Introduction

The Himalayan region incorporating Tibet, Nepal, and Northern Provinces of India reserves
significant religious-cultural assets, natural resources & sceneries, and unique geo-positional
advantage that maintain strong economic prospect based on tourism and trade. Yet so, the lack of
fundamental infrastructure and necessary initiative along the region to generate richness from the
unique values and advantages has unfortunately mired the very Himalayas into poverty and
underdevelopment.

In recognizing the immense economic potentialities of the Himalayas that has not been capitalized
yet, China now attempts to establish the Trans-Himalayan Multi-connectivity Network (THMCN) that
shall serve as the infrastructure connecting its hinterland Southwestern Province of Tibet with Nepal
and Northern provinces of India. It is believed to enable sufficient access and utilization of the
advantages and values of the region forming at the either ends of the Himalayas. This Trans-
Himalayan Corridor connecting Tibet with the gateways of South-Asia can also be considered as the
southwest bound extension of the Silk Road Economic Belt that is attempted with the main purpose
to alleviate poverty and create economic transition in the economically stagnated Tibet to achieve
political security and prosperity in the very region.

The Trans-Himalayan Multi-Connectivity Network project connecting Tibet province of China with
South Asian countries of Nepal and India across the south of Himalayas can be regarded as the
southern replica of the Silk Road Economic Belt ambition of China through which China attempts to
connect Xinjiang province of China with countries in the Central Asia and Middle-East Asia. Both of the
infrastructure connectivity projects are proposed with the purpose to establish economic prosperity
and eradicate political insecurity in two gigantic provinces of China that form almost entire of the
West China by connecting them internationally in West or South, and nationally with prosperous
provinces of China in the East.

Trans-Himalayan
Economic Corridor
In the meantime, the connectivity can also be expected to create positive economic implication in
the wider Himalaya region connected with the corridor. In fact, China itself believes in the vibrant
potentiality of the Trans-Himalayan Corridor to generate a sensation enough to assist the economic
movement all over India, Nepal and China that it dubs as Trans-Himalayan Economic Growth Region
(THEGR) (The Hindu: Wei Wei, 2014).

The Inclusion of Nepal in the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Connectivity Network:

Given the economic significance of the THMCN that attempt to establish tripartite connectivity
between India, Nepal & China and cooperation across the Himalaya, this program certainly is
economically auspicious for Nepal. On such regard, Nepal has managed to conduct successful
bilateral talks and treaties with government of China in past few years that enriches Nepal with
essential political pathway to swiftly incorporate itself into the Trans-Himalayan aspect of the Silk
Road Economic Belt. The signing of trade and transit treaty with China in March 2016 (Time: Iyengar
2016) followed by becoming the signatory country of the BRI in May 2017 (East Asia Forum: Chalise
2017) both under the pro-communist governments are of strategic importance to Nepal as these
treaties directly assist the trade-economic and diplomatic-foreign policy transitional ambition of
Nepal interlinked with the arrival of the THMCN.

In the meantime, the proposal of Xi Jinping to study the extension of the Qinghai-Lhasa Railway
network to Kathmandu, Pokhara and Lumbini cities of Nepal via Xigaze city of Tibet and bridging the
mid-western Himalayan province of Nepal in Karnali with the southwestern Burang city of Tibet
during the foreign visit of the former prime minister K.P. Oli to China also denotes realization of
China regarding the economic significance of stretching the Trans-Himalayan Corridor through the
strategic regions of Nepal (Shahi (b), 2016). After all, extending the Trans-Himalayan Corridor via
certain locations of Nepal shall allow the corridor to access vital religious-cultural and natural scenic
assets that significantly complement the unprecedented economic potential based on pilgrimage,
retreat and adventure tourism in the Himalayas. Besides, there are also other strategic vitalities of
Nepal based Trans-Himalayan routes based on spatial economics that warrant further discussions.

The intention of China to look forward to extend the Qinghai-Lhasa Railway network through the trade
strategic cities of Nepal can be regarded as also being motivated from the ambition of China to become a
leading economy of advanced manufacturing and technology through the platform of Belt & Road
Initiative (BRI). Marketing and exporting its high-speed railway technology and standards around the Asia
to begin with, is the crux of this initiative. The Nepal bound intention of China to export its railway
technology and standard in Himalaya comes in parallel with its ambition to establish its rail transport
market in other regions of Asia as South-East Asia, Central Asia, and Middle-East Asia with its ongoing
railway projects as China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Urumqi-Tehran Railway Project, and
Kunming-Bangkok Railway Project.

Meanwhile, it also becomes essential to elaborate that the socio-cultural & religious significance of
the Nepal routed Trans-Himalayan corridor in along with Nepal itself is founded on multiple
historical evidences that narrate the religious as well as other purposeful historically famous journey
of renowned spiritual leaders, intellectuals, and artists. Journeying along East-Chinese Provinces,
Tibet and Nepal for religious, spiritual, or artistic contributions, these ancient travellers had also
edified archaeologically important relics and structures with strong religious value based on Hindu &
Buddhist faiths along the route and destinations.

Historical religious-cultural significance of the Kathmandu routed Trans-Himalayan Corridor:

On such account, the mythologic tales of Swayambhunath Mythology may be the first to validate the
religious significance of route connecting East-China to Kathmandu via Tibet and the Kathmandu
itself. The Swayambhunath mythology acknowledges the edification of the Swayambhunath as its
ultimate culmination in time immemorial by a divine figure Bodhisattva Manjushree (prayed as one
of the deities in Hinduism & Buddhism) during his journey from the Wutai Shan Mountains of the
now Shanxi Province of China to Kathmandu valley in search of the brilliant radiance (Shahi (b),
2016). Known to have established where the lotus that emitted the brilliant radiance stood above
the great lake which now is the entire Kathmandu Valley (Nepali Times, 2010), the Swayambhunath
temple in Kathmandu City in along with Trans-Himalayan pathway that Manjushree took holds a vital
religious importance enough to generate a pilgrimage economy based on Buddhism along the route
by the East-Asian Community. Besides, the sacred value of the Kathmandu Valley itself on account of
it being established prehistorically as a Manju-port after Manjushree cut through a ridge surrounding
Kathmandu Valley with his divine sword historically recognizes the valley to hold significant religious-
cultural importance. Therefore, the Valley deserves the modern-day Trans-Himalayan connectivity
ambition through which tourism economic engagement founded over the great faith towards
Buddhism spreading over East-China, Tibet, and Nepal can be achieved.

The argument of connectivity is also bolstered with the existence of the Boudhanath stupa within
Kathmandu city which holds immense religious significance in Buddhism that complements
Swayambhunath temple to form a mini Buddhist circuit in the valley that enables auspicious practice
of the unique Buddhist circumambulation pilgrimage. Meanwhile, the historical significance of the
Boudhanath stupa further lies on evidence that the foundation of the stupa was constructed on the
order of Jyajima who was known to be a heavenly angel in her past life based on Buddhist faith
(Shahi (b), 2016).

