Equity in the Built Environment in Least Developed Countries: The Case of Rural Municipalities in Nepal

The United Nations states that the “Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.” On the macro-level, “they address the global challenges we face, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice.” For those in the least developed countries, what happens at the micro-level counts. Implementing strategies to improve accessibility for remote communities would greatly assist in advancing the sustainable development goals. Discussions of the built environment often focus on larger population centers such as cities and towns. The development of rural areas is neglected, and members of the rural population drift to the larger population centers, where they often become part of the poor, out-of-work underclass. At the same time, it is difficult to recruit and retain staff such as engineers, public health officials, police, teachers, and other essential workers. Even where the issue is recognized, there is a need to prioritize development. This chapter focuses on accessibility in the built environment for isolated rural centers with a focus on Nepal, providing a framework for accessibility infrastructures to be mobilized for advancing sustained and impactful development.