Migration in Nepal

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Nepal is a country where the industrial growth is limited, making land the most economic asset. However, obtaining land in Nepal is far from easy. During the period of colonization, land in Nepal was more abundant and people could obtain large amounts of land . As time passed, the frontier land became occupied, which placed a higher price on scarce land.

Contents

In recent years, there has been a steady pattern of migration in Nepal from the hill and mountain regions to the Terai. The Terai is a fertile agricultural area along the southern border of Nepal. The 1981 Nepalese census indicated a pronounced shift from a mountain-rural to a plains-urban society (Goldstein; Ross; Schuler). Authors Hrabvoszky and Miyan call this change “The Great Turnabout”.

The population in the mountain regions of Nepal has exceeded the carrying capacity of the land. Therefore, people are moving to the more arable lands of the Terai. It is estimated that 60% of Nepal’s population is concentrated in the hill and mountain regions, while 60% of farmland is in the Terai. The migrants hope to make a better life for themselves by moving to the agricultural hub of the country. However, these migrants are having difficulty finding affordable land.

“The Great Turnabout” is causing a great deal of tension in the Terai. The region is experiencing ethnic tension between the plains and hill people. Furthermore, deforestation in the Terai is drastically reducing the country’s timber resources, and is also increasing soil erosion and flooding (Weiner). Finally, political leaders in Nepal feel the hill and mountain regions represent the cultural heartland of the country and they do not want to see these areas abandoned for the Terai.

Migrants

Migrants are those peoples who are shifting from one place to another for something they are wishing. In Nepal, mainly people are migrating from undeveloped(rural) to developed(urban) areas. Migration maybe temporary or permanent. Rural population is way more less than urban population creating huge differences. Migrants are soul for that particular areas. People migrate due to pull and push factors.

Types of Migration

  1. Internal and International
  2. Temporary and Permanent
  3. Rural and Urban
  4. Legal and Illegal
  5. Volunteer and Forced

Types of Internal Migration

  1. Inter-district migration
  2. inter-province migration

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Nepal measures about 880 kilometers (547 mi) along its Himalayan axis by 150 to 250 kilometers across. It has an area of 147,516 km2 (56,956 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Nepal</span>

The current population of Nepal is 29,164,578 as per the 2021 census. The population growth rate is 0.92% per year.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terai</span> Region in northern India and southern Nepal

The Terai or Tarai is to a lowland region in parts of northern India and southern Nepal that lies to the south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas, the Sivalik Hills and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This lowland belt is characterised by tall grasslands, scrub savannah, sal forests and clay rich swamps. In North India, the Terai spreads from the Yamuna River eastward across Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. The Terai is part of the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion. Nepal's Terai stretches over 33,998.8 km2 (13,127.0 sq mi), about 23.1% of Nepal's land area, and lies at an elevation of between 67 and 300 m. The region comprises more than 50 wetlands. North of the Terai rises the Bhabar, a narrow but continuous belt of forest about 8–12 km (5.0–7.5 mi) wide.

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