Professor Durga D Poudel, USA

 

Unifying Asta-Ja Framework:

I have been writing about Asta-Ja Framework for the past 14 years after I published a groundbreaking article on Asta-Ja in 2008 “Management of Eight ‘Ja’ for Economic Development in Nepal” in Journal of Comparative International Management, 11(1): 1-13.

Following this publication of this article, we established a nonprofit nongovernmental organization called “Asta-Ja Abhiyan Nepal” in Kathmandu, and I had given inaugural presentation entitled “Prosperity, Pride, and National Integrity: Asta-Ja for Economic Revolution in Nepal” in Hotel Kamala on December 24, 2008.

Since then, I have published dozens of articles on Asta-Ja. We have established nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations such as Asta-Ja Research and Development Center (Asta-Ja RDC) in Kathmandu, Nepal, Asta-Ja USA in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, and Asta-Ja International Coordination Council (Asta-Ja ICC).

All these organizations are working with the mission of sustainable conservation, development, and utilization of Asta-Ja resources for economic development and socio-economic transformation of Nepal.

Asta-Ja is a theoretically grounded grassroots-based planning and management framework for conservation, development, and utilization of natural and human resources.

Asta-Ja means eight of the Nepali letter “Ja” [Jal (water), Jamin (land), Jungle (forest), Jadibuti (medicinal and aromatic plants), Janashakti (manpower), Janawar, (animals), Jarajuri (crop plants), and Jalabayu (climate)].

The eight principles of Asta-Ja Framework include, 1) Community awareness, 2) Capacity-building, 3) Policy decision-making, 4) Interrelationships and linkages, 5) Comprehensive assessment of Asta-Ja resources, 6) Sustainable technology and practices, 7) Institution, trade, and governance, and 8) Sustainable community development and socio-economic transformation.

Asta-Ja promotes accelerated economic growth and socio-economic transformation of the nation.

It is a scientific, holistic, systematic, self-reliant, and multidisciplinary framework for the conservation, development, and utilization of Asta-Ja resources.

The eight elements of the Asta-Ja system are very intricately linked and strongly connected.

Hence, it is important to have sustainable conservation and development of each of the eight elements of Asta-Ja for better functioning of the entire system.

Asta-Ja Framework emphasizes community capacity-building, self-reliance, and national, regional, and local level planning, and development of environmental and natural resources for socio-economic transformation of the nation.

Asta-Ja that constitute human and natural resources is the backbone of Nepal’s economy.

Therefore, the best governance of Asta-Ja is the goal of a government. As mentioned in the title of my inaugural talk, Asta-Ja serves as the foundation for prosperity, pride, and national integrity of Nepal.

Janashakti (human resource) plays a central role in Asta-Ja system.

It is impossible for a country to develop without having skilled, knowledgeable, honest, and hardworking human resources.

Future needs of human resources depend on various developmental works that the country is going to undertake. Economic progress of a society further increases demand for health and education facilities and services and skilled workers in various sectors including health, hospitality, industrial, agricultural, transport, and communication.

Nepal is historically struggling with the production of sufficient skilled manpower to meet its developmental and social services need. As human resources development does not occur overnight, it is important to plan human resources development considering current and future needs of the country.

Asta-Ja strives for developing Nepal’s competency on emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI), 3D printing, cloud computing, platform economy, and nanotechnology. Asta-Ja emphasizes human resources planning and development as the highest priority task for the Government of Nepal.

Asta-Ja Framework has three dimensions: 1) Asta-Ja system, 2) Nepal Vision 2040, and 3) Overall Food, Water, Energy, Environmental and Climate Security.

The Nepal Vision 2040, which is available already in the literature, is developed based on the current socio-economic problems and available Asta-Ja resources. Nepal Vision 2040 projects Nepal at the par of a developed nation by 2040.

Nepal Vision 2040 identifies nine strategies for accelerated economic growth and fast-paced socio-economic transformation of Nepal. They are: 1) Food self-sufficiency, 2) Reliance on Renewable Energy resources, 3) Thirty million tourists annually, 4) Export of organic foods, medicinal and aromatic plants, and other products, 5) Corruption control, 6) Infrastructural development, 7) Community resiliency, 8) Social services, and 9) Asta-Ja resources conservation, development, and utilization.

Food, water, energy, environmental and climate security is a major concern for all countries in the world irrespective of their developmental status.

Whether developed or developing nations, all are struggling with these securities which may be at different levels.

Therefore, food, water, energy, environmental and climate securities become the goal for saving humanity and protecting our natural world.

Asta-Ja Framework connects not only different disciplines, stakeholders, businesses, consumers, governmental agencies, and policy making bodies, but also it links the generations together.

Asta-Ja collects and utilizes experience, skills, and wisdom in resource conservation, development, and utilization from experienced individuals while it emphasizes skills and knowledge development and capacity-building of younger generations.

Asta-Ja brings all individuals in the society together for prosperity, pride, economic development, and socio-economic transformation, and thus solidifies national integrity of Nepal.

I suggest Nepal government adopt Asta-Ja Framework as its local, provincial, and national planning and development tool for accelerated economic growth, prosperity, social inclusion, and sustainable community development and socio-economic transformation of the nation, and for national integrity.

# Concluded: Ed.