The Trans-Himalayan route connecting East-China with Kathmandu Valley later absorbed further
socio-cultural importance in classical periods as a strategic route when it facilitated artistic cultural
and knowledge exchange between Nepal and China. It happened as the Nepalese artist Arniko
hailing from within Kathmandu Valley took a reverse course of the Manjushree’s journey beginning
from Kathmandu Valley to conduct sculpturing projects in Tibet and later in Beijing city of now Hebei
Province during 1245 -1306 A.D. while working for the court of Kublai Khan (Heide 2012).

Importantly, this Trans-Himalayan Route that led Arniko to flourish Nepali-Newari styled artistic
structures throughout the Yuan empire including the phenomenal White Dagoba/Pagoda in
Miaowing Temple in Beijing city (Post Magazine: Bhandari 2017) is bound to attract the
contemporary admirers of Arniko’s craftmanship in China along the route from East-China to
Kathmandu valley where such artistic styles originated from. It ultimately bolsters the potentiality of
tourism along this Trans-Himalayan Route based on admiration for historical arts and craftsmanship.
By 1905, the very Xi’an – Kathmandu route had also gained diplomatic significance as it was
frequently used by Nepalese government official on their way to Beijing court (Susanne Von Der
Heide 2012)
Historical religious-cultural significance of the Kaligandaki routed Trans-Himalayan Corridor
The pilgrimage path of historic spiritual leaders, Fa-Xian in 337 A.D. – 422 A.D. and Hieun-Tsiang in
602 A.D. – 664 A.D., whom had followed through the river banks of the Kaligandaki river in Western
Nepal approaching all the way from North-West China till the North of India had historically
recognised another majestic Buddhist route through western Nepal that connects Himalayas to the
current North Indian cities.

The two spiritual leaders had entered Nepal through the Himalayan valley of Mustang approaching
from Brahmaputra Valley in Tibet before reaching Lumbini city and Kapilvastu district in the south
border of Nepal along the very river bank. They had originally travelled all the way from Kashgar city
of now Xinjiang province of China along the Silk Road to traverse the Himalaya through the
Karakorum Pass before taking the renowned Buddhist route from Ladakh region of Jammu &
Kashmir (J&K) province of India. Later reaching Lumbini city and Kapilvastu district of Nepal following
the Kaligandaki Corridor, they had concluded their spiritual journey after reaching Sarnath,
Khusinagar, and Pataliputra cities of North India (Heide, 2012) significant to the life event of
Gautama Buddha.

This Trans-Himalayan aspect of the ancient Silk Road historically discovered by ancient spiritual
leaders connecting Buddhism following North Asian Himalayas until the gateway of South Asia laden
with events of Buddha’s life and attainment of enlightenment ultimately carries huge religious
significance for people following Buddhist faith. And, it reserves potentiality to trigger pilgrimage-
based economy all across the wider Himalaya region mostly arriving from Buddhists all over the Asia
and beyond.

Moreover, In being a vital aspect of this ancient Silk Road to the south, Mustang valley that lies at
the tip of the Kaligandaki river corridor is replete with centuries old monastery, temple, stupas with
inhabited caves and cave-temples engraved with marvellous wall-paintings and sculpture exhibiting
strong religious cultural emphasis that drew its origin to places as diverse and far as India, Tibet, and
Central Asia (Heide 2012). Besides for the religious archaeological values of the place, the religious &
cultural significance of Mustang valley is even heightened with the evidences that acknowledge the
valley to have been an important spiritual centre of the ancient silk road demonstrating closer ties
with West Tibet, Ladakh and places along the ancient silk route in Central Asia (Heide 2012). The
religious cultural significance of the Mustang valley is further bolstered with the evidence that the
second diffusion of Buddhism in Tibet had also started from the very region when renown spiritual
figures as Atisha, Marpa, and Milarepa of Buddhism had travelled to the then Kingdom of Purang-
Guge in Western Tibet through Mustang Valley in 11th century (Heide 2012). Temple sites and
monastic complexes were also built in Mustang under the influence of these three spiritual leaders
contributing to enormous intellectual & cultural process in the region (Heide 2012) with features
enough to engage phenomenal pilgrimage tourism from Buddhist all over the world only if proper
transport infrastructure is connected to the place in near future possibly through the medium of
Trans-Himalayan Corridor.

At the other end, the Lumbini city that lies at the toe of the Kaligandaki river bank is also known to
have always been an important Buddhist cultural hub of the Himalayan aspect of the ancient Silk
Road that took religiously auspicious visits from various spiritual leaders as Fa-Xian and Hieun-Tsiang
arriving from other side of the Himalayas (Shahi (b) 2016). Meanwhile, Lumbini being a recognized
United Nations Education and Scientific Cultural Organization (UNESCO) world heritage site also is a
one-half of the Lumbini-Sarnath Buddhist circuit that reserves significant religious importance for
devotees of Buddhist faith (Sharma 2016).

Caution: The embedded pictures are of uneven ratios and is distorted purposefully

All in all, the historic settlements and developments along the Kaligandaki river banks in Nepal from
its tip to toe with vibrant socio-cultural, intellectual, and religious significance during the era of
ancient silk road civilization represents the upmost modern-day vitality of this river and the places
alongside to it for pilgrimage and culturally motivated tourism based on Hindu and Buddhist faith.
Henceforth, the regions of Kaligandaki river deserves to be part of any emerging Trans-Himalayan
Corridor willing to access the gems of ancient Himalayas.

Historical religious-cultural significance of the Karnali routed Trans-Himalayan Corridor

Besides for these two Trans-Himalayan aspects of the ancient silk road passing through Nepal with
rich religious and socio-cultural significance, another ancient Himalaya route known to have
traversed through now Humla & Jumla districts of Nepal also leaves noteworthy archaeological
significance concerning religion, trade and community (Shahi (b), 2016). The archaeological
discoveries of copper plate, inscriptions, stone steles, and remains of Buddhist temple sites &
sculptures found in the region covering Humla, Jumla, and Sinja Valley of Nepal possibly dating from
12th-15th century during the presence of Khasa empire (Heide 2012) reserves strong potentiality to
engage culture-based tourism in the very region of western Nepal from the contemporary aspirers of
Himalayan aspect of Silk Road civilization. Moreover, the cultural and intellectual (symbolic)
significance of this Himalayan region belonging in Karnali region is further elevated with the
historical evidences that recognize it as the place where intellectuals arriving from both Northern
and Southern region connecting the ancient Silk Road used to hold conferences on religion and
philosophy (Shahi (b), 2016).

