Professor D. D. Poudel, the Founder of the Asta-Ja Framework

Asta-Ja Framework:

Asta-Ja is a theoretically grounded grassroots-based planning and management framework for conservation, development, and utilization of natural and human resources.

Asta-Ja means eight of the Nepali letter “Ja” [Jal (water), Jamin (land), Jungle (forest), Jadibuti (medicinal and aromatic plants), Janashakti (manpower), Janawar, (animals), Jarajuri (crop plants), and Jalabayu (climate)]. Asta-Ja promotes accelerated economic growth and socio-economic transformation of the nation.

It is a scientific, holistic, systematic, self-reliant, and multidisciplinary framework for the conservation, development, and utilization of Asta-Ja resources.

The eight elements of the Asta-Ja system are very intricately linked and strongly connected. Hence, it is important to have sustainable conservation and development of each of the eight elements of Asta-Ja for better functioning of the entire system.

Asta-Ja Framework emphasizes community capacity-building, self-reliant, and national, regional, and local level planning and development of environmental and natural resources for socio-economic transformation of the nation. Asta-Ja is the backbone of Nepal’s economy. Therefore, the best governance of Asta-Ja is the ultimate goal of a government.

Sustainable Natural Resources and Environmental Quality:

Natural and human resources (i.e. Asta-Ja) constitute the backbone of Nepal’s economy.

While utilizing natural resources, there is a possibility of adverse impact on the environment leading to the degradation of natural resources and reduction in their future supplies.

This affects our future generation.

Therefore, sustainable management and utilization of natural resources is necessary to meet the demand of current generation without compromising the need of our future generation.

Sustainable management of land, irrigation water, crop varieties, animal breeds, wildlife, medicinal and aromatic plants, mineral and mines, and natural beauty of Nepal for food, energy, tourism, employment, and industrial growth is a fundamental challenge for Nepalese planners and natural resource managers. 

A thorough assessment of natural resources in relation to their status, problems, and opportunities for their best development and utilization is necessary for sustainable development.

In Nepal, large tracks of agricultural lands are left barren mainly due to labor shortage and lack of market opportunities.

Even fully irrigated lands are being underutilized, producing just one crop in a year.

Similarly, national parks and conservation areas are underutilized because of poor infrastructure coupled with lack of appropriate programs and strategies.

Drying springs is an increasing and widespread environmental and hydrological problem.

Surface water pollution due to sediments, pathogens, nutrients, and other substances is affecting public health and freshwater supply.

For sustainable agricultural and natural resources development, it is critical to identify, develop and implement appropriate sustainable technologies and practices for crop production including the management of livestock, irrigation water, soils,  forests, national parks, and other natural resources across the nation.

Local communities should be sufficiently aware of agricultural and natural resources issues such as food security, pesticide residue and food safety, environmental pollution, market opportunities, water quantity and quality, forest degradation, climate change impacts, and livestock health.

Therefore, there is an urgent need for a coordinated effort from public media, governmental agencies, private sectors, academia, business communities, industries, and other stakeholders for community awareness on agricultural and natural resources development and management.

Science-based natural resources development and management policies, strategies and practices are necessary for higher agricultural productivity, economic growth, and natural resources sustainability. Air pollution is a major environmental problem in Nepal.

Air pollution has been a huge burden to the residents of Kathmandu, threatening the lives of thousands of people every year.

Air and water pollution adversely affects the tourism industry.

Rapid urbanization, unplanned development activities, smoke from brick kilns, ongoing road widening drives, construction works, trans boundary air pollution, chemical uses in agriculture, exposed ground surfaces and increasing number of vehicles have contributed to making Kathmandu one of the most polluted cities in the world.

Large construction works generally have greater potential for environmental impacts.

Therefore, appropriate preventive and mitigation measure are necessary to take in minimizing environmental impacts, including public health impacts, while pursuing developmental works.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA):

Developmental projects such as roadways, hydropower, freshwater diversion, transmission lines, airports, railways, ropeways, reservoirs, sanitary landfill sites, and industrial and chemical plants have significant environmental impacts including social, economic, ecological, biological, human health and wildlife.

Often the impacts of such projects are environmentally devastating such as extinction of plant and animal species, serious public health impacts, and the occurrence of anthropogenic natural disasters such as subsidence, sinkholes, landslides, earthquakes, tunnel collapses, and land degradation.

Because it is often too costly to retrofit environmental projects when the problems occur, it is prudent to have a thorough investigation of proposed developmental projects in relation to its environmental impacts before making decision on its implementation.

Hence, the utmost importance of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as a planning approach for developmental projects with potential impacts on environment is obvious.

