KATHMANDU: Nepal is observing World Heritage Day today with a call to raise awareness about the importance of preserving the country’s rich cultural and natural heritage.
Celebrated annually since 1983, the day underscores the global effort to conserve UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites.
Nepal currently boasts ten such sites, including the Kathmandu Valley (Basantapur, Patan, and Bhaktapur Durbar Squares, Changunarayan, Pashupatinath, Bouddha, and Swayambhu), Lumbini, Chitwan National Park, and Sagarmatha National Park.
To mark the occasion, the Department of Archaeology organized a heritage walk in the capital this morning.
The event was jointly conducted by Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s Hanumandhoka Durbar Conservation Program, the Hanumandhoka Durbar Herchaha Adda, the Shree Swayambhu Conservation and Management Mahasamiti, Nepal Heritage Association, and the Bagmati Province Handicraft Association.
Cultural workers and various heritage organizations took part in the walk, which was held in the presence of Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pandey.
The walk began at Bhuinkhel in Swayambhu and concluded at the historic Hanumandhoka Durbar area, with the aim of encouraging public participation in heritage conservation efforts.
On the policy front, the government has taken a significant step by introducing the concept of Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) for development activities near heritage sites.
Previously, only environmental impact assessments were mandatory for large-scale infrastructure projects. However, increasing threats to cultural sites from modern construction have led to the institutionalization of heritage-specific assessments.
According to Director General Saubhagya Pradhanang of the Department of Archaeology, the Heritage Impact Assessment Procedure was introduced two years ago and is now in active implementation with trained personnel. This initiative marks Nepal’s first official effort to evaluate the heritage implications of development at the governmental level.
The Department has also included provisions for HIA in the proposed amendment to the Ancient Monuments Conservation Act, 1956. Although the legal amendment process is ongoing, the government has already begun enforcing the procedure through ministerial approval.
As per the current guidelines, any construction activity within heritage areas must be preceded by a detailed Heritage Impact Assessment report, ensuring that development does not come at the cost of Nepal’s irreplaceable historical and cultural legacy.
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