In recognizing how the Humla and Jumla districts of Karnali zone used to be the hub for intellectual
discussions and knowledge exchange for intellectuals arriving from different parts of the world that could
be alike to what now is Bangalore city of India or the southern San Francisco city of United States of
America (USA) known for fostering IT cluster, it is of great pity to presently see these mid-western
districts of Nepal suffering from abject poverty with alarming health and education deficit due to lack of
even fundamental infrastructure presence as road network.
Capitalizing on the Nepal bound THEC opportunities: Gyirong-Kathmandu & Kathmandu-Pokhara -
Lumbini Railway route

The historical religious and socio-cultural significance of the Himalayas along the region of Nepal
founded as part of the ancient mythology or witnessed during the period of ancient Silk Road
civilization certainly approves the importance of the Trans-Himalayan Corridor to pass via Nepal in
order to venture upon the economic potentiality of pilgrimage and retreat-based tourism in the
Himalayas. Given that, the proposal to extend the Qinghai-Tibet express railway from Xigaze to
Gyirong county of Tibet touching the Rasuwaghadi Nepal-China border point from the Nepal side
(The Kathmandu Post: Upadhaya 2017) can definitely be regarded as the strategic decision by China
to capitalize on the very opportunities that remains by drawing the Trans-Himalayan Corridor
through the region of Nepal. Likewise, the Chinese initiation to conduct the feasibility study of
Gyirong-Kathmandu railway extension in along with Kathmandu-Pokhara-Lumbini triangle strategic
railway development (The Kathmandu Post, 2017) confirms China’s decision to take advantage of
the economic values located in regions of Nepal before the Trans-Himalayan Corridor would stretch
further to North India.

Developing a Lhasa-Xigaze-Kathmandu-Pokhara-Lumbini route connecting religiously important

location of Bihar and UP originating all the way form Xi’an of the East China would represent an
aspect of the Trans-Himalayan portion of the ancient Silk Road that reserves significant economic
and cultural value (Shahi (b) 2016) as discussed previously. On this regard, Pradumna B. Rana had
also proposed a similar route connecting Kunming of Yunnan province of China through Lhasa and
Kathmandu city till New Delhi city of Delhi province in the west and Kolkata city of West Bengal
Province of India in the east while engaging in Asian Development Bank studies in connecting the
southern regions of Asia (Asian Development Bank Institute 2016).
 The proposed railway extension from Xigaze to Gyirong county in the east certainly remains in
competition with the similar proposal to extend the railways from Xigaze to Yadong county in
the west that meets Nathula Pass in Sikkim province of India (thus bypassing Nepal) to become
the part of the Trans-Himalayan stretch (Shahi (b), 2016). But, Xigaze-Gyirong railway extension
retains comparative advantage against the Xigaze-Yadong extension as a southern passage of
Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridors on multiple grounds

 Economic significance:
The Trans-Himalayan Corridor extending from Gyirong county via Rasuwaghadi border point
in Nepal passes through the strategically important cities as Kathmandu, Pokhara & Lumbini
which is unavailable along the province of Sikkim in India.

 Physical feasibility:
The elevation of Rasuwaghadi border point is only 2600m above the sea level in compared to
Nathu La pass of Sikkim which is about 4297m above the sea level making the railway
infrastructure construction and operation more cost-effective and time-efficient in former
extension than the later.

 Political feasibility:
The observed diplomatic progress between Nepal and China in relation to BRI (i.e., the
parent program of Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor) makes it politically feasible to extend
the Trans-Himalayan corridor through Nepal than through India as India has not only
criticized the BRI internationally but also had a military stand-off against China in the Doklam
region along Chumbi Valley

Source: Yogendra Shahi (2016)

Furthermore, the logic of prioritizing the Kathmandu route in the concept of Trans-Himalayan
Corridor also comes from the perspective of spatial economics as this route lying at the waist of
Nepal’s width is also the fastest route to connect China with the most economically vibrant cities of
India being Mumbai, New-Delhi, and Kolkata (Shahi (b), 2016). With potentiality of being an
expressway bridging India and China only if the waist route via Nepal is fortified with adequate high-
speed railway infrastructure (Sharma 2016), this route via Nepal can considerably deduce the travel
time between the Northern cities of India & below and Southern hinterland cities of China & beyond
to invent an entirely unfounded Trans-Himalayan economy based on tourism, retreat service, and
even high-volume trade. The trade route after-all accompanies the South-Asian giant (i.e., India)
deeply interconnected with rest of South-Asian economies and the Northern second largest
economy of the world (i.e., China) highly interconnected with East-Asian, South-East Asian and soon
Central-Asian and Middle-East Asian economies. Not to mention, the route can establish itself as a
strategic hub that facilitates economic and trade movement between India and China by establishing
trade-conducive industries as freight & warehousing, banking & insurance within it. Furthermore,
this particular Trans-Himalayan route stretching from Kathmandu via Rasuwaghadi border point to
Pokhara and Lumbini cities also passes along the tributary of Koshi and Gandaki rivers alongside
where Nepal’s largest Hydro-power station Kaligandaki ‘A’ power station (144 MW) and hopefully
the upcoming future largest Budigandaki Hydro-power station (1200 MW on completion) (shahi (b),
2016) shall be established. Not to mention, the two of largest hydropower projects can sufficiently
contribute towards the Trans-Himalayan economy as an energy infrastructure potentially powering
the highspeed railway network running across the corridor.

Capitalizing on the Kaligandaki Corridor as an aspect of Trans-Himalayan Corridor:

It is imperative to recognize that the Nepal routed Trans-Himalayan Corridor that shall observe the
extension of the railway track from Kathmandu city to Pokhara city and Kathmandu city to Lumbini
city via Pokhara or Kurintar eventually arrives at the Kaligandaki Corridor as the route furthers from
the junction of small Kurintar/Mungling city. The Kaligandaki Corridor stretching from the Northern
border of Upper Mustang to Gaindakot city of Nawalparasi district of Nepal and Palpa city of Tansen
district of Nepal via Beni and Baglung cities before arriving to Bhairawa and Lumbini cities at the
Southern border of Nepal through Butwal city (The Kathmandu post, 2017) reserves its own
economic significance in contemporary Nepal. The corridor features now faming scenic rugged
terrain of Mustang highlands also filled with historical religious & cultural significance, cosmopolitan
cities as Pokhara & Chitwan consisting of natural and crafted beauties as Phewa lake, World Peace
Pagoda, Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) & Chitwan National Park, and culturally important cities as
Lumbini in the south with hallmark of Buddhist temple & monastery specimens present all around
the world. Such characteristics recognize the potentiality of the Kaligandaki corridor to harness
multipurpose tourism economy apart from few industrial activities observed in its southern cities as
Butwal that is part of Nepal’s industrial Terai (i.e., southern plain) Belt.

In the meantime, while the Nepal routed Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor is pledged to comprise
the half of the regions covering the Kaligandaki Corridor in the south mostly via the railways (i.e.
region within Kurintar-Pokhara-Chitwan-Lumbini stretching from Kathmandu), the northern aspect
of the Kaligandaki corridor furthering from Pokhara city towards the top of Mustang district
importantly needs to be incorporated in the Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor as well.

Along the same line, China has already accomplished the road connectivity to Ko Rala Nepal-China
border point of Upper Mustang from China side as the 20 KM dirt track connecting the northern
border of Nepal from Southmost Tibetan region was constructed lately within the period of 5
months (The Kathmandu Post: Tripathi, 2017). However, a proper road infrastructure connecting Ko
Rala of Upper Mustang with Jomson city of lower Mustang for Mustang district to be a functional
part of any prevailing corridor is yet developing as the Nepal government is scrambling to construct
the Jomson - Ko Rala 110KM road stretch to form a sufficiently connected Kaligandaki Corridor
stretching 435KM north-south from Ko Rala to Gaindakot of Chitwan district (The Kathmandu Post,
2017).