Environmental Impact Assessment is an umbrella term used in the evaluation of proposed developmental projects or policies with regard to their implications on all aspects of environment including biophysical, socio-economic, and cost. The approach of EIA emerged from the US National Environmental Policy Act 1970 (NEPA). Environmental Impact Assessment also involves identification of alternatives and their evaluation for the best possible actions.

EIA is recognized globally as one of the necessary approaches for sustainable development and management of natural resource and environment.

It is well- recognized by a large numbers of international conventions, protocols and agreements such as the Convention of Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea, and the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.

Under the umbrella of EIA, a number of assessment approaches are developed including Health Impact Assessment (HIA), Social Impact Assessment (SIA), and Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA). HIA is emerging as a serious component in recent years as community and individual impact of developmental projects and policies have become increasingly major concern globally.

Another emerging approach is the Sustainability Assessment (SA), which focuses on the environmental sustainability due to proposed plans, policies, or projects. We can find many other assessment approaches such as Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA), Cultural Impact Assessment (CIA), Post-disaster Impact Assessment, Human Rights Impact Assessment, and Climate Change Impact Assessment in the literature.

Climate Change Impact Assessment is a very complex issue, and it requires reconciliation of national policies and programs to greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, and climate change adaptation strategies. Environmental Impact Assessment is an important approach to sustainable development and management of natural resources.

The EIA process is triggered with a proposed project or an action.

The decision on EIA should account for special environmental conditions and impact receptors of the proposed project.

Broadly speaking, the process of EIA can be divided into three major components: 1) Scoping, 2) Impact Prediction and Evaluation, and 3) Environmental Impact Statement.

“Scoping” is a key step in EIA, which generally involves: a) defining criteria for assessment, b) identifying data gaps for assessment, c) identifying potential environmental, socio-cultural, bio-physical, and other impacts on the communities including livelihoods and access of local communities to the resources, and d) setting range of alternatives in meeting the objectives.

Sufficient time and resources is necessary for comprehensive baseline data (quantitative and qualitative) collection, compilation, analysis and synthesis.

The second key step in EIA is the “Impact Prediction and Evaluation” of the proposed and the alternative activities. In this step, the issues identified in “Scoping” are analyzed, the types of impacts are identified, and their magnitudes are predicted.

Modelling may be necessary in order to understand, for example, hydrodynamics, fate and transport of contaminants, ecosystem processes, etc.

Several alternatives will be eliminated at this stage, while potential alternatives may need detailed analysis for their consideration.

The third step in EIA is the “Environmental Impact Statement”, which is the development of an Environmental Impact Assessment document.

This document should present potential alternatives with in-depth analysis in relation to their environmental, socio-cultural, economic, public health, hydrology, and many other impacts and selection of the best alternative for implementation.

Detailed analysis and discussion on environmental mitigation measures is necessary. Preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) should involve all concerned agencies, communities, and stakeholders and the document should be shared with the concerned individuals and communities for its evaluation.

The document should present the environmental and other impacts of the proposed project in a clear and understandable format for public evaluation. Sufficient time should be given to the public for reading, discussing, digesting, and supporting or rejecting the EIS.

While EIA is mandatory by law in Nepal, its effective implementation is a matter of great concern.

For first time in Nepal, the need for EIA for large developmental projects was mentioned in the Sixth Five-Year Plan (1980-1985) and the Seventh Five-Year Plan (1985-1990) incorporated nationwide environmental management policy.

National EIA Guidelines were developed in 1992. Then, two major environmental policies, Environment Protection Act 1997 and Environmental Protection Regulation 1997, were enforced in 1997.

These acts require the proponent to prepare Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) and EIA and get approval from governmental authority for the implementation of a developmental project.

Currently, Department of Environment under the Ministry of Forests and Environment serves as the final authority with regard to reviews, revisions, publicity, and approvals/disapprovals of the EIA report submitted by proponent ministries in Nepal.

Nepal’s Constitution, Section 26 Article 251 stipulates functions, duties and powers of the National Natural Resources Fiscal Commission (NNRFC), which is one of the Constitutional organs in the country.

Among other duties and responsibilities, the NNRFC is expected to studying and making suggestions to the Government of Nepal about Environmental Impact Assessment for the best utilization and development of natural resources.

Therefore, it is the duties and responsibilities of the governmental agencies as well as that of the public in proper implementation of EIA.

It is important that people understand, internalize, and take active part in the EIA processes and on the implementation of mitigation measures for minimizing environmental, socio-economic, cultural, biological, ecological, hydrological, and other impacts.

Governmental agencies and other concerned institutions must educate public and promote its active participation on EIA process for better environmental quality and sustainable natural resources.

In addition, there is a great need for the development of EIA techniques and approaches that allow quick and better Environmental Impact Assessment. In part 6 of this series, the author will discuss Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) in natural resources governance.