Nepal is a small landlocked Himalayan country situated between two major Asiatic civilizations: India to the south and Tibet, an autonomous part of China, to the north.

For political and administrative reasons, Nepal is structured along hierarchical lines. It has three different levels of administration as, rural municipalities (460) and urban municipalities (293), metropolitan municipalities (6), sub-metropolitan municipalities (11) and municipalities (276)), districts (77), and provinces (7).

There are three elements which best distinguish an area’s urban or rural character. They are ecological element (population by ecological region), economic element (economic activities especially revenue collection) and social characteristics (which are difficult to measure).

Nepal is a least developed country in the world with per capita of US$ 877 in 2017. Nepal ranks 197th in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita and 145th out of 186 countries in terms of Human Development Index.

Karnali Province has the lowest access of irrigation facility of land (22.9 percent) and Province No. 3 has the lowest cultivated land (73 percent) whereas Province No. 2 has the highest (66.3 percent) with the highest cultivated land area (89.9 percent).

Around 66 percent of the Nepalese population is engaged in agriculture and the nutritional status of Nepalese people is poor. It ranks 118th out of total 162 countries in the world with an average daily dietary energy consumption of 2340 kilocalories per day and 2.3 million people (8.1 percent) are undernourished. Based on Population Census 2011, the highest proportion of total population is found in Province No. 3 (20.9 percent), followed by Province no. 2 (20.4 percent) and the lowest in Karnali Province (5.9 percent)

About 27 percent of Nepal’s population is multi-dimensionally poor. By place of residence, the rural-urban divide is evident, with 7 percent of the urban population and 33 percent of the rural population being multi-dimensionally poor. Similarly, Provinces 6 and 2 have the highest rate of multidimensional poverty – with every second person being multi-dimensionally poor (50 percent) – followed by Provinces 5 and 7 (approximately 30 percent). The major contributing indicators to overall poverty in Nepal and in rural Nepal are malnutrition and insufficient years of schooling.

Of total 35,601 schools, the highest number of schools is found in Province No. 3 (7388) and lowest in Karnali Province (3199). Likewise, comparing school student ratio, the highest ratio is recorded in Province 4 (64 per 10 schools) and the lowest in Province No. 2 (31 per 10 schools). The net enrollment rate from Grade 1 to 8 in Province No. 2 (79.2 percent) and Province No. 5 (91.2 percent) is below the national average of 92.3 percent.

Karnali Province has the lowest access of irrigation facility of land (22.9 percent) and Province No. 3 has the lowest cultivated land (73 percent) whereas Province No. 2 has the highest (66.3 percent) with the highest cultivated land area (89.9 percent).

Of total food production 5.36 million metric tons in the FY 2015/16, the demand for food was 5.43 million metric tons – a food deficiency of 71 thousand metric tons. Despite the plain cultivable land in Province No. 2, food deficiency is still pervasive (i.e. 112,000 metric tons), followed by province No. 3 and Karnali Province.

Literacy rate is noticed highest in Province No. 3 and the lowest in Province No. 2. The literacy rate in Province No. 1 and Province No. 3 is above the national average. Similarly, life expectancy at birth in Province No. 2, Province No. 3 and Province No. 4 is above the national average 68.8 years, whereas, it is below the national average in other provinces.

In terms of hydroelectricity generation, Province No. 4 represents the largest share in production (477.9 Megawatt) to date whereas Province No. 2 and Karnali Province have not generated hydroelectricity as of yet.

Of total 35,601 schools, the highest number of schools is found in Province No. 3 (7388) and lowest in Karnali Province (3199). Likewise, comparing school student ratio, the highest ratio is recorded in Province 4 (64 per 10 schools) and the lowest in Province No. 2 (31 per 10 schools). The net enrollment rate from Grade 1 to 8 in Province No. 2 (79.2 percent) and Province No. 5 (91.2 percent) is below the national average of 92.3 percent.

The access of local road facility is found highest in Province No.3 (14900 Km) whereas Karnali Province No. 7 (3724 Km) and Province (2607 Km) have comparatively less access. As per the records of the number of industries registered in the Department of Industry, Province No. 3 comprises the highest numbers of industries (4961) and the lowest number in Karnali Province (38).

Out of the total deposit collected from mid-July 2016 to mid-July, 2017 more than two-third (72 percent of total deposits) has been collected in Province No. 3.

In terms of hydroelectricity generation, Province No. 4 represents the largest share in production (477.9 Megawatt) to date whereas Province No. 2 and Karnali Province have not generated hydroelectricity as of yet.

Based on the total cultivated land, there is access of irrigation facility in 22.9 percent of land, the lowest, in Karnali Province and 66.3 percent in province No. 2, the highest. Likewise, of total arable land, Province No. 2 has the highest cultivated land area i.e. 89.9 percent and Province No. 3 has the lowest, 73 percent, cultivated land.

Of total food production 5.36 million metric tons in the FY 2015/16, the demand for food was 5.43 million metric tons – food deficiency of 71 thousand metric tons. Despite the plain cultivable land in Province No. 2, food deficiency is still 112,000 metric tons. Likewise, Province No. 3 and Karnali Province are also the food deficient provinces.

Province No. 3 represents the highest proportion of financial institutions (i.e., commercial banks, development banks and other finance companies) (29.2 percent of 5164) whereas Karnali Province has the least (2.9 percent). In terms of the services rendered by the branches of class A, B, C banks and financial institutions, population per branch is found the highest in Province No. 2 (17,973 persons) and the lowest in Province No. 4 (4,640 persons).

Out of the total deposit collected from mid-July 2016 to mid-July, 2017 more than two-third (72 percent of total deposits) has been collected in Province No. 3. The proportion of the share of credit expansion has also been recorded in Province No. 3 (57 percent) while compared to other Provinces. Thus, it is apparent that the presence of banks and financial institutions and their resources have been highly concentrated in Province No. 3.

Programs of fulfilling basic social needs such as decent job, minimum food security clean drinking water and safe housing should also be implemented in such deprived areas.

Government of Nepal has adopted a unique socio-economic development model in accordance with its long-term objective of building a “Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepalis,” which is only possible through high economic growth and its equitable distribution. However, Nepal presents unique challenge for rural development. There are two major challenges. The first is that around 61 percent of total local units is rural whereas about 63 percent of total population is residing in urban territories.

This contrast plays an important role in the processes of rural and urban development. Another reason is that Nepal is still under transition from the post-conflict status involving a complex and challenging political scenario. There are still increasing signs of unrest within the country. If economic and social conditions do not improve at a rapid pace, such unrest will become more pervasive highly detrimental to the prosperity of the country.

To reduce the gap between rural and urban regions, including regional inequality across provinces tremendous efforts should be made through intervention in health and educational programs in the poorest rural areas and provinces. Alongside, programs of fulfilling basic social needs such as decent job, minimum food security clean drinking water and safe housing should also be implemented in such deprived areas.

Views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the stance of Khabarhub.