Conceptual
Definition of Rural Development
Human beings are born with
certain potential capabilities. Therefore human society has been changing
continuously from the very beginning of human history. I think development is
the process of change. Definition and understanding of development depends on
perception of people which is related to particular philosophical orientation
and individual experiences and expectations. We shouldn't forget development
must be related to quality of life with independent achievement. Every people
of every one want to be free him/her from servitude. They want to live with
selfrespect, self-identity and self-dignity. Therefore, development is not only
an economic issue but also social, cultural and political realization. Rural
development is a strategy to enable a specific group of people. It involves
helping the poorest among those who seek a livelihood in the rural area to
demand and control more of the benefits of rural development. The group
includes small scale farmers, tenants, and the landless (Chamber1983:147).
Rural development is a complex phenomenon involving an interaction of economic,
social, political and cultural factors. It is a multidisciplinary process of
development which seeks transformation of the society from traditional to
modern nature. The concept of rural development is a process of development and
change to improve rural social life. The goal of rural development can not be
achieved without available infrastructural development, commercialization of
agriculture, proper utilization and mobilization of resources and inclusive
social development. The term rural development connotes over all development of
rural areas with a view to improve the quality of life of rural people (Singh,
1999:20). Theoretically, rural development seeks to alleviate poverty, mass
utilization of resources, commercialization of agriculture, food security,
creating opportunities, infrastructural development of rural community and
modernization of overall society. However there are bias in the process of
rural development as identified by Robert Chamber (1983:13-26); those are
spatial biases, project biases, person biases, dry season biases, diplomatic
biases, and professional biases. Similarly, World Bank (1975) has defined of
rural development as strategy designed to improve the socio-economic life of
rural poor; as such it involves extending the benefits of development to
poorest in rural areas e.g. small farmers, tenants, landless and other
disadvantage group. In my opinion process of rural development at least should
be concerned on physical and social infrastructure, livelihood opportunities,
economic activities related to rural community, environmental vulnerability,
demographic change, food security, house and land, social adjustment,
empowerment and development of social capabilities and inclusion.
3. Process of Rural
Development in Nepal
Process of modern development
in Nepal has been started after 1950 when family based political system called
'Rana Rule' ended and country has entered into the democratic system by the
influence of people’s movement and political influence of outer world.
Development planning was started in the country in 1955-56 to bring about
systematic change in the underdeveloped socio-economic condition. Tenth Plans
have already been completed and interim three years plan is running at present.
We could not get satisfactory output in the history of overall process of
planning and development in Nepal due to the unstable political economy and
center oriented development mechanisms. Government of Nepal has tried to adopt
rural development approach for the development of rural areas after 1950s by
the integrated rural development program. Obviously, effort of rural
development in Nepal has a few achievements as compared to its inputs. Most of
the integrated rural development program in Nepal has faced problems because of
irrelevant program to the target groups and lack of proper evaluation and
monitoring system. Different rural development programs have been conducted
after 1951. The first rural development program in Nepal was Tribhuvan Village
Development Program which was mainly focused on the development of agriculture,
road, drinking water, education and health. Development programs in rural
community by the initiation of Block Development Officer (Adhikari, 1982).
Panchayet Development Program was established in the decade of 1960s which has
three main objectives for development and change. They were institutional
development, social mobilization and attitudinal change. Similarly, different
integrated rural development programs have been conducted since the decade of
1970s and continued later giving priority on saving, road, training, health,
agriculture, rural industry, nutrition etc. Experiments on the rural
development in Nepal started since 1956 but its impacts are debatable. It is
difficult to isolate benefits achieved through rural development program only,
the role of local institutions have not been able to take initiative and
generates resources (Pyakural, 1980:27). Different rural development programs
like Rural Infrastructure Work, Rural Infrastructure Development Program, Agricultural
Road Program, Rural access Program, District Road Support Program, Poverty
Alleviation Project, Remote and Specific Area Development Program, Periodic
District Development Plan have been implemented in the Ninth five year plan for
the development of rural sector specifically. Output of rural development or
local development does not seem satisfactory due to the inability to prioritize
project to rural development, lack of political consensus to the local
development, no feasibility study on the rural development program and absence
of local bodies. However, Rural Community Infrastructure Work implemented in
additional 15 districts, 47 District Development Committees have prepared
District Transport Master Plan, and different suspension bridges have been constructed
in the rural sector, different poverty alleviation project implemented in eight
Tarai districts of Western Nepal in the Ninth Plan. The objective of Tenth Plan
for local development was to minimize poverty by making available local people,
particularly the people of socially and economically backward areas, caste,
nationalities groups an access to services and benefits made locally available.
