aspects listed below: •
Political/legislative aspects: This highlights the local level policies adopted by the individual local governments that impact the activities in the border towns.
•
Economic aspects: Economic activities that are peculiar to the given border town have been analysed. It tries to answer the questions of why certain economic activities are more common in that particular border town compared to others, and how such activities impact the bordering regions.
•
Social aspect: Peculiar social characteristics of border town have been determined and analysed. Social issues such as migration (inward/outward), poverty, and livelihood, etc. have been determined.
Observation Kodari
Rasuwa
Birgunj
Bhadrapur
Political aspects It has been the primary
Rasuwagadhi border point
Largest volume of trade
The region is yet to be
corridor
bilateral
rose to prominence post-
of Nepal takes place
politically
trade between Nepal
2015 earthquake as Kodari
through
at
the
and Tibet (now China)
border point was shut.
and thus its economic
level
despite
for more than half a
importance has been
strategically located.
century.
misused
for
this
for
point
recognised national being
political
causes. The
Government
of
The plans of Government
Due
to
occasional
China views the Kodari-
of China to extend railways
geo-political
Zhangmu border region
to Kerung by 2020 as a
between
and Araniko Highway as
part of its Belt and Road
Nepal,
security-sensitive area.
tensions
India
Border on
inhabitants
the
Nepali
side
and
of the border seem
border
dissatisfied with the lack
Initiative has further aided
region has been a victim
of action on promises
Rasuwagadhi’s irrevocable
of political turmoil.
made
this
rise to prominence.
by
political
parties in the area.
A border zone through
China elevated the border
The political tensions
Local
an agreement allows
point as an international
between
and
efforts and promises
border
checkpoint in 2017 and
India
the
seem passive at best in
cross the border up to
subsequently
economic
30 km on either side
people from third countries
impact local residents
without a passport or
to cross the border.
on both sides of the
visa.
residents
to
allowed
Nepal
such
as
blockade
government’s
the region.
border.
DISSECTING BORDERNOMICS |
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