Editing Nepal (section)

== Infrastructure ==

===Energy===
[[File:Kaligandaki A HPS Tailrace Channel.jpg|thumb|upright|Middle Marsyangdi Hydroelectric Dam. Nepal has significant potential to generate [[hydropower]], which it plans to export across South Asia.]]
The bulk of energy in Nepal comes from biomass (80%) and imported fossil fuels (16%).<ref name=adb17>{{cite report|title=Nepal energy sector assessment, strategy, and road map|date=March 2017|url=https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/356466/nepal-energy-assessment-road-map.pdf|publisher=[[Asian Development Bank|ADB]]|access-date=3 December 2019|archive-date=11 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191211215216/https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/356466/nepal-energy-assessment-road-map.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Most of the final energy consumption goes to the residential sector (84%) followed by transport (7%) and industry (6%); the transport and industry sectors have been expanding rapidly in recent years.<ref name=adb17/> Except for some lignite deposits, Nepal has no known oil, gas or coal deposits.<ref name=adb17/> All commercial fossil fuels (mainly oil, LPG and coal) are imported, spending 129% of the country's total export revenue.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/from-a-fossil-past-to-an-electric-future/|title=From a fossil past to an electric future|last=Rai|first=Om Astha|date=2 November 2018|language=en-US|access-date=3 December 2019|archive-date=3 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203120850/https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/from-a-fossil-past-to-an-electric-future/|url-status=live}}</ref> Only about 1% of the energy need is fulfilled by electricity.<ref name=adb17/> The perennial nature of Nepali rivers and the steep gradient of the country's topography provide ideal conditions for the development of hydroelectric projects. Estimates put Nepal's economically feasible hydro-power potential at approximately 42,000 MW.<ref name=adb17/> Nepal has been able to exploit only about 1,100 MW. As most of it is generated from run-of-river (ROR) plants, the actual power produced is much lower in the dry winter months when peak demand can reach as high as 1,200 MW, and Nepal needs to import as much as 650 MW from India to meet the demands.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nepalitimes.com/from-the-nepali-press/more-than-half-of-nepals-electricity-imported-from-india/|title=More than half of Nepal's electricity imported from India|work=Nepali Times|language=en-US|access-date=3 December 2019|archive-date=3 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203120847/https://www.nepalitimes.com/from-the-nepali-press/more-than-half-of-nepals-electricity-imported-from-india/|url-status=live}}</ref> Major hydro-power projects suffer delays and setbacks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/nea-to-build-10-new-hydropower-projects/|title=NEA to build 10 new hydropower projects|date=26 August 2019|website=The Himalayan Times|language=en-US|access-date=3 December 2019|archive-date=3 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203120847/https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/nea-to-build-10-new-hydropower-projects/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://kathmandupost.com/money/2018/08/17/power-generation-to-increase-by-750-mw|title=Power generation to increase by 750 MW|website=Kathmandu Post|language=en|access-date=3 December 2019|archive-date=3 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203120846/https://kathmandupost.com/money/2018/08/17/power-generation-to-increase-by-750-mw|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://kathmandupost.com/money/2019/06/09/nepal-fails-to-meet-energy-sector-targets-in-the-current-fiscal|title=Nepal fails to meet energy sector targets in the current fiscal|website=Kathmandu Post|language=en|access-date=3 December 2019|archive-date=3 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203120847/https://kathmandupost.com/money/2019/06/09/nepal-fails-to-meet-energy-sector-targets-in-the-current-fiscal|url-status=live}}</ref> Nepal's electrification rate (76%) is comparable to that of other countries in the region but there is significant disparity between the rural (72%) and urban (97%) areas.<ref name=adb17/> The position of the power sector remains unsatisfactory because of high tariffs, high system losses, high generation costs, high overheads, over staffing, and lower domestic demand.<ref name="USAID SARI">{{cite web |title=Energy sector in Nepal |url=https://www.sari-energy.org/PageFiles/Countries/Nepal_Energy_detail.asp |access-date=15 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425173323/https://sari-energy.org/PageFiles/Countries/Nepal_Energy_detail.asp |archive-date=25 April 2012 }}</ref>

