According to the report, the pandemic will push 96 million people, including 47 million women and girls, into extreme poverty by 2021, disrupting decades of progress on poverty.

Though the pandemic will impact global poverty, women will bear the heaviest brunt, especially women of reproductive age.

The projections show that by 2021, for every 100 men living in extreme poverty, there will be 118 women, which is expected to increase to 121 women by 2030.

As per the pre-pandemic estimations, the poverty rate for women was expected to drop by 2.7% between 2019 and 2021. But the new projections estimate an increase of 9.1% due to the pandemic.

With this, the total number of women and girls in extreme poverty is expected to reach 435 million, making the achievement of the pre-pandemic level even more challenging until 2030.

“We know that women take most of the responsibility for caring for the family; they earn less, save less and hold much less secure jobs – in fact, overall, women’s employment is 19% more at risk than men’s,” said UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

Among the key findings:

• Central and Southern Asia’s poverty figures will increase by 54 million
• Sub-Saharan Africa’s poverty figures will increase by 24 million
• The poverty rate in South Asia is expected to reach 13% in 2021
• By 2030, 18.6% of the global poor women and girls live in South Asia
• In South Asia, there will be 118 poor women for every 100 poor men, which will increase to 129 women by 2030

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High competition between the two Asian giants, India and China, to expand their base in South Asia is benefitting Nepal in its development.

The Himalayan nation stands in a strategic position between the two Asian giants, which makes it enjoy any part of development that the two countries vie for beyond their borders.

India’s efforts towards expanding its railways infrastructure resulted in the first-ever modern railway track for Nepal.

Indian Railways- A New Hope for Nepal’s Janakpur!
The new 34-km railway line connecting Nepal’s Janakpur with India’s Bihar is giving new developmental hopes for the country, in terms of business and tourism.

Nepali locals are elated at the new developments that the country is witnessing in the form of new railway lines and the new railway station that is underway.

“These train tracks are the best thing to happen to us in a very long time. We are all thrilled about getting a modern train that will make travel so much easier and cheaper,” a 62-year-old farmer Biswombar Sah reportedly said.

Another Janakpur local Naresh Chandra Jha, a restaurant owner, considers the new development as a boon to the region n boosting pilgrimage trade. “This is the biggest event for Janakpur. It will be a big contribution for development and boost the number of religious visitors,” says Jha.

While the new rail project under process connects only Jay Nagar and Janakpur, the upcoming
USD 80 million railway project is going to penetrate further into Nepal once operational.

Binod Ojha, an official supervising the new rail line project, has more to say about it.

The new railway line (once operational) will not benefit the passenger movement, but also facilitate easy movement of trade activity between India and Nepal.

“Once we start operating trains, people will be able to travel from here to New Delhi or even southern India. We will be well connected. Once trains begin to bring all these things from India, the cost will naturally go down. Our daily expenses will be much cheaper,” reads Ojha’s statement.

Developmental hopes aside, implementation part remains to be a long wait for many locals. The new passenger service connecting the countries is still awaiting its inaugural, which was expected in December 2018 on the occasion of the popular Bibah Panchami festival but did not happen.

India, A Step Ahead in Race
India is eyeing its railway expansion as a means to strengthen its foothold in the South Asian region and the move is being seen as a competition to the Belt and Road Initiative by the other Asian giant.

“Investment from both China and India are in the rising trend. It appears they are both competing with investments, but it is a healthy competition which is beneficial for Nepal,” said Uttam Wagle, a Nepal Investment Board spokesman.

However, analysts say that India is little ahead in the race enjoying high advantage of plain topography across the border, which makes it easy to lay railways.

“India has overtaken China in terms of connectivity by train because they have already laid down the tracks and the system could function immediately, but the Chinese plan is still on paper only,” says Dhruba Hari Adhikary, a Kathmandu-based analyst.

(Information Source: AP)

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The new center envisages to promote sustainable development and inclusive development across Nepal.

The Center considers overall economic transformation in line with SDG principles as a key focus area of operations towards Nepal’s development, says former UN Under-Secretary-General Gyan Chandra Acharya, who will be heading the SAWTEE Nepal.

Meanwhile, SAWTEE Chairman Posh Raj Pandey said the Center will bring together policies, politics and expertise engaging all the related stakeholders in their scientific and non-partisan research process.

Nepal SDGs
In his inaugural address, Nepal Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali informed that Nepal has already begun adopting SDGs at the policy-level and is currently working towards integrating them at gross-root levels of the country.

