Decentralisation has been a major concern of developing countries, the interna-

tional development organizations and the scientific community for more than SPRING RESEARCH SERIES
two decades. There is consensus today that decentralisation creates opportuni-
ties, enhances participation and promotes democracy at the local level.
47
In this work on local democracy in Nepal, Damodar Adhikari explores and
analyses how power is generated, shared and exercised in district development

LOCAL DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT PLANNING IN NEPAL

planning and implementation in a decentralised policy context. The study ex- Towards Local Democracy
plores local planning from the perspective of fostering democracy at the local
level: how citizen participation takes place; how central level fears of losing in Nepal
control over the power sharing and development process can be addressed;
how local governments, development agencies and communities exercise their
rationality and power; and how collaboration among stakeholders is structured. Power and Participation in
This study analyses these issues in the district of Kavre, Nepal, as a case study.
The author develops recommendations both for Kavre and for Nepalese policy-
District Development Planning
making and governance in general.
Damodar Adhikari
Damodar Adhikari holds a doctoral degree from the University of Dortmund,
Germany. He received a joint Masters in Regional Development Planning
from the School of Urban and Regional Planning (SURP), University of the
Philippines, and the Faculty of Spatial Planning, University of Dortmund,
Germany. In addition, he holds a Masters in Public Administration from Trib-
huvan University, Nepal. For more than 20 years he worked in public service
in Nepal. Since 2003 he has been working as an independent development
researcher and freelance consultant in the fields of planning, decentralization
and governance.

SPRING Research Series are jointly published by the SPRING Centre,

Faculty of Spatial Planning, University of Dortmund, Germany; the Depart-
ment of Planning, University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana; the
University College of Lands and Architectural Studies, University of Dar es
Salaam, Tanzania, and the School of Urban and Regional Planning, University
of the Philippines. SPRING is an international master’s programme on regional
development planning and management in developing countries jointly offered
by these institutions.

A programme similar to SPRING has been running in Nepal by Purbanchal

ADHIKARI

University since 2003. It was initiated by the SPRING Association of Regional

Planners of Nepal (SARP/N) and is supported by Nepalese SPRING alumni.

ISBN 3-934525-47-4 SPRING Research Series No. 47

47