Eventually, the completion of Ko Rala – Jomsom stretch and Rasuwaghadi-Kathmandu &

Kathmandu-Pokhara-Lumbini express railway will succeed an aspect of the aspired Trans-Himalayan
Economic Corridor traversing the Himalayas from multiple entry point in the north connecting to the
southern border to largely contribute towards THEGR through transnational multipurpose tourism
economy and land-based trade.
Caution: The Railway tracks may not fall exactly upon the roadways as presented above. The representation is only made such
to maintain neatness of the image

The strategically important Mid-Western Trans-Himalayan Route: Karnali Corridor

In addition to formation of routes stretching at strategic regions of Central and Western Nepal as
part of the Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor connecting via Nepal, incorporating the mid-western
Karnali region that reserves multiple strategic potentialities may only complete the purpose of the
Trans-Himalayan Corridor to reach every potential avenue in Nepal that could bolster the THEGR.
The Karnali region with presence of rich archaeological values in the Humla-Mugu-Jumla districts
gathered during the important periods of history (see above) consists of natural attractions as Rara
lake and Rara National Park in the north and Bardia National Park in south forming a Karnali corridor
with immense multipurpose tourism potentiality especially arriving from North India. Likewise, the
corridor also acts as a bridge allowing pilgrimage from India to renowned Kailash-Mansarovar circuit
of Hindu faith as Hilsa region of Upper Karnali is the southern pathway to Burang city of Ngari
prefecture of Tibet where Kailash-Mansarovar circuit is located (Shahi (B), 2016).

On such regard, the floated concept of connecting the Hilsa region with the Burang city on the other
side of the Himalayas towards the North as a third trans-Himalayan route of the Trans-Himalayan
Economic Corridor especially serves the economy of Tibet and Nepal based on religious tourism by
attracting potentially the largest volume of Hindu devotees from India for Kailash-Mansarovar
pilgrimage. Besides, the North-south running Karnali corridor as well allows the religious travellers to
aspire the natural beauty of Bardia National Park, Rara lake and Rara National Park along the way as
they seemingly enter the corridor from the Nepalgunj city in the south to exit from Hilsa in the
north. Therefore, this corridor running across the width of Nepal acting as a bridge to connect
Southern devotees with northern pilgrimage destination is certainly of economic significance based
on multipurpose tourism in order for it to become another fruitful route of Trans-Himalayan
Economic Corridor through Nepal.
Having said, apart from the favourable proposal made by the Chinese president Xi Jinping to build a
bridge connecting Hilsa of Nepal with the Burang city of Tibet (Shahi (b), 2016), the road
infrastructure along the northern section of the Karnali within Nepal is yet not completely built to
form an infrastructurally fortified Karnali Corridor able to act as a portion of Trans-Himalayan
Economic Corridor generating the Trans-Himalayan tourism economy. However, the ongoing work of
opening the track from of the 196 kilometres road stretching from Kalikot district to Simkot of Humla
district under the courtesy of the Nepal Army (My Republica: Bhattarai 2017) in along with full
steamed effort to finish the Simkot-Hilsa road connectivity (Kantipur Daily, Rokaya 2017) is destined
to extend to Karnali Highway stretching from Surkhet District of Nepal to all the way to its northern
border of Hilsa in Humla district to finally create a multipurpose corridor with Trans-Himalayan
significance.

In speaking of the Trans-Himalayan Corridor as the ignition switch of the THEGR partially based on
Trans-Himalayan multipurpose tourism, this overall infrastructure concept as part of the Silk Road
Economic Belt could be comparatively beneficial to Nepal and underdeveloped regions of North
India than to China itself (Shahi (b) 2016). While China in unilaterally pursuing its ambition to foster
the economic growth in Tibet based on industrialization and domestic tourism economy, it has
certainly managed to create a tourism hotspot in Tibet with about 1.5 million tourists arriving in
Tibet mostly from East China in 2014 already (Shahi (b), 2016). And importantly, arrival of only 20%
of such tourists figure across the Himalayas as a success of Trans-Himalayan Corridor is actually
believed to be able to eliminate poverty in wider region of Nepal, UP, and Bihar (Shahi (b) 2016). On
such acknowledgement, it is paramount for the Nepal government and North Indian provincial and
Federal government to view the Trans-Himalayan proposal of China as a breakthrough opportunity
at once.
 World Peace
Pagoda

The Trans-Himalayan Buddhist and Hindu pilgrimage attractions significant to contribute to THEGR through
pilgrimage tourism are wide spread across the region of Tibet, Nepal, and North-India. Only a Trans-Himalayan
connecting corridor that touches such religious hotspots can create a vibrant pilgrimage-based tourism
economy arriving from richer areas of India and China to lift the economy of the Himalaya.

The significance of Nepal route as a transit to Trans-Himalayan high-volume trade:

The creation of THEGR from Nepal routed Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor is not only based on
the economic potentiality that can be generated from multipurpose tourism and pilgrimage possible
in region of Nepal. In fact, directing the Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor via the route of Nepal
also fulfils the purpose of the corridor to remain an effective & efficient transit route to sustain high
volume trade across the Himalayas (see knowledge box 5 for an illustration).

The comparative advantage of conducting Trans-Himalayan trade via the route of Nepal in term of
efficiency is also evidenced by the trade pattern observed in the Himalayan civilization of the ancient
Silk Road when traders used to prefer the passage through the Mustang Valley to trade across the
Himalayas on grounds of easy access partially due to absence of high mountain pass facilitating
greater interaction between the parts of India and Tibet (Heide 2012). Meanwhile, the feasibility of
Trans-Himalayan trade through the region of Nepal could also be the reason behind about quarter of
the Nepalese population to be involved in salt trade occurring from Tibet till southmost part of India
through Himalayas of Nepal in as recent as 1950s (Shahi (b), 2016). In fact, the characteristics of the
region of Nepal to remain as the vital transit route to Trans-Himalayan trade is proven by historical
oration of ancient traveller Hieun Tsiang who considered Nepal to be of economy based on trade
than agriculture during his arrival at Lumbini in 737 A.D. Meanwhile, the mythic claims that regard
Boudhanath of Kathmandu to have been built by the four trading sons of Jyajima who had brought
materials of construction from across the Himalaya by their caravans (Shahi (b), 2016) already
emphasizes the preferences to establish the Kathmandu route of Nepal down in the history as the
transit way to Trans-Himalayan trade that sure finds significance in present day.
As far as one may picture, the journey of present-day Nepal to capitalize on its strategical
geolocation as a transit way for the Trans-Himalayan trade begins with constructing a proper trade
conducive passage & infrastructure across its Northern border towards China. While there certainly
remains considerable amount of administrative and infrastructural issues to be dealt in its southern
custom points alone (see SAWTEE papers on trade), the status of cross-border trade infrastructure of
Nepal with its Northern neighbour is in fact in dire state especially after the April 2015 earthquake
that destructed the only major Tatopani custom point on Nepal side that used to lead to Tibet
through the entry point of Zhangmu custom city in Nyalam county. Thus, the destructive event left
only the highly under-facilitated Gyirong-Rasuwaghadi custom point for cross-border trade
operation in along with sparse informal cross-border movements allowed from other Northern
regions of Nepal mostly for local purposes.