Gyawali feels that SDG implementation across local levels will help in engaging domestic and international stakeholders in the development process.

Meanwhile, former Foreign Minister Prakash Saran Mahat opined that rule-based implementation of these rights and procedures pertaining to sustainable and inclusive development is key for development.

With private sector leading the growth, the government should continue holding equitable distribution across the development chain, added Mahat.

How SAWTEE Works?
In collaboration with the government, the Center aims to be a catalyst in Nepal’s developmental process through a research, analysis, advocacy and dialogue methodology.

 “The activities of the Center will contribute not only to existing issues and policies, but will also provide alternate ideas to decision makers,” says SAWTEE Chairman.

According to a press release, the Center will majorly focus on: job creation, structural transformation, gender mainstreaming, sustainability, global partnership, and establishing an integrated, holistic & multi-stakeholder approach.

The Center’s activities will include politicians, experts, civil servants, private players, academia, among others.

Overall, SAWTEE’s Nepal aims to develop a well-planned national strategy for a full-fledged transformation of Nepali economy with support of the country’s existing federal, democratic and republican structure.

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The move closely watched by Indo-Nepal communities, resulted in positive outcomes as evident in Oli’s statements after the successful completion of his three-day visit during April 6-8, 2018.

As part of the visit along with his wife and 53-member Nepali delegation, Oli held discussions and special meetings with the Indian dignitaries including President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other key political leaders and personalities.

Significant and Fruitful

“My official visit to India was significant and fruitful. The visit has helped in clearing misunderstanding

and mistrust, and strengthening mutual trust and understanding. The bilateral relations will move forward in a new direction on the basis of equality and mutual interest,” Oli said in a statement after arriving at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu post his India visit, indicating a new era for Indo-Nepal bilateral ties under his government.

We have agreed to expedite past agreements and understandings reached between the two countries, he added.

As part of the visit, both the sides also discussed cooperation across various sectors. Let’s have a glance at some of the key highlights of sector-wise cooperation discussed during Oli’s visit:

In the bilateral meetings, India and Nepal agreed upon few key agreements that have been under discussion for quite some time.

Stating that both the Prime Ministers were satisfied with the bilateral talks, Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale informed that the two sides discussed strengthening of cooperation through agriculture, trade, defense, security, along with enhanced connectivity through railway and water ways.

Both the sides have reportedly come to a consensus on taking ahead the construction of Raxaul- Kathmandu railway line and the operation of Nepalese steamers for goods and public movement from Nepal to other countries.

Trade, Security & Inland Waterways

Towards trade cooperation, the two sides decided to develop inland waterways within the trade and transit framework for a seamless movement of cargo between the two countries.

During the discussions, Oli also raised concerns over widening Nepal’s trade deficit with India and urged Indian Government to encourage more Nepali exports.

With regard to security, he said, “We have strong relations when it comes to the aspect of security. We will work together to stop misuse of our open border.”

Green Revolution and Connectivity                                                                                                                  

As part of visit to the Uttarakhand’s GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, where he was awarded the honorary doctorate (Doctor of Science), Oli urged India’s support for revolutionizing agriculture in Nepal.

“Both India and Nepal are agriculture-based economies and should work together in boosting agricultural output,” Oli said in a statement.

On the occasion, Oli also welcomed the University’s collaboration in revolutionizing the Nepali agriculture sector saying, “Looking towards Indian varsities like GB Pant, one of the harbingers of the Green Revolution, who can aid us in achieving our objectives in this regard… I think if the university and Nepal collaborate in the sector, agriculture in our country will get revolutionized through a technological boost.”

He further said India’s and the University’s support are key for strengthening the two agricultural universities in Nepal that are in the initial stages of development with the need for research support.

In response, Uttarakhand Governor K.K. Paul expressed the University’s willingness to collaborate with the Government of Nepal in the fields of horticulture and herbal farming.

Lauding Oli’s visit, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat urged for improved connectivity between Nepal and Uttarakhand, especially in the border areas of Tanakpur and Dharchula.

He also pitched for direct flights between Kathmandu and Dehradun.

Call for Investment

As part of the visit, Oli held a round of discussion with the Indo-Nepal business community, wherein, he urged the Indian business community to invest in Nepal.

Citing Nepal’s investor-friendly environment, Oli pitched for investments across infrastructure, tourism, IT, agriculture and power sectors.

