Nepal’s cities are growing, but not in the way they should. With the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) leading a single-majority government, expectations are high. People want visible change. They want it in their streets, their air, and their daily lives. Nowhere is this more urgent than in Kathmandu.
Kathmandu today is a city under pressure. Air pollution has reached alarming levels. In early 2026, most air quality monitoring stations in the valley recorded “red alert” conditions, meaning the air was unhealthy for all residents. In some areas, PM2.5 levels crossed 200 micrograms per cubic metre, far beyond safe limits. On average, pollution levels in Nepal are already over eight times higher than WHO guidelines, and Kathmandu often experiences even worse spikes.
Recent reports show that PM2.5 levels in the valley have been 7–8 times above WHO safety limits, contributing to a major public health crisis and reducing life expectancy by several years. The causes are not unknown. Vehicle emissions, construction dust, waste burning, and unregulated urban growth are choking the city. Kathmandu has over 1.75m vehicles, nearly 80 percent of them two-wheelers, crowding narrow and poorly planned roads. Traffic congestion has become a daily burden. Commuters spend hours in gridlock. Productivity is lost. Frustration is growing. Public transport remains fragmented and unreliable. Private vehicles continue to dominate. This is not just poor planning. It is a governance failure.
Kathmandu’s problems reflect deeper structural issues. Urban planning has been weak. Enforcement has been inconsistent. Institutions are fragmented. Responsibilities overlap. Coordination is limited. Balen who was Mayor of the Kathmandu Metropolitan city has come to power promising efficiency and reform. Urban governance is where that promise will be tested.
The first priority must be restoring order in the city. Building codes exist, but they are often ignored. Land use plans are prepared, but rarely enforced. Illegal constructions continue. Roads are expanded without proper drainage. Public spaces disappear under pressure. A functioning city needs rules. Those rules must be enforced fairly and consistently.
The second priority is improving daily services. Citizens judge governments by everyday experience. Clean streets matter. Reliable waste collection matters. Time spent in traffic matters. Waste management in Kathmandu remains fragile. Landfill solutions are temporary and contested. A more coordinated system is needed, including segregation, recycling, and private sector participation. Transport reform is equally urgent. Public transport must be modernised. Routes must be rationalised. Digital tracking systems can improve efficiency. Electric mobility offers a long-term solution, but management reform is needed immediately.
The third priority is air pollution. This cannot be treated as a seasonal problem. It is a year-round crisis. Pollution peaks in winter due to atmospheric conditions, but its sources are constant. The government must act across sectors. Vehicle emissions must be reduced. Construction practices must be regulated. Waste burning must be controlled. Clean energy and electric transport must be scaled up. Urban health depends on clean air. Without it, economic growth loses meaning.
The fourth priority is strengthening local governments. Municipalities have authority, but not always capacity. Many lack trained urban planners, engineers, and environmental specialists. Decisions are often reactive, not strategic. The Balen government must invest in capacity. Cities cannot be managed without expertise. Technical staffing must be strengthened. Data systems must be improved. Planning must be evidence-based.
The fifth priority is inclusive urban development. Kathmandu valley is not one city. It is a city of inequalities. Informal settlements are expanding. Low-income groups struggle to access housing and services. Public spaces are not accessible to all. Urban policy must include everyone. Affordable housing, safe mobility, and inclusive infrastructure must become priorities. Cities must work for women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Migration adds pressure to this system. Kathmandu valley continues to absorb people from across the country. It may also absorb returnee migrants from abroad. Many bring skills and experience. But without planning, they will join an already strained urban system. Cities must be seen as economic hubs. Planning must connect housing, jobs, and infrastructure.
The sixth priority is coordination. Urban development cuts across ministries and levels of government. Yet coordination remains weak. Projects are delayed. Resources are wasted. The Balen government must fix this. Roles must be clear. Systems must be integrated. Decisions must be coordinated. Without this, even good policies will fail.
Finally, the government must manage expectations. Urban transformation takes time. Roads cannot be rebuilt overnight. Pollution cannot disappear in a season. Systems take time to reform. But direction matters. Early actions must show change. Cleaner streets. Better traffic management. Visible enforcement. Responsive services. These are signals that governance is shifting. The Balen government has political momentum. But momentum fades without delivery. Kathmandu valley is not just a city. It is a test. If the government can improve air quality, reduce congestion, strengthen services, and enforce planning, people will believe that change is possible. If not, the same urban frustration will continue.
The author is an international development consultant with over 20 years of experience in gender equality, social inclusion, governance, and monitoring and evaluation across Asia and Africa