Nevertheless, certain efforts of Nepal government in along with diplomatic cooperation with the
China government has led to progress in terms of commitment to build proper custom infrastructure
northwards from Nepal over the foundation of enabling treaties. It begins with the recent 15-points
treaty of Nepal with China struck by the effort of the former pro-communist government of Nepal
that escalates the need to build cross-border Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at the either sides of
Tatopani-Zhangmu custom points with Pachkhal mini city along the Araniko Highway recognized to
be the northern dry-port (Kantipur Publications: Maskey 2017). Likewise, the China’s proposal to
extend the Qinghai-Tibet railway from Gyirong county to all the way to Kathmandu acknowledges
the aspiration of both the Chinese and Nepalese government to build a railway fortified custom
infrastructure at Gyirong-Rasuwaghadi custom points with state-of-the-art port facilities (Kantipur
Publications: Makey 2017). Meanwhile, the recent elevation of Rasuwaghadi-Gyirong custom points
to international status in along with temporarily dysfunctional Tatopani-Zhangmu custom points
allowing third country trade via the new custom points (The Kathmandu Post, 2017) can be regarded
as a strategic regulatory brick to ultimately eventuate the two strategic ports as the gateways to land
based Trans-Himalayan trade incorporating the southern neighbouring country India. Such trade
strategies between the two countries ultimately complement the argument to build Pachkhal and
Bidur mini cities as the well-facilitated dry-ports enough to handle major proportion of Trans-
Himalayan trade occurring between China, Nepal, and India (Sharma (b), 2016).

Towards Birgunj-Raxual custom points

Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor as a mechanism for trade diversification for Nepal

In along with the potentiality of Nepal to become the gateway to Trans-Himalayan cross border
trade in fulfilling the purpose of the Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor, the corridor can also be the
gateway for Nepal to diversify its south confined trade relation towards North.

The trade scenario of Nepal whereby the country is almost unilaterally relying on India to conduct its
most of its international trade has not been economically beneficial for Nepal as it has only brought
trade deficit to Nepal that is barely relying on foreign remittance to secure positive Balance of
Payment (BoP) (see annual economic Survey reports of Nepal). While the domestic policies &
regulations in along with governance and prior conflict situations are mostly blamed for the lack of
trade competitiveness of the country, it is even believed that Nepal possibly does not retain
comparative advantage in virtually any products relating to manufacturing or agriculture produce
with India in the first place (Sharma (b) 2016). With such statement, it comes to a very disappointing
comprehension that Nepal is forever liable to be doomed in trade deficit with its only southern
trading partner. On top of that, Nepal’s reliance on India to import its much-needed petroleum
resources has even affected political independence of Nepal as India does not refrain from using its
resource monopoly card when it has to intervene in political scenario of Nepal as part of its greater
geopolitical ambition to become the regional hegemon of South Asia.

On the other hand, The Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor could be the most immediate avenue
for Nepal to diversify its trade towards its economically burgeoning northern neighbour China as it is
in its worldwide idealist campaign to preach regional prosperity through international connectivity.
Not only can the diversification allow Nepal to escape itself from the political clutches of India based
on trade monopoly, but it might also allow Nepal to move away from the scenario of trade deficit as
the country is believed to retain trade comparative advantage in certain specific products with the
nearest Tibetan province of China (Sharma 2016). While it is believed that the unique organic
produces in mountainous region of Nepal can present Tibet with high-value niche market (Sharma
2016), the food crops production in the warmer southern plains of Nepal may also find suitable
markets in the colder high-altitude region of Tibet. This prospect stands along the fact that the
agricultural productions of the arable southern plains of Nepal is not able to make its presence in the
current conventional Indo-Nepalese agriculture market that is dominated by the productions of
highly subsidized farms in India.

Meanwhile, building avenues of trade with China across the Himalaya is certainly also the
opportunity for Nepal to take advantage of the connectivity infrastructure construction spree of
China burgeoning across its western provinces and beyond including the extension of Qinghai-Tibet
express railway passing vertically across the width of Nepal. Ability to capitalize on such highspeed
transport infrastructure can in-fact present Nepal with unprecedented trade effectiveness and
efficiency enough to generate radical progress in Nepal’s cross-border trade dynamics ironically from
so-called geographically cursed Himalayas.

As enhancement of cross-border trade infrastructure towards the north is paramount to significantly

expand trade practices across the Himalayas, the connectivity infrastructure within Nepal that
actually allows access of potentialities present all over Nepal until the northern custom points is also
equally important. On such regards, ample availability of horizontal cross-country highways that
connect with the discussed pledged vertical cross-country connections as the Rasuwaghadi-
Kathmandu-Pokhara-Lumbini railway incorporating all aspects of Kaligandaki Corridor and Karnali
corridor full stretch appear necessary in order to succeed a complete criss-crossing major roadways
and railways reaching every region of Nepal in all directions. Meanwhile, this connectivity
conception eventually calls for speeding up the construction of horizontal cross-country Mid-hill
highway project to contribute towards the presence of another East-west connectivity in the
 relatively northern part of the Nepal’s width apart from the southmost East-west highway and the
Postal highway on progress.

Ongoing talks to establish Hilsa-

Burang connectivity in progress
Hilsa
Northward extension of
Full stretched Karnali Kaligandaki corridor on
corridor in progress progress
Mid-Hill highway on progress Ongoing progress to establish
Ko-Rala as an important
Proposed Kathmandu-
northern custom point
Ko Rala Pokhara-Lumbini Railway
project
East-West Highway (Mahendra
Highway)
Jomsom Proposed Gyirong-
Postal highway on progress (rough Kathmandu railway
sketching)
Pokhara Rasuwaghadi-Gyirong custom points

Nepalgunj Bidur
Tatopani-Zhangmu custom points
Kathmandu
Lumbini Panchkhal
Hetauda
Sonauli custom point

Birgunj-Raxaul custom points

Biratnagar
Biratnagar-Jogbani custom
point

Ample development of Horizontal cross-country infrastructure in along with pledged vertical cross-country infrastructure
with establishment of proper custom infrastructure in north will eventually allow Nepal to access all the competitive
resources (i.e., agricultural, non-agricultural, and services) within the country and connect with the Northern borders in
order to diversify its cross-border trade across the Himalayas.

