From compliance to credibility: What may strengthen environmental assessment outcomes in Nepal?

Nepal’s environmental assessment framework has been in place since the late 1990s, evolving through successive regulatory updates, including the current provisions under the Environment Protection Act 2019, Nepal. Over nearly three decades, the system has expanded in scope, coverage, and procedural detail. It has created a structured pathway through which projects are screened, assessed, and approved, giving the impression of a system that is both active and institutionally embedded across sectors.

Yet, one question remains less examined. What has the system learned about itself, and to what extent has it been able to do so in a structured manner? In the absence of a portfolio-level reflection on how environmental assessment outcomes have influenced project design and performance, and how project implementation in turn informs future assessments, the process risks being understood primarily through its compliance function rather than its developmental value. Without such feedback loops, it becomes difficult to distinguish between a system that is functioning and one that is evolving with purpose.