During the Tenth Plan, local development programs like local body strengthen
program, policy and institutional reform programs, financial resource
management program, human resource development program, local infrastructure
development program, economically backward areas and people's upliftment and
development program, social mobilization and self-employment program,
integrated reproductive health and population education program have been
implemented (Tenth Plan, 2002-2007). The goal of rural development is to
eradicate poverty. However, only a few targets of the Tenth Plan have been
achieved during the period of 2003-2007. Currently, interim plan has been
implementing at the end of 2007. Major objectives of this plan are to reduce
poverty, unemployment and inequality for social and economic transformation. It
focuses on target program to the marginalized people, social mobilization,
infrastructure development, strengthening to local bodies, regional development,
reconstructing local infrastructure, and reformation of local governance for
rural development and change.
4. Indicators of
Rural Development in Nepal
Level of rural development
in Nepal is low in comparison to urban indicators. People of rural areas have
low access on education, health, communication, electricity, road etc.
Similarly, Dalit, women, marginal ethnic groups, Madhesi people of remote area
and disable people have very low access on basic human requirements. Unequal
poverty index between the rural and urban areas are exemplified in table no 1.
Facts in table 1 show the
decreasing trend of poverty in Nepal. However, decreasing trend seems unequal
in rural and urban areas during ten years time period. Does it mean irrelevance
development programs were conducted particularly in rural areas? Or was it the
result of unstable, irresponsible and dominated political economy in the
process of development history of Nepal? It should be evaluated by the
independent agencies. I think cause of underdevelopment of the rural areas is
not only the result of present phenomena but also the nature of political
economy of Nepal. As pointed out in the Tenth five year plan (2002-2007), the
progress in Human Development Indicators (HDI) is rapid as compared that of per
capita of Nepal. The achievements made in extension and development of
education, health and drinking water have clearly surpassed the economic growth
rate. There are noticeable differences among the urban and rural areas which
are given in table no 2.
The indicators in table 2
prove that level of human development in urban areas is higher. Similarly,
major indicators of human development are not concentrated equally between
caste and ethnic groups or male and female or deprived groups like Dalits,
Madhesi and other marginal section of community. Most recent major indicators
of development are given in table no 3 which are helpful to understand.
National indicators of
development are unable to represent the distribution pattern of development of
different social groups and regions. For example, population below the poverty
line of Dalits, hill ethnic groups and Muslims are 46%, 44% and 41%
respectively. At the same time, facts in table no 3 show that 45.2% of people
from Himali region, 41.8% of people from Hill region and 37.4% of people from
Tarai region are out of access on consumption of minimum level of calories.
Similarly, marginal section and disadvantage group have very low access on
social and development. Without committed development efforts through high
level political consensus on the basis of concentration of poverty with diverse
nature in the different communities, it will be very difficult to escape people
from vicious circle of poverty. Development and underdevelopment of Nepal is
still being national issues and discourse due to the low access on education,
opportunities, social security, health, infrastructural development and
productivity of the different communities with momentous disparities. The gap
between rural and urban areas should be controlled to attain national goal of
development. We always want socially justiceable, equitable, prosperous,
self-respected, independent Nepali citizen. Government should provide high
priority on rural development legally and morally in the process of planning
and development in Nepal where huge volume of population is concentrated.
Political commitment with consensus between the parties is essential to build
prosperous and independent Nepal. It is only the way of sustainable rural
development which will be fruitful to reduce poverty. Participatory model of
development is fruitful to maintain sustainable development in the country.
5. Conclusion
Indeed, Nepal is an
underdeveloped country in South Asian region. The rate of population below the
poverty line is in decreasing trend. Unfortunately, equal distribution of
development is difficult in terms of its social, regional and cultural
diversity. To improve entire socio-economic condition of rural people, we have
to change trickle down model of development which in practice since 1956. We
have to try development honestly through decentralization and multidisciplinary
approaches in which every section of population or community can be involved in
their own development process. Without commercialization of agriculture no one
can hope rural development properly. Eighty percent of Nepalese people depend
on subsistence agriculture. I think enabling local community to identify their
resources and let them to mobilize for local development can best support to
infrastructural development concerning to the rural areas. It is essential to
identify patterns of poverty, inequality, exclusion and vulnerability of the
rural sector or rural community to prepare proper development plan for rural
development and change in Nepal.
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