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The COVID-19 Pandemic not only Puts Challenges but also Opens Opportunities for Sustainable Transformation
  • +43
  • Prajal Pradhan,
  • Daya Raj Subedi,
  • Dilip Khatiwada,
  • Kirti Kusum Joshi,
  • Sagar Kafle,
  • Raju Pandit Chhetri,
  • Shobhakar Dhakal,
  • Ambika Prasad Gautam,
  • Padma Prasad Khatiwada,
  • Jony Mainaly,
  • Sharad Onta,
  • Vishnu Prasad Pandey,
  • Keshav Parajuly,
  • Sijal Pokharel,
  • Poshendra Satyal,
  • Devendra Raj Singh,
  • Rocky Talchabhadel,
  • Rupesh Tha,
  • Bhesh Raj Thapa,
  • Kamal Adhikari,
  • Shankar Adhikari,
  • Ram Chandra Bastakoti,
  • Pitambar Bhandari,
  • Saraswoti Bharati,
  • Yub Raj Bhusal,
  • Man Bahadur BK,
  • Ramji Bogati,
  • Simrin Kafle,
  • Manohara Khadka,
  • Nawa Raj Khatiwada,
  • Ajay Chandra Lal,
  • Dinesh Neupane,
  • Kaustuv Raj Neupane,
  • Rajit Ojha,
  • Narayan Prasad Regmi,
  • Maheswar Rupakheti,
  • Alka Sapkota,
  • Rupak Sapkota,
  • Mahashram Sharma,
  • Gitta Shrestha,
  • Indira Shrestha,
  • Khadga Bahadur Shrestha,
  • Sarmila Tandukar,
  • Shyam Upadhyaya,
  • Juergen Peter Kropp,
  • Dinesh Raj Bhuju
Prajal Pradhan
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Daya Raj Subedi
Mid-Western University
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Dilip Khatiwada
Division of Energy Systems, Department of Energy Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology
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Kirti Kusum Joshi
Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University
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Sagar Kafle
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University
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Raju Pandit Chhetri
Prakriti Resources Center
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Shobhakar Dhakal
Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand
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Ambika Prasad Gautam
Kathmandu Forestry College
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Padma Prasad Khatiwada
Central Department of Population Studies, Tribhuvan University
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Jony Mainaly
Vidhigya Legal Services and Research Center
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Sharad Onta
People's Health Movement Nepal
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Vishnu Prasad Pandey
International Water Management Institute
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Keshav Parajuly
United Nations University, Vice Rectorate in Europe, Sustainable Cycles Programme (SCYCLE)
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Sijal Pokharel
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
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Poshendra Satyal
Science, Policy and Information Division, BirdLife International
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Devendra Raj Singh
Department of Public Health, Asian College for Advance Studies, Purbanchal University
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Rocky Talchabhadel
Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center at ElPaso, Texas A&M University
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Rupesh Tha
Resources Himalaya Foundation
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Bhesh Raj Thapa
Universal Engineering and Science College
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Kamal Adhikari
Resources Himalaya Foundation
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Shankar Adhikari
REDD Implementation Centre, Ministry of Forests and Environment,
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Ram Chandra Bastakoti
Technical Cooperation Facility to the Agriculture Development Strategy, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development
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Pitambar Bhandari
Department of Conflict, Peace and Development Studies, Tribhuvan University
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Saraswoti Bharati
Faculty of Education, Tribhuvan University
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Yub Raj Bhusal
Mid-Western University
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Man Bahadur BK
Provincial Government Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers, Bagmati Province
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Ramji Bogati
Nepal Open University
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Simrin Kafle
Nepal Development Society (NEDS)
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Manohara Khadka
International Water Management Institute
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Nawa Raj Khatiwada
Nepal Development Research Institute
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Ajay Chandra Lal
Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University
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Dinesh Neupane
Resources Himalaya Foundation
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Kaustuv Raj Neupane
Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies
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Rajit Ojha
Department of Water Supply and Sewerage Management, Ministry of Water Supply,
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Narayan Prasad Regmi
Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies
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Maheswar Rupakheti
Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies
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Alka Sapkota
Himalayan White House International College
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Rupak Sapkota
Institute of Foreign Affairs
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Mahashram Sharma
School of Education, Kathmandu University
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Gitta Shrestha
International Water Management Institute
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Indira Shrestha
Shtrii Shakti
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Khadga Bahadur Shrestha
Nepal Institute of Health Science, Purbanchal University
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Sarmila Tandukar
Interdisciplinary Center for River Basin Environment, University of Yamanashi,
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Shyam Upadhyaya
Independent expert practitioner (former Chief Statistician of UNIDO, Vienna)
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Juergen Peter Kropp
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (LG)
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Dinesh Raj Bhuju
Mid-Western University,
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Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected humankind worldwide, slowing down and even reversing the progress made in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It has negatively impacted most SDGs but with positive impacts on a few. We discuss some initial impacts observed and explores potential impacts on the achievement of SDGs for Nepal. The study followed a knowledge co-creation process with experts from various professional backgrounds, involving five steps: online survey, online workshop, assessment of expert’s opinions, review and validation, and revision and synthesis. The pandemic has restricting impacts on the progress of most SDGs. However, it has also opened a window of opportunity for sustainable transformation. Many of the negative impacts may subside in the medium and long terms. The negative impacts on SDGs resulted from factors linked to the pandemic or the measures taken to control it. The key five impending factors are lockdowns, underemployment and unemployment, closure of institutions and facilities, diluted focus and funds for non-COVID-19 issues, and anticipated reduced support from development partners. The generated transformative opportunities are lessons learned for planning and actions, socio-economic recovery plan, use of information and communication technologies and impetus to the digital economy, reverse migration and ‘brain gain,’ and local governments’ exercising authorities. For sustainable transformation, the window to grasp these opportunities is short-lived and will get narrow over time, i.e., before rebounds occur following the past trajectories.
Jul 2021Published in Earth's Future volume 9 issue 7. 10.1029/2021EF001996