===Transportation===
Nepal remains isolated from the world's major land, air and sea transport routes, although, within the country, aviation is in a better state, with 47 airports, 11 of them with paved runways;<ref name="World Factbook">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/nepal/|title=South Asia :: Nepal – The World Factbook|publisher=Central Intelligence Agency|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=9 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109075733/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/nepal/|url-status=live}}</ref> flights are frequent and support a sizeable traffic. The hilly and mountainous terrain in the northern two-thirds of the country has made the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive. {{As of|2016}}, there were just over {{convert|11890|km|0|abbr=on}} of paved roads, {{convert|16100|km|0|abbr=on}} of unpaved roads, and just {{convert|59|km|0|abbr=on}} of railway line in the south.<ref name="World Factbook"/> {{As of |2018}}, all district headquarters (except [[Simikot]]) had been connected to the road network.<ref name=milroad/> Most of the rural roads are not operable during the rainy season; even national highways regularly become inoperable.<ref>{{cite web |title=Connecting Nepal's Rural Poor to Markets |url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2009/12/17/connecting-nepals-rural-poor-to-markets |access-date=4 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130422061224/https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2009/12/17/connecting-nepals-rural-poor-to-markets |archive-date=22 April 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> Nepal depends almost entirely on assistance from countries like China, India and Japan, for building, maintenance and expansion of the road network. The only practical seaport of entry for goods bound for Kathmandu is [[Kolkata]] in India. The national carrier, [[Nepal Airlines]], is in poor shape due to mismanagement and corruption, and has been blacklisted by the EU.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kathmandupost.com/national/2019/09/14/the-rise-and-fall-of-nepal-airlines|title=The rise and fall of Nepal Airlines|website=Kathmandu Post|language=en|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=21 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921093639/https://kathmandupost.com/national/2019/09/14/the-rise-and-fall-of-nepal-airlines|url-status=live}}</ref> Internally, the poor state of development of the road system makes access to markets, schools, and health clinics a challenge.<ref name="Encarta"/> Nepal has the worst road infrastructure in Asia.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nationthailand.com/international/30339429 | title=Best and worst Asian countries for road quality | date=22 February 2018 }}</ref>

===Communication===
According to the [[Nepal Telecommunications Authority|Nepal Telecommunication Authority]] MIS August 2019 report, voice telephony subscription rate was at 2.70% of total population for fixed phones and 138.59% for mobile; 98% of all voice telephony was through mobile phones.<ref name=ntams>{{cite report|title=Nepal Telecommunications Authority MIS Report Shrawan, 2076|publisher=Nepal Telecommunications Authority|date=August 2019|url=https://nta.gov.np/wp-content/uploads/MIS-2076-Shrawan.pdf|access-date=3 December 2019|archive-date=15 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115130612/https://nta.gov.np/wp-content/uploads/MIS-2076-Shrawan.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Similarly, while an estimated 14.52% had access to fixed broadband, an additional 52.71% were accessing the internet using their mobile data subscriptions; almost 15&nbsp;million of them with 3G or better.<ref name=ntams/> The mobile voice telephony and broadband market was dominated by two telecommunications companies, the state-owned [[Nepal Telecom]] (55%) and the private multinational, [[Ncell]] (40%).<ref name=ntams/> Of the 21% market share enjoyed by fixed broadband, around 25% was again shared by Nepal Telecom, with the rest going to the private Internet Service Providers.<ref name=ntams/> Although there is high disparity in penetration rate between the rural and urban areas, mobile service has reached 75 districts of the country covering 90% of land area, and broadband access is expected to reach 90% of the population by 2020.<ref name="World Factbook"/>

===Media===
{{main|Mass media in Nepal}}
{{As of|2019}}, the state operates three television stations as well as national and regional radio stations. There are 117 private TV channels and 736 FM radio stations licensed for operation, at least 314 of them, community radio stations.<ref name="World Factbook"/> According to the 2011 census, the percentage of households possessing radio was 50.82%, television 36.45%, cable TV 19.33%, and computer 7.28%.{{sfn|2011 National Census|pp=2, 32}} According to the [[Press Council Nepal]] classification, {{as of|2017|lc=y}} of the 833 publications producing original content, ten national dailies and weeklies are rated A+ class.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/press-council-nepal-classifies-833-newspapers-magazines/|title=Press Council Nepal classifies 833 newspapers, magazines|date=15 January 2017|website=The Himalayan Times|language=en-US|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=4 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204092850/https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/press-council-nepal-classifies-833-newspapers-magazines/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2019, [[Reporters Without Borders]] ranked Nepal at 106th in the world in terms of press freedom.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/nepal-slides-six-places-down-press-freedom-rankings-states-rsf-report/|title=Nepal retains its position in press freedom rankings, states RSF report|date=19 April 2019|website=The Himalayan Times|language=en-US|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=20 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420133927/https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/nepal-slides-six-places-down-press-freedom-rankings-states-rsf-report/|url-status=live}}</ref>