Nepal

Farmers whose land is located near a river have started to use the “Barsha Pump” – or “Rain Pump” – to irrigate their land.

It’s been three years since the NRA started the official reconstruction process after the 2015 earthquake. However, only few households have rebuilt so far out of the over 700,000 households eligible to the NRA house reconstruction grant.

Initial Election Commission (EC) figures suggest a huge voter turnout: 71 percent! But was it a peaceful local election in May?

It’s a virtual cliffhanger to follow the drama in the run-up to the local election. The election was recently split into two phases – May 14 and June 14, as opposed to just May 14 – and now the second phase may be in the balance.

Wild animals lurk as a real threat to villagers living near some of Nepal’s national parks and local forests.

Ever tried to contact a ministry by email and never get a reply? Well, many have, and now the chairman of the Local Bodies Restructuring Commission (LBRC) has too.

Charikot, the capital of Dolakha, was devastated by the earthquake in 2015, but it’s coming back to life.

It’s decided with the new constitution that the VDCs – the local bodies at village level – have to be replaced. But exactly when and how is still unknown.