A glimpse towards potential Trans-Himalayan gridline connectivity:

Meanwhile, the elements of trade diversification need not necessarily be goods only. In fact, as
China vows to build a ground-breaking power network to power the underdeveloped Qinghai and
Sichuan provinces as it plans to heavily industrialize these provinces by drawing electricity from the
Brahmaputra/Yarlung Zhangbo river tributaries in its Tibet province, it could also be a splendid
opportunity for Nepal to engage itself in the power network to trade power across the Himalaya to
its northern neighbour (Shahi (b), 2016). As China has started to accelerate its hydropower and dam
projects beginning with the Zangmu Dam in 2009 with recent ongoing construction of Lalho
Hydroelectricity project in Xigaze through Xiabuqu tributary of the Brahmaputra river (The
Hindustan Times: Patranobis 2017), it is time Nepal considered mobilizing the hydroelectricity
generation potentiality of its Karnali basin in the west that is known to reserve at least 38.5% of the
expected 83000 MW potential of water currents present within Nepal to become a part of the
power supply network. After all, the Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor in borrowing the
international multi-connectivity purpose of its parent program BRI is equally about Trans-Himalayan
gridline connectivity as much as it is about Trans-Himalayan roadways or railway connectivity.
 The initiating development of Karnali based Hydropower projects as the 900 MW Upper Karnali Power
project can be a good start to utilize water basin of Karnali to engage in power trade with China. However,
the current clause that require 78% of electricity being transmitted to India on operation of the Upper
Karnali Project eliminates the possibility for Nepal to manoeuvre the facility for its own strategic purpose

Nevertheless, it is debatable regarding the mobilization of the hydropower potentiality of Nepal’s

streams for different purposes. On such note, Sharma (2016) believes that the power potentiality of
the rivers in Nepal should be rather utilized for organic growth of the Nepal’s economy by its
utilization in irrigation, agro-processing and other industrial activities rather than solely
concentrating on the overrated concept of exporting power.

Taking Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor to seek transit independency from India: The era of
complete political independency

Besides for allowing diversion of cross-border trade towards the northern neighbour in terms of
goods, service or hydro-electricity away from the unilateral trade with India, the Trans-Himalayan
Economic Corridor can also potentially enable Nepal to conduct third-country trade via China thus
emancipating the land-locked Himalayan country from solely relying on Indian custom ports for
conducting global trade. Meanwhile, the legal provision for this diversion is also obtained as the
recent trade & transit agreement struck between China and Nepal during the former pro-communist
Oli government in 2016 now allows Nepal to legally use Chinese custom ports to conduct trade with
third-party countries besides for China (Nepali Times 2016).

The upmost significance of this agreement is witnessed from the idea that it allows Nepal to actually
import petroleum resources from Chinese ports rather than solely depending on Indian docks to
import petroleum from Middle-East Asia. And, it importantly enables Nepal to get rid of Indian
sphere of influence on its domestic political affairs based on trade and transit monopoly advantage
that India holds against Nepal. Eventually, it grants enough political mileage for Nepal to take
unfettered political-economic pathway that suits its national economic well-being.

In midst of this idea to take advantage of this transit agreement between Nepal and China to break
away from sole dependency over India to suffice for petroleum resources, the Hilsa region of Upper-
karnali again comes into forefront. It is believed that the Burang city of Tibet close to Hilsa is only
1649 KM away from the Kasghar city of Xinjiang province (Shahi (b), 2016) which is destined to be
connected with Central-Asia and oil rich Middle-East Asia through multifaceted connectivity
including oil supply conducive infrastructure as part of the Silk Road Economic Belt of BRI. And,
connecting to Kasghar through Burang as the Hilsa-Burang connectivity is eventualized can
strategically allow Nepal to import fuel directly from the Middle-East Asia through inland ways
(Shahi (b), 2016). In fact, the direct inland ways to import oil resources from Central Asia and China is
regarded to be even cost-efficient than channelling it all the way around the Indian ocean and across
India. It is believed that North Indian provinces are as well better-off logistically in importing fuel
along the same inland ways than taking the conventional seaways (Shahi (b), 2016).

Kasghar, Xinjiang
Proposed direct inland importation of oil
through inland ways across Central Asian
countries and China via Hilsa, Nepal

China

Burang, Tibet
Hilsa, Nepal

Amlekhgunj oil depot (NOC)

Raxaul oil depot (IOC)

Kolkata
Haldia seaport

Visakhapatnam seaport

As of now, Haldia seaport and Visakhapatnam seaport are the only two seaports of India through which Nepal is allowed to conduct third-
country trade via seaways. Meanwhile, Nepal also imports petroleum resources via India by purchasing it from Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)
which operates a depot at Raxaul in the far north of Bihar Province through which petroleum is transferred in oil tankers passing the
Birgunj-Raxaul custom points before being delivered at the Amlekhgunj depot of state-owned Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC).

Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor for true resilience of the Himalayan Nepal:

As we discuss the potentialities of the Himalayan regions of Nepal to play a strategic role as the
entrepot to the Nepal routed Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor, it is important to recognize that
the current scenario of Himalayan Nepal is surfaced with geographical remoteness and acute facility
deficit that deprives people of the very region with basis services essential to maintain a proper
lifestyle. The lack of strategically connecting road infrastructure and communication services
obstructs the availability of vital supplies and resources making livelihood extremely arduous in the
highlands of Nepal. Urbanization in the hinterland villages of the Northern Nepal hosting
market/trade centres has not been able to be formed on the verge of disconnection with the
mainstream regional or national economy. And, it has severely restricted the mobilization & trade of
the competitive resource & values found in unique geographical and climatic scenario of the very
region to uplift the socio-economic situation of the Himalayan community. Alas, the Himalayan
Nepal known to be consisting of economic & geostrategic competitiveness for the country and
beyond is as if stuck in a standstill down the history in terms of development and quality of life.
In speaking of the plight of the Himalayan residence in Nepal, the situation in the mid-western
Himalayan Nepal covering the northern aspect of now Province 6 of Federalized Nepal comes at the
forefront. Comprising of the remotest northern districts of Nepal being Humla, Jumla, Mugu and
Dolpa, the Karnali region of Nepal suffer acute transport inaccessibility compelling residents of the
regions to take painstaking week long travels on foot or by mules through the dangerous rugged
terrains to even access food supplies and other vital services as medicine and health. Meanwhile,
the prices of staple foods in the very poverty-stricken regions are also at exorbitant levels being even
thrice as much expensive in the relatively upper areas (i.e., remotest regions) of these Northern
districts in compared to other places. Food supplies and vital resources have to be often airlifted
expensively from cities in the south of western Nepal to the headquarters of the Karnali districts as
road connectivity has not even reached the headquarters of Dolpa and Humla districts. The supplies
from the airport have to be transported to the villages closer to the headquarters via short routed
four-wheel drives paying excessive fares or through porters and mules taking week long days and
more to transport the supplies to other farer regions of the districts.

Onerous accessibility of the only market centre in the district headquarter also forces some Karnali
residents living at the corners of the districts to rely on local produces as potatoes, buckwheat and
seasonally grown and fed green vegetables leaving them with very limited food choices. This pattern
of food inaccessibility accurately follows the notion that the access of food depends on availability of
adequate transport infrastructure enabling market development and communication facility without
which market forces cannot be organized to supply ample food in every nooks and corners of a
region (SAWTEE: Pant, 2012).

