15 B. The Nepali framework (learn these instruments)

1. Constitution of Nepal 2072 — Art. 30: the right to a clean environment as a fundamental right, including compensation for environmental harm; Art. 51: state policies on environmental protection; division of environmental powers across the federal schedules. 2. Environment Protection Act 2076 (2019) and Rules 2077 — integrated framework: initial environmental examination (IEE) and environmental impact assessment (EIA), pollution control, environmental auditing, protected areas. 3. Forest Act 2076 — community forestry, the celebrated Nepali model of participatory conservation. 4. National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2029 — protected species and parks (with landmark amendments protecting rhino, tiger, etc.). 5. Water resources, mining, and local-level laws — sectoral controls; local governments now set environmental by-laws. 6. International layer — Nepal is party to the Rio conventions (Biodiversity 1992, Climate Change 1992, Desertification 1994), CITES, and the Paris Agreement (2015) — implemented nationally (e.g., climate-change policy and the Environment Protection Act's climate provisions).