Domestic commercial land acquisition is a recent phenomenon in Nepal; it is rapidly
expanding and increasingly occupying productive agricultural land for real estate and other nonagricultural
commercial purposes. This paper analyses the present situation and the implications
of domestic land acquisition, and identifies actors and forms of land deals and associated
conflicts. The study was conducted in Kathmandu Valley (27° 32′ 13′′ N to 27° 49′ 10′′ N and 85°
11′ 31′′ E to 85° 31′ 38′′ E) and Chitwan District (83°54′ 45′′ to 84°48′
15′′ E and 27°21′
45′′ to
27°52′ 30′′ N), the areas of Nepal most affected by domestic land acquisition. In the absence of
statistical material, purposive sampling was used to identify households for a survey of 208
respondents; this was complemented by qualitative research and a review of media and other
documents. Respondents confirmed that land acquisition is increasing at a very rapid rate and is
driven by a nexus of politicians, land brokers and real-estate actors, and that it has caused not
only food insecurity but also numerous conflicts between local people and the land deal actors.
Existing policies and legislations were found to be inadequate to address the challenges brought
about by the domestic land acquisition process in Nepal.