Stating that Nepal has fair and investor-friendly policies along with a supportive policy regime, Oli called on the businessmen for massive foreign investment.

“Indian investors have invested across the globe, so why not go to the next-door Nepal. Geographical proximity, easy access and cultural similarities are all there to make you feel good about Nepal,” noted Oli.

Potential Market & Incentives

Speaking on market opportunities Nepal has for the foreign investors or collaborators, Oli said, “Investors always look for market. Look at Nepal’s position. For us, market is not a problem, but production is a problem. It is lying between two vibrant economic powers with huge population of the world — India and China. That assures you of a promising market of 2.5 billion people. Seize the opportunity.”

Lauding European markets for their duty-free access to Nepal, he said, “We are ready to listen to you, your advises and suggestions. We want to know your views. We are committed to further improving our business climate.”

Wooing foreign investors, he noted that Nepal offers attractive incentives compared to other countries by way of simplified tax regimes and reduced tariffs.

He also informed about Nepal’s plans to establish Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in the cities sharing borders India along with offering necessary incentives to the industries, forming liberal labor laws, among others.

First International Cross-country Pipeline

As part of the visit, Oli and Modi inaugurated the long-awaited initiative of Rs 3.24 billion worth India-Nepal petroleum pipeline from Motihari to Amlekhgunj. This is the first international cross-country pipeline project in India.

Under the project, Indian Oil Corporation will supply Nepal’s major petroleum products from its Barauni Refinery and Raxaul depot in Bihar to Amlekhganj depot of Nepal Oil Corporation.

The 69-km-long pipeline project involves setting up of a 10.75-inch diameter cross-country pipeline that stretches from Motihari in Bihar to Amlekhganj in Nepal, with 32.7 km of pipeline in the Indian territory and 36.2 km in the Nepali territory.

The design-throughput capacity of this pipeline, which has pumping facilities at Motihari, stands at 2.0 million tons per annum.

This major project signed in 2015 is expected to be completed by March 2019.

The End Note

Overall, Oli’s recent visit to India has opened avenues for new form of bilateral cooperation between Nepal and India contributing to a strong South Asia. Now, it’s time for wait and watch!

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The two-day event (March 25-26, 2018) was inaugurated by the Chairman of Federal Socialist Party Nepal Upendra Yadav and jointly organized by the Center for South Asian Studies (CSAS) and the Konrad Adenauer-Stiftung. 

In his inaugural address, Yadav stressed on the need for revival of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) activities for achieving the aforementioned targets and said South Asia has a vital role in shaping the New World Order.

The CASAS Nepal Director Nishchalnath Pandey also pitched on the need for increased cooperation among the South Asian countries.

The conference is hosting experts and eminent personalities from eight South Asian countries including India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan for a wide range of discussions on issues related to regional cooperation and beyond that.

Reasons that led to the derailment of SAARC process is one of the key discussions to be made at the event.

Strengthening SAARC, Need of the Hour

There has been a lot of discussion among South Asian countries around this particular matter of strengthening South Asia for the overall regional development.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has also reiterated the same in his recent two-day visit to Nepal, wherein, he had termed Nepal’s support as vital for strengthening SAARC.

In this regard, he had also sought Nepal’s full-fledged support to host the upcoming 19^th SAARC Summit, which was initially planned in Pakistan but couldn’t move forward due to some issues.

Now, the move is expected to take a positive turn following the Pakistan premier’s aforementioned visit to Nepal.

On a similar occasion, SAARC Chamber President Suraj Vaidya had also opined that Abbasi’s recent visit would also boost regional trade and business cooperation.

Suraj had also urged SAARC to have a special focus on poverty alleviation and improvement of trade, commerce and health sectors, among others.

Towards strengthening SAARC, Nepal has hosted various SAARC conferences in the recent times which include 10th South Asia Economic Summit in November 2017, South Asia Religious Leaders’ Platform for Children in September 2017, South Asian Women’s Conference in August 2017, among others.

Nepal, Key for South Asia

As a strong SAARC supporter since its inception in 1985, Nepal has been playing a very important role in any development related to SAARC.

The World Economic Forum (WEF), in its Inclusive Development Index (IDI) 2018 in South Asia report, positioned Nepal at the top of other South Asian nations.

The WB report that studied inclusive growth of 103 world economies in terms of growth, inclusion, and inter-generational equity positioned Nepal at the 22^nd position among 74 countries, placing it at the top of South Asia.

