According to the census of 2001, Nepal's population was 23,151,423 with annual growth rate 2.25 percent. The population growth rate is very high in Nepal compared to many other countries. The trend of migration from mountain and hill to Terai region and from rural to urban is also high. The relationship between population and environment is complex. On the one hand, people modify environment for their use and on the other, they themselves are affected by consequential changes in the environment. The consumption of resources is a major cause of environmental change. The higher the economic level and larger the size of the population the more the consumption of resources. Improved technology enhances productivity by least affecting the environment; however, improved technology is rather expensive. As just a marginal land is being cultivated, the population growth has led to shortages of food at places. It has resulted depletion in forest areas, which has caused frequent landslides, floods as well as soil erosion. High rate of population growth also warrants increased spending on the social services such as education, health, drinking water and other basic needs. It has increasingly been difficult to meet the growing demands of people for these services.