A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science

Thesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1996

Due to the rapid rate of urbanization, and the lack of a proper planning system and regulations, the urban area of Kathmandu Valley is expanding in haphazard and uncontrolled manner. The suburban and fringe areas lack the basic network infrastructure and social facilities. The private developers are involved in land subdivision and servicing projects are not following uniform norms and subdivision standards. Hence to cope with these problems the government introduced land management techniques such as guided land development and site-and-service projects, which were not so successful. This was due to the lack of finance, landowner's poor participation and uncoordinated, irrational project planning and management. The government also launched a pilot land pooling project in Gongabu. It has been now successfully implemented, though it took about 8 years to complete the project. The government has very limited capacity to provide serviced urban land and as a consequence there is increasing informal sector unplanned and leapfrog development. The present study reviews and assesses the urban land development process in the Kathmandu Valley with particular reference to the private land subdivision and land subdivision-and-servicing projects and the Gongabu Land Pooling (LP) Project initiated by the government. It also recommends measures for improving the urban land development process by promoting the land subdivision and land subdivision and servicing projects. The study also aimed to identify the lessons of the Gongabu LP Project and recommend improvements for preparing and implementing future LP projects in Nepal. This thesis reports the case study of the Gongabu LP project and also presents five mini case studies of private land subdivision and servicing projects. The study found that the LP technique is a feasible land management technique to guide and control the development of the suburban and fringe areas of the Kathmandu Valley. However it needs improvement to achieve its objectives more quickly. Private developers and landowners are willing to participate in such LP projects. The study recommends that a separate main Land Pooling Agency be established under the Ministry of Housing and Physical Planning with full authority to plan, prepare, and undertake LP projects and that such projects should be undertaken only after the agreement of concerned agencies and landowners. To increase the numbers of LP projects, the private sector should be involved and the role of each sector should be clearly defined. The private sector should also be encouraged and assisted to carryout good standard land subdivision and servicing projects so as to further improve urban land development in the Kathmandu valley.