Nepal is a country where the industrial growth is limited, making land the most economic asset.
In recent years, there has been a steady pattern of migration in Nepal from the hill and mountain regions to the Terai.
The 1981 Nepalese census indicated a pronounced shift from a mountain-rural to a plains-urban society (Goldstein; Ross; Schuler).
Furthermore, deforestation in the Terai is drastically reducing the country’s timber resources, and is also increasing soil erosion and flooding (Weiner).
Finally, political leaders in Nepal feel the hill and mountain regions represent the cultural heartland of the country and they do not want to see these areas abandoned for the Terai.