Nepal is a small, landlocked country in South Asia home to the tallest mountains on earth. The diverse geography also includes plains and hills. The country is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious democratic republic. Its economy is perpetuated largely by tourism and agricultural export of cereals, palm oil, and soybean oil.
Nepal’s quickly growing economy has lent itself also to increased pollution, especially air pollution. This article will discuss Nepal’s pollution issues more specifically in these areas:
Summary of Pollution in Nepal
Nepal is currently very polluted. In Yale University’s Environmental Performance Index Study of 2020 (EPI), Nepal ranked at 145 of 180 total countries in overall pollution with a score of 32.7 of 100 possible points.
Download Full Report: Nepal EPI Country Profile
According to the 2020 study, Nepal falls far behind world averages in almost every area evaluated. The country also tends to be more polluted compared to neighboring South Asian countries. While Nepal is polluted in most areas evaluated, air quality is by far the largest concern for the country.
Air Pollution in Nepal
The EPI found Nepal to rank at 178 of 180 countries in overall air quality, with a score of 14.6 of 100 possible points. This means that only two countries evaluated had more polluted air than Nepal (India and Pakistan). The main causes of Nepal’s intense air pollution include:
- Waste burning
- Vehicle emissions
- Industrial emissions
While Nepal ranked poorly in all three metrics evaluated for air quality (PM2.5, household solid fuels, and ozone) the worst ranking by far was in PM2.5, which is fine particulate matter released from any of the above activities.
Kathmandu Valley’s Air Pollution
Kathmandu Valley is a densely populated and rapidly urbanizing area of Nepal. The combination of its bowl-shaped topography and dense population and industry means that this area of Nepal has particularly intense air pollution. Particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone tend to settle and build up in this region surrounded by mountains. In 2021, Kathmandu had days where the 24-hour average level of PM2.5 reached 214 micrograms per cubic meter, over five times the government’s standard of 40 micrograms per cubic meter.
The health effects of the intense air pollution of the region are dire. In the short term, air pollution this intense causes allergies and contributes to respiratory diseases, however, long-term exposure is deadly, causing COPD, pneumonia, asthma, and bronchitis among other respiratory illnesses.
Among diseases reported in the Kathmandu Valley in 2017, COPD was incredibly prevalent and especially deadly–comprising almost 40% of all diseases seen in the area, with a morbidity rate of 44.4%. Many of these cases and other respiratory illnesses seen in the Kathmandu Valley can be traced directly back to its poor air quality.
Learn more about air quality standards and how they’re measured.
Water Pollution in Nepal
Nepal’s water, while not as polluted as its air, still received low scores from the EPI survey. The water is polluted in Nepal due to:
- Disposal of sewage into water
- Industrial runoff
- Agricultural runoff
Sewage dumped into Nepal’s water means that much of the water in the country is unsafe to drink as it carries water-borne diseases.
Nepal’s Water Quality
Although most households in Nepal have access to running water, over 10 million of Nepal’s 28 million residents do not have access to water that is safe to drink, as it is often contaminated with E. coli bacteria.
Drinking Water
- Rank: 131/180
- EPI Score: 25.7/100
Although the EPI was unable to score wastewater management for the region, other studies have shown that the country has very poor wastewater management, and this is the region for much of the drinking water contamination.
Land Pollution in Nepal
Land pollution in Nepal is not particularly bad, especially compared to its air and water. This is likely due to the major environmental protections the country has on the natural areas of the Himalayan mountains, which Nepal relies on for tourism income.
Solid Waste Management
- Ranking: 89/180
- EPI Score: 30.5/100
Ecosystem Services
- Ranking: 29/180
- EPI Score: 67.8/100
The land pollution that does exist in Nepal is mostly due to the dumping of solid residential waste, which can harm soil health, and further, ecosystem health. Nepal scores well in Ecosystem Services, however, meaning that it has had little recent habitat loss and has been proficient in maintaining its important and diverse ecosystems.
Key Takeaways
Here’s the big picture of pollution in Nepal:
- Overall EPI Ranking: 145/180
- Air Pollution: Intense air pollution due to industry and vehicle emissions, especially in the region of the Kathmandu Valley, causing major health issues to residents.
- Air Pollution Rank: 178/180
- Water Pollution: Most water is polluted and disease is spread through drinking water due to improper sewage disposal.
- Drinking Water Rank: 131/180
- Land Pollution: Poor solid waste management but not much recent habitat loss in the country.
- Solid waste management rank: 89/180
- Ecosystem Services rank: 29/180