In this report, India was seen at the 62^nd position preceded by Pakistan at the 47^th place (with an improvement over the previous year), Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at 34^th and 40^th positions graduating from 36 and 39 positions, respectively over the previous year.

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The initiative, a joint implementation of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Government of Nepal, aims to come up with innovative solutions to ensure fair market opportunities for the country’s farming community and their agricultural produce.

CMDP is expected to form a strong base for an effective market chain for Nepal’s agricultural produce including thus enhancing farmer income and their living.

“The active engagement and financing from the Ministry of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation shows strong commitment, leadership and ownership of the program. This partnership will directly benefit thousands of Nepali farmers over the next five years, through crucial support in modernizing their production and market chain,” says Renaud Meyer, Country Director, UNDP Nepal.

The program will focus on six districts near Kathmandu area owing to the prevalence of poor infrastructure, improper storage and transport facilities, inadequate market access and regulatory concerns issues.

This situation prevails despite a good number of farmers’ cooperative groups in the area.

Supporting UN Goals

Besides supporting market infrastructure, the program also aims at quality and quantity enhancement, while also ensuring consistency in supply of the agricultural produce.

As part of skill development, the initiative also focuses on training farmers on better techniques, building their marketing and institutional capacities.

Overall, the initiative is expected to benefit around 14,000 farmers and their families, thus also supplementing to the South Asian country’s implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 2 on fighting poverty and achieving food security.

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Nepal secured the 22^nd position among 74 countries and leads the South Asian region in this report that analyzed inclusive growth of 103 global economies by growth and development, inclusion, and inter-generational equity.

The other South Asian countries followed Nepal that was ranked 27 in IDI 2017.

While India ranked 62^nd, Pakistan improved from 52^nd in 2017 to 47^th place in IDI 2018. Whereas, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka remained at 34^th and 40^th positions in the IDI 2018 against their 2017 rankings (36 and 39), respectively in IDI 2017.

Three South Asian economies including Bhutan, Afghanistan, and Maldives did not appear in the IDI 2018 list.

IDI divided the world nations into two different groups namely advanced economies and emerging economies.

With a 4.15 score, Nepal stood between slowly-advancing and rapidly advancing nations list among other countries in the emerging economies category.

Meanwhile Lithuania has led the emerging economies’ chart in IDI 2018 with a score of 4.86. Hungary, Azerbaijan, Latvia and Poland are among the other top inclusive emerging economies.

While Norway stood as the world’s most advanced economy, Iceland, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Denmark were featured as the other four top advanced economies.

IDI measures economies ‘performance based on their economic progress in various terms in addition to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

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Nepal has drawn a wide global attention in the recent times and as a result, the global business community has also been expressing its willingness to invest in Nepal, every now and then.

India for infrastructure development, South Korea for smart city development, US in energy and education sectors, likewise, many other countries have come forward to invest in Nepal in the recent times.

In the recent past, the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (AFEC) have also signed a new agreement to boost business and trade ties between the two countries.

Following the trend, now the Japanese business community and Non-Resident Association (NRNA) Korea have also expressed their willingness to invest in Nepal.

“Foreigners would benefit by investing in Nepal, as the country is a gateway to reach out to markets of India, China and other South Asian countries,” says the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) President Bhawani Rana.

Nepal’s FDI Initiatives Are Encouraging: Japan

An official statement in this regard was made by the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Singapore (JCCIS) President Tochiori Takuhiro.

A 12-member JCCIS team, including eight Japanese companies that expanded their base to Singapore, has come to Nepal on November 06, 2017, to assess investment climate in the country and discuss cooperation in various sectors.

The companies in the delegation belong to various sectors such as textiles, manufacturing, tourism, banking, logistics, oil and gas.

“We are here because we see an opportunity in this country as it has young workforce and other potential to grow. Lately, the government has also started taking serious initiatives to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which is encouraging,” says Tochiori Takuhiro.

Tochiori was speaking at an interaction program organised by FNCCI on November 07, 2017.

On the occasion, Tochiori further informed that the team would meet domestic entrepreneurs of various sectors, over the next three days, to finalize the areas of cooperation.

NRNA Korea Keen on Investing

In a recently-held meeting with the Nepali trade delegation of 14 Nepal-Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NKCCI) members and 9 hoteliers, NRNA Korea has also expressed its willingness to invest in Nepal.

The Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) informed this in an official statement on November 07, 2017.

During the B2B meeting organized by Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), officials of NRNA Korea expressed commitment to work for bilateral trade and tourism promotion,” said HAN.

According to HAN, the delegation participated in an event called G Fair Korea and has also organized a trade promotion program titled- ‘Nepal: Your Destination for Tourism and Trade’.

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The five-day FSA 2017 festival being celebrated with the theme ‘Documentary Bears Witness’, is set to screen a total of 63 films selected from more than 300 submissions, the highest number of films being screened in the festival’s history.

Festival of Documentaries

The films to be screened at the festival include documentaries on current affairs that portray the public life and living in the region.

“South Asia is going through hard times and the documentaries we have curated for the festival reflect the human condition of the region,” says Kanak Mani Dixit, Chair of FSA, speaking at a press meet organized a day before the festival opening on November 02, 2017.

According to FSA Director Mitu Varma, “The audience also has a unique opportunity of viewing 12 Documentaries of Dissent, which have been banned or censored in other parts of South Asia.”

Pointing out at the functioning of film censorship across South Asia, Varma claimed that this festival reflects the courage of filmmakers in revealing truth through such films in the festival.

Mani Dixit and Mitu Varma said Kathmandu has the best audience for non-fiction films in South Asia and the organizers have also expressed their willingness to organize rescreening in line with the demand.

Festival Began with Documentaries of Dissent

The festival kickstarted on November 02, 2017 at Yala Maya Kendra with the screening of Student Films and Documentaries of Dissent, along with a masterclass by the festival Chief Guest Sashi Kumar.

The program moved on further with a grand evening ceremony screening Chandrasekhar Reddy’s Fireflies in the Abyss that depicts the life of Nepali migrant workers working in coal pits of Meghalaya. 

“While every film in the festival is worth your time, some of films such as Holy Cow, Sawari, Among the Believers and Satisaal in Inferno should not be missed,” says Dixit in a press meet.

To help the audience, the organisers have categorized the films by sub-genres and have also released a mobile app- Film Southasia 2017 that gives complete details about the event.

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Recent floods affected more than 16 million population in South Asia and above 500 people together in Nepal, India and Bangladesh.

According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), these floods are turning out to be one of the worst humanitarian crises in years.

“This is fast becoming one of the most serious humanitarian crises this region has seen in many years, and urgent action is needed to meet the growing needs of millions of people affected by these devastating floods. Millions of people across Nepal, Bangladesh and India face severe food shortages and disease caused by polluted flood waters,” said Martin Faller, IFRC Deputy Regional Director.

Martin further informed that one-third of Bangladesh and Nepal were inundated in floods and more than 11 million population were affected across northern parts of India.

Meanwhile, the Secretary General Dev Ratna Dhakhwa opined that the flood situation would likely result in food security challenges. “We fear that this destruction will lead to severe food shortages,” said Ratna Dhakhwa.

Relief Distribution Paces up in Mid-Western Nepal

Relief measures are fastly reaching flood victims of the four worst-hit districts of the mid-western Nepal. Undertaken by the District Natural Disaster Relief Committee, the government authorities are distributing cash, grams, rice grains, clothes and tents, among others to the victims affected by floods and landslides.

Various cluster groups formed under the DNDRC for overseeing education, health and sanitation, rehabilitation and relief distribution programmes have been sent to the villages struck by floods, informed Banke Chief District Officer (CDO) Ramesh Kumar KC.

Disease Break-out in Flood-hit Regions

Public across various flood-hit regions are suffering from severe health issues. The number of patients in the district hospital and other health centers of the district has increased.

Some have reportedly died of snake bite, diarrhea, common cold, among other problems.

According to Chuman Lal Das, Chief of District Public Health Office, patients suffering from diarrhea and common cold, among other diseases, increased in the flood-affected areas of the Siraha District. Health workers could treat patients as there was no dearth of medicines in the health facilities, Das informed.

On the other hand, hundreds of flood victims in Saptari are still waiting for relief packages. According to the locals, rice being distributed through helicopters is running out of stock and they were asked to borrow from their neighbors.

“We are compelled to live in hunger and our children have not eaten properly after the disaster, state presence is negligence,” said a local Bhutiya Devi Ram.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture and Development (MoAD) Secretary Suroj Pokhrel today informed that the Ministry is currently developing an immediate relief package to the flood-hit farmers of Tarai, which will be announced on August 23, 2017.

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