Kathmandu

Kathmandu Metropolitan City

• Introduction

  Kathmandu, the capital city and only metropolis of the Kingdom of Nepal, is the cosmopolitan heart of the Himalayan region. Situated in a bowl-shaped valley at an altitude of 1,300 meters, it is a modern financial and business hub, exotic tourist destination and a sacred goal for pilgrims. Its vision is a city, which is beautiful, well managed and full of life, a city where citizens are proud of their natural and cultural heritage and look forward to a bright future.

• City Data (2009)

  Population (persons)	671,846 (3 per cent of national population) (Census 2001)
  Area (km2)	50.8
  Number of Households	152,155 (Census 2001)
  GDP per Capita (US$)	360
  Climate	10 °C (January) - 32 °C (April), Annual rainfall 1,407 mm
  Major Languages	Nepali, Newari, English
  Major Industries	Tourism, Carpet, IT, Handicraft, Garment

• Urban Issues and Projects

  Priority Concerns

  Proper urban planning, delivery services including waste management
  E-governance and ICT in the global context
  Electronic taxation system

  Main Projects and Contributions

  River corridor improvement and Land-pooling
  Public Private Participation in heritage conservation, physical infrastructure development, and capacity building

  Technical Cooperation with Other Cities

  7 Sister Cities, 1 Friendly City (Asia: Xi'an in China, Matsumoto in Japan, Yangon in Myanmar)
  Membership of 6 int'l organisations (CITYNET, UCLG, Metropolis, OWHC, LHC, ICLEI)

  Cooperation Offered

  Sharing views and experiences on cultural heritage preservation
  Sharing knowledge on the use of mass media such as radio and television in urban development
  Sharing and providing opportunity of research on natural resources (flora and fauna)

  Cooperation Requested

  Institutional strengthening through capacity building activities
  Revitalising resource mobilisation and service delivery system
  Effective solid waste management