Towards Nepalgunj city

Acute lack of road connectivity in the districts of Karnali has also affected the health and education
services affecting the human development of the residential population of northern mid-western
Nepal. While certain numbers of government schools and health centres have somehow been
established in the villages of Humla, Jumla, and Dolpa districts, there is always chronic shortages of
skilled Human Resources and essential supplies to run such facilities effectively. The shortages have
led to schools and health centres ill-operated with frequent closures resulting in improper delivery
of educational and health services in the region. On such account, children of remote Dolpa district
are compelled to resort to religious teachings in local Buddhist Monasteries to pursue knowledge
while government school students of upper-Humla complain about unavailability of sufficient
teachers and education materials. Vital supply distribution disruption of medicines on account of
lack of proper road facility is even known to have forced people residing in remote Humla to travel
all the way to Simkot headquarter taking significant hours or days to even procure acetaminophen
drugs to treat general fever and pain. Meanwhile, considerable proportion of pregnant women are
always in risk of life-threatening hazards in the remote villages of Humla and Dolpa due to resource
shortages. Medical emergencies, on the other hand have to be always airlifted to regional hospitals
in Nepalgunj and Dhangadi in the south of Nepal rarely affordable by the local residents. Chronic
road infrastructure that stifle the transport accessibility along the districts of Karnali from district
headquarter and other region of Nepal to supply skilled Human Resources, working materials, and
government monitoring teams to evaluate the performance of the facilities are blamed to be the
major culprit behind such severe livelihood difficulties.

Likewise, unavailability of proper road access has also hindered the development of
telecommunication and electricity facilities leaving multiple villages of upper-Humla, upper-Mugu,
and upper-Dolpa completely out of electricity or modern communication services. Inability to
transport heavy capital equipment and resources necessary to erect telecommunication towers and
electricity gridlines in the rugged highlands amid lack of proper road infrastructure has been
regarded as the common reason behind such deprivation.

Small 0.5 MW electricity generation facility powering 6 villages in Humla district faces constant
downtimes as parts and machineries required to maintain the power facility is often unavailable
on reserve. Soliciting spare machineries and skilled technicians to maintain the aging power
plant remains very time taking amid lack of proper transport facility

The absence of telecommunication and electricity services has certainly denied the local residents
from services considered fundamental to modern lifestyles. But, it has also significantly hampered
the delivery of health and education services in the deprived regions of the Upper-Karnali. Besides,
the lack of telecommunication mediums including mass-communication services has placed the
deprived local mountainous residents at grave risk during national and medical emergencies when
significant communication is paramount.

The recent regulatory changes from Nepal government relating to collection and trading of forest
herbs mostly found in highlands of Dolpa and Humla districts limiting the maximum quota of trade
and requiring to complete Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) for trading such herbs had baffled
and periled local herb harvesters. The lack of ample communication of the regulatory change
implemented to control depletion of public forests in radio broadcast beforehand had troubled the
local collectors as they were not able to trade their harvested herbs to middlemen whilst the
harvest rotted sadly in their bare storage facilities.

All of these austere scenarios arising from unavailability of road transport leading to chronic deficit
in services of education, health, electricity and telecommunication has led Karnali region to score the
least in Human Development Index (HDI) in compared to other regions of Nepal with all districts of
Karnali scoring less than meagre 0.45 in terms of HDI value (The Kathmandu Post: Mahat 2018).

Meanwhile, rising climate change in the climate sensitive Himalayas is also increasing the intensity of
food insecurity in the western Himalayas of Nepal as the remote residents relying on subsistence
farming is affected with delayed monsoon and drought that affect the availability of sufficient water
to irrigate the farms (SAWTEE: Adhikari 2014). As the locals have to completely depend on
rainfall/snowfall and natural aquifers for irrigation and drinking water supply amid very insufficient
irrigation facility and drinking water pipeline system, erratic climatic pattern has directly affected the
harvest to create severe food shortages in the remote regions of Karnali (SAWTEE: Adhikari 2014).
Not to mention, the nature of Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), which covers 3,500 kilometres across
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan (The Kathmandu Post:
Mandal, 2019), in being one of the hotspots of climate change further adds socio-economic and
emotional stress for the population of higher altitude as they already face the dire consequences of
being isolated from fundamental developments.

The role of Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor as the Himalayan resolution:

Amid the sufferings in western Himalayas of Nepal due to lack of infrastructures essential to support
the livelihood of the local population, there are certain competitive values and resources reserved in
geographic, climatic and cultural uniqueness of the Himalayas that can allow the utilization of the
very local resources to accelerate the socio-economic conditions of the Himalayan community.
While the lack of road infrastructure is known to have primarily hindered the development of
market and trade centres for Himalayan communities to mobilize & trade such competitive
productions and resources in exchange of needed resources, the approach of Trans-Himalayan
Economic Corridor allowing transport connectivity across the Himalaya is believed to eventually
enable the Himalayan communities of Nepal to find market and practice trade with the bordering
Tibetan cities to suffice their life-saving materialistic needs.

Let alone the anticipation of revolutionary economic advantages in the Himalayas in having the
Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor fulfil every jotted purpose with multifaceted connectivity, the
establishment of adequate custom facilities in few Nepal-Tibet borders in along with construction of
transport infrastructure connecting southern cities of Tibet with the Himalayan villages of Nepal
alone can greatly appease the daily livelihood of the Himalayan residents of Nepal. As the bordering
Tibetan cities play a crucial role as a market centre to the residents of the upper regions of Nepal’s
Himalayan districts to fulfil their daily edibles and other consumables amid strenuous accessibility of
trade centres at district headquarters that is rarely visited, infrastructural facilities that allow swift
access to neighbouring Tibetan market places can significantly relieve the locals from the difficulties
to gather daily consumables and materials essential to support their living. For instance,
development and facilitation of Ko Rala custom point with transport facilities connecting upper-
Mustang with Tibetan cities across the Himalayas as part of the Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor
initiative can allow the residents of Upper Mustang to continuously trade daily consumables &
apparels, construction materials, and consumable electronics in exchange of their locally grown
staple foods rather than wait twice a year to trade them in trans-border trade fair held for mere
week long due to lack of proper custom facilities and infrastructure required for uninterrupted
market presence. Meanwhile, the local gown lady weavers of upper-Humla and upper-Dolpa could
also promptly access the raw-materials as wools brought in from bordering Tibetan market places
required to weave a unique form of ethnic gown that retains significant market potentiality to assist
the socio-economic status of the women of Humla and Dolpa districts. Instead of taking week long
days to reach the neighbouring Tibetan market centre on caravan mules via rugged mountain path
to source weaving materials to weave gowns, the construction of a proper road and bridge facility
between upper-Humla and Burang city of Tibet as part of the Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor
initiative could considerably save time for the weavers as it would also allow favourable
environment for them to expand their production capacity while they discover significant demand of
their produces in the same Tibetan market places.

It could be quite ironical in nature but the socio-economy and daily livelihood of the residents of the
upper-regions of the Himalayan districts of Nepal are more interlinked with bordering Tibetan cities

Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor connecting the Chinese road network through Tibet with
upper regions of Humla, Dolpa and Mugu could also enable mobilization and trade of highly
valuable western Himalayan herb Caterpillar fungus (locally known as Yarshagumba) among
Spikenard (locally known as Jatamansi), and Picrorhiza Kurroa (locally known as Katuki) known
to have very lucrative market as spice for cuisine among high-class Chinese society.
Recognized as the lifeline for the residents of Dolpa district, Yarshagumba of Dolpa alone is
recognized to have annual export potentialities of millions of dollars to assist the economy of
whole Nepal. Therefore, establishment of a multi-facilitated road network connecting Dolpa
district (from Upper-Dolpa) till Surkhet district can necessarily establish a vital corridor in the
mid-west Nepal with the main purpose to assist in formation of Himalayan herbs value-chain.
The concept forms over a recent proposal by the Nepal government to establish a herbs
processing centre in Surkhet district lying at the southern plains of Nepal.

