Squatting in Nepal

Squatting in Nepal occurs when people live on land or in buildings without the valid land ownership certificate (known as a Lal PurJa). The number of squatters has increased rapidly since the 1980s, as a result of factors such as internal migration to Kathmandu and two decades of civil war. Nepal has environmentally protected areas and there have been instances of people being displaced from their homes when they are created. In 1996, the government introduced the National Action Plan, which proposed upgrading informal settlements. Squatters are called sukumbasi, but the word has negative connotations and is not used by squatters themselves.