New Book Describes the Interconnectedness of Human Security Worldwide, Effects in Nepal

RTI advisor wrote chapter on human security in Nepal

KATHMANDU, Nepal —  By examining all aspects of human insecurity in Nepal, including food, health, environment and politics, authors of a new book highlight the damaging effects of human insecurity upon the survival, livelihood and dignity of the people and economy of Nepal and the need for policy changes.

The book, Human Security in Nepal: Concepts, Issues and Challenges, addresses the different dimensions of human security, which are little-debated in the academic domain in the country. It was written to answer questions and generate debate about the state of human security from the development perspective as Nepal goes through a transition.

Damodar Adhikari, Ph.D., RTI International’s a senior technical advisor for Asia Region, based in Nepal, wrote the chapter titled “Health and Human Security.” The chapter addresses the significant levels of health insecurity as an outcrop of poverty in Nepal and the role of both the state and the individual in addressing health security threats.

“There is no question that the state should provide minimum protection from disease,” Adhikari wrote. “But unhealthy behavior and lifestyle are going to be growing health security concerns in the coming years. Therefore, an individual’s roles and responsibilities are important in the context of unhealthy behavior and lifestyle-related health security threats.”

Published by the Nepal Institute for Policy Studies and South Asia Regional Coordination Office of the National Centre for Research Competence North-South, the book includes chapters on concepts and criticism related to human security, the correlation between food supplies and human security, climate change, and suggested steps to combat human insecurity.

Human Security in Nepal: Concepts, Issues and Challenges is available as a free download on the RTI International website.