Achieving sustainable development in practice?: lessons from the Nijgadh Verdict in Nepal

Abstract

This opinion considers the decision made by the Supreme Court of Nepal in the case of Prakash Mani Sharma v The Government of Nepal which concerns the proposed construction of Nijgadh International Airport in a densely forested area of Nepal. In doing so, it considers the views of environmentalists, developers, airport authorities and the government. It also suggests what lessons can be learned from the decision, and emphasizes the importance of applying the concept of “sustainable development” to evaluating such a problem.