With unique Himalayan herbs being collected from Dolpa and other remote districts of Karnali
sent to southern district of Surkhet for processing, the corridor can effectively enable
systematic industrialization of Himalayan herbs forming a herbs based Special Economic Zone
(SEZ) in the mid-west Nepal. Meanwhile, the development transfer witnessed via the corridor
connecting the rapidly urbanizing Surkhet till the tip of the remotest Dolpa can be a
marvellous milestone concerning sustainable development of mid-western highlands of
Nepal.

Juphal airport

in south of Ngari and Xigaze prefecture than it is with the cities and dwellings in the southern region
of Nepal given the transport inaccessibility. It ultimately approves that the infrastructural avenues
connecting Himalayan hinterlands of Nepal with southern cities of Tibet plays a strategic role in
assisting the daily lifestyle and needs of the mountain residents of Nepal.

On a broader perspective, the Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor with its potentiality to unleash
cross-border trade across the Himalayas engages the opportunity for flourishing systematic
urbanization along the remote region of Himalayan Nepal starting with certain regions of the
northmost Nepal evolving to become a strategic passage or custom points as the Trans-Himalayan
trade and service economy takes hold. It begins with urban development along the central-northern
districts of Rasuwa and Sindupalchowk as the Rasuwaghadi-Gyirong custom points and Tatopani-
Zhangmu custom points advance to bear the responsibility of the majority of the Trans-Himalayan
trade occurring between Nepal, India, and China. With Panchkhal and Bidur mini-cities that bridges
Kathmandu with Tatopani-Zhangmu custom points and Rasuwaghadi-Gyirong custom points
respectively evolving to become the dry-ports facilitating both international custom points, the
northern hinterlands of the central Nepal as Laharepauwa, Dhunche, Syapru besi in the central-west
leading to Rasuwaghadi, and Dolalghat, Bahrabise in the central-east leading to Kodari may
establish as important trade facilitating cities mainly built over the infrastructure of proposed
Gyirong-Kathmandu railway extension and well upgraded Araniko highway.

Likewise, Humla in the mid-west of Karnali may again advantage by evolving to host multipurpose
cities as the Hilsa region of Nepal lying at the far-western border towards Tibet gradually establish to
become a strategic route for Nepal to conduct third-country trade in Central Asia and Middle-East
Asia via China in along with becoming the bridge to connect Kailash-Mansarovar from the south.
Evolution of cities built with purpose to facilitate multipurpose tourism and cross-border trade over
the foundation of full stretched Karnali Corridor extending from Hilsa border to Nepalgunj city may
eventually emancipate the communities of Bajura, Mugu and Jumla districts of Karnali from poverty
and remoteness.

Similar progressive fate may also be witnessed along the northmost hinterland villages of Mustang
district in western Nepal as the diplomacy of both China and Nepal moves towards establishing Ko
Rala border point as a potential Nepal-China custom point in near future. Meanwhile, the
Kaligandaki corridor stretching across the Himalayas connecting cosmopolitan city of Pokhara via
Upper-Mustang shall establish the overall Mustang district as a strong multipurpose tourism hub
with formation of townships and well-facilitated villages catering the local tourism economy.

With proposals to develop Trans-Himalayan routes entering Nepal from the North and passing
across the length of Nepal through various vertical corridors, Sharma (2016) recognizes the need to
construct a horizontal cross-country “Himalayan highway” stretching from East to West along the
upper regions of the Himalayan districts of Nepal to boost the overall progress of sustainable
urbanization in the mountains of Nepal. On such account, every other district of the Himalayan
Nepal unconnected to the proposed Trans-Himalayan route can gain access to the vertical corridors
in order to reap the fruit of commerce and development through the Himalayan highway. The idea is
to establish Hilsa, Simikot, Ko Rala, Rasuwaghadi, Kodari, Lamabagar, Keemathanka, and Olachung
gola as the trading/port hubs along the conceptualized Himalayan highway (Sharma 2016) allowing
hinterland settlements close to their proximity with access to every proposed vertical corridor/route
across the Himalayas or down the southern plains and beyond (towards India) in Nepal to enable
limitless trading & commerce access.

Sharma (2016) believes that the East-West running Himalayan highway can greatly contribute in
developing systematic urbanization pattern composed with ample facilities along the northern
highlands of Nepal. It shall liberate the pattern of urbanization in Nepal that has only skewed
towards the southern plains following the advantage of being at a closer proximity to the avenues of
international trade and commerce only linked towards India. Most importantly, the East-west
stretched Himalayan Highway shall also become a lifeline instrument to infrastructurally relieve the
most vulnerable dwellers of the upper regions of the Himalayan districts as it could take
considerable number of years before any other national road network reaches the northmost
highland settlements of Nepal in future.

The East-West Himalayan highway conceptualized by Sharma (2016) keeping Hilsa, Simkot, Ko Rala, Rasuwaghadi, Kodari, Lamabagar,
Keemathanka, and Olangchung as the important corridor points enables complete connectivity between the Himalayan districts of Nepal
connecting to the bordering southern Tibetan cities in the North and southern regions of Nepal in the south through proposed Trans-
Himalayan vertical corridors ranging from Central to Far-west of Nepal.

Conclusion:

Despite the prodigious opportunity for poverty alleviation in remote highlands in along with the
ability to radically transform the political position of Nepal in China-India-Nepal tripartite geopolitics.
there are certain inner political challenges within Nepal that interrupt swift progress of the country
in realizing the ambition of Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor. Beginning with the inability to
maintain serious commitment and consensus in the high-level politics towards this southern aspect
of the Silk Road Economic Belt leading to failure in submitting strategic infrastructural proposals and
investment strategies as part of the BRI (The Kathmandu post, 2017 & Kantipur Publications: Maskey
2017), deep-rooted bureaucratic corruption, weak political leadership and domestic political
instability appears as formidable hindrances for Nepal to work at necessary pace in this Chinese
multinational infrastructural initiative (The Kathmandu Post: Upadhaya 2017).

Meanwhile, the World Bank study estimates the need to invest about 12% of National Gross
Domestic Production (GDP) amounting to USD 13 – 18 Billion over a decade to maintain its current
pace of economic growth (East Asia Forum: Chalise 2017) requiring 2.3 – 3.5% of GDP alone to be
invested to adequately develop its connectivity along the strategic & local roads (The Diplomat: Dixit
2017). Based on such estimates, the flagship multifaceted infrastructure project arriving with the BRI
in Nepal has acute macroeconomic significance in along with certain development significance as
previously mentioned. On the other hand, the caution regarding the climatic implication in having
any gigantic infrastructural project running across the climatically sensitive mountain range of Nepal
with high-level of ecological vulnerability remains (East-Asia Forum: Chalise 2017). Therefore, it is
 also called upon for any development around the Himalayan highlands to be sensitive towards
ecological preservation and climatic change prevention as the excitement builds for Trans-Himalayan
Economic Corridor (Sharma 2016).

- Prience Shrestha