Conclusion

feature mostly arguments of cultural loss and degradation that emphasize the cultural and religious value of the Bagmati for the Nepalese people. This leads as well to activists criticizing the construction plans of parks that take the current state of river degradation and enclosure for granted.

This more nuanced perspective on the different stakeholders reveals that only the interests of the government are in direct opposition to the informal settlements since they have plans with squatted areas. The river cleaning activists may wish for a relocation of these settlements but only insofar as they contribute to the pollution and cultural degradation of the river, but they have concerns that go beyond this single aspect of the problematic state of Bagmati.

As Shrestha (2009) states, a nuanced strategy is needed for the overall development for the environment and for human well being. She argues that sustainable development goals should

also take into consideration issues of social justice and equality and mentions that brown agendas need to be mainstreamed in the overall sustainable development plan.

This could be done by conducting participatory processes where environmental problems are discussed and agreements should be reached on what issues should be prioritized (McGranahan and Satterthwaite, 2000). National policies should consider issues relating to ecological sustainability and try to integrate with other social and economic priorities (McGranahan and Satterthwaite, 2000). Involving all groups for a discussion aids in understanding the broader contexts of the region and helps identifying vested interests that try to block certain developments for personal gains. These learnings could be useful to understand our case of the Bagmati river where different stakeholders have different ideas and agendas for the development of the region and show how a consensus can be reached by better and inclusive planning for the future urban developments.

Drawing on academic literature and primary sources like interview and facebook content alike, this report aimed to highlight many perspectives of the stakeholders connected to the ongoing degradation of the Bagmati and its urban riverbanks in Kathmandu Valley. The current scenario is divided amongst the different stakeholders where the government plans to beautify the river and the surroundings, the activists want to clean the river and the settlers want a guaranteed land tenure. These divided approaches based on specific interests have led to a slower and an overall unsuccessful development of the space. It seems that city planning in Kathmandu would serve the majority of the citizens better by approaching the infrastructural problems of the city, regarding affordable housing as well as sewage and garbage management, instead of beautification projects. While the degradation of the Bagmati river and its banks in Kathmandu raises questions of ecological sustainability and social change alike, we want to conclude that to fully grasp the different situations and interest of the stakeholders of the river, it is necessary to deploy a more nuanced perspective that goes beyond the simple dichotomy of environmental versus social issues.

Even though it is a bold statement, while studying the case of Bagmati river and the political struggles surrounding it, we got the feeling that it would serve the public good, if the inhabitants of the informal settlements would be granted tenure rights. This would enable them to realize their potential to develop their settlements by themselves.