Rice and Bricks: Environmental Issues and Mapping of the Unusual Crop Rotation Pattern in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

The Kathmandu Valley in Nepal has experienced a very rapid increase in population resulting in considerable land use/land cover change and also a series of environmental problems. One of the results of the population increase is an expansion of brick manufacturing within the Valley because most stru...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental management (New York) 2007-06, Vol.39 (6), p.774-782
Main Authors: Haack, Barry N, Khatiwada, Gyanendra
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural practices
Air pollution
Air Pollution - adverse effects
Air Pollution - prevention & control
bricks
Conservation of Natural Resources
Construction Materials
Crop rotation
Crops, Agricultural
Dry season
Environmental impact
Environmental management
Environmental Monitoring
Geography
Groundwater levels
Humans
Kathmandu
Land use
land use change
Nepal
Oryza
Oryza sativa
Remote sensing
Seasons
Water Pollution - adverse effects
Water Pollution - prevention & control
Water Supply
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The Kathmandu Valley in Nepal has experienced a very rapid increase in population resulting in considerable land use/land cover change and also a series of environmental problems. One of the results of the population increase is an expansion of brick manufacturing within the Valley because most structures are brick. The brick kilns are intense in several locations of the Valley and have an interesting pattern of using the same lands for bricks during the dry season and then conversion to rice during the wet, summer monsoon months. The increase in brick production has contributed to environmental problems including decreased soil productivity, lowered ground water levels, and particularly air pollution. Brick manufacturing has little, if any, effective regulation. There is a lack of current, accurate data on brick production that could be resolved by remote sensing methods. Controls should be established and more information acquired on the location and impacts of brick production.
ISSN:0364-152X
1432-1009
DOI:10.1007/s00267-006-0167-0