NATURAL
RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT: The country is not rich in mineral
resources but it has abundant surface and groundwater. Forest
covers about 38 percent of the land area. The high pressure on
agricultural land has led to considerable deforestation and soil
loss. Unplanned urban settlement, receding forest cover,
industrial establishment, the over-concentration of economic
opportunities in urban areas are further aggravating environmental
population. Pollutants from cooking with kerosene and industries
such as the dye, brick kilns, cement factory, fuel-wood, diesel,
etc continue to aggravate the air pollution problems.
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HUMAN
RESOURCES: Nepal is potentially rich in human resources.
However, rapid population growth and sustained poverty at the
household level are the two critical obstacles to the realization
of this potential. The contribution of women to the national
economy is not adequately reflected in the national statistics.
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HEALTH
AND NUTRITION: Average life expectancy within the last two
decades has increased by 13.5 years. Nonetheless, average life
expectancy is only 55 years (1994 figure). Women have a life span
which is shorter by two years compared to men. Infant mortality
rate is improving, but is still one of the highest in the region.
Diarrhea, pneumonia and measles remain the main determinants of
infant mortality. High incidence of undernutrition, early marriage
and child bearing, poor housing conditions, inadequate access to
safe drinking water, insufficient sanitary facilities and abuse of
alcohol and tobacco contribute to the nation's poor health
standard.
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LITERACY
AND EDUCATION: The national literacy rate, which was 14
percent in 1971, increased to 40 percent by 1991. Enrollment of
primary school children increased from 8,000 in 1960 to roughly 3
million in 1992. The adult literacy programme contributed to the
literacy of 1,000,000 illiterate adults during 1992-97 only.
However, the literacy rates among male and female populations
remain grossly disproportionate ( 2:1).
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ECONOMY:
Agriculture contributes more than one-half of the household
income, provides employment to 88 percent of the population. The
intensity of poverty, which is correlated with illiteracy,
malnutrition and other forms of deprivation, has hindered the
overall pace of human development.
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INCOME:
Nepal with a per capita income of US $ 210 (equivalent to US $
1,186 in terms of international purchasing power parity) belongs
to the group of very low-income countries in the world. Economic
growth averaged at 3.9 percent per year from the '70s to the '90s.
Given the high population growth rate of 2.5 percent, per capita
income grew by only 1.4 percent per annum during the last 25
years. The country's gross domestic saving (GDS) is very low: on
average it stood at about 10 percent of the GDP during the last
decade.
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DISTRIBUTION OF PRODUCTIVE ASSETS AND
INCOME
Sixty-nine
percent of the landholdings are less than 1 hectare in size; 88
percent are below 2 hectare.
The bottom
20 percent of the households receive only 3.7 percent of the
national income while the top 10 percent claim a share of 50
percent.
Gender
disparity in income distribution is acute as well due to the
control of male household members over family income, absence of
property rights for women.
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POLITICS
AND GOVERNMENT: Nepal as a state is now 230 years old. The
1990 constitution envisages a parliamentary democracy with
constitutional monarchy. It guarantees the standard civil and
political rights of the citizens. The directive principles and
policies are intimately related to human development, protection
of environment, participation of female population in national
development, safeguarding the rights of children and protection
and welfare of orphans, the aged and the disabled.
