Peace Without Poison

12 October 2014Ram Baran YadavPresident of Nepalmail@presidentofnepal.gov.npSushil KoiralaPrime Minister of Nepalinfo@nitc.gov.np, info@opmcm.gov.npPresident Yadav and Prime Minister Koirala,Re: immediate cessation of covert depopulation measuresNepal joined the Global Depopulation Policy in 1975 and has since seen its total fertility ratereduced from 6 to 2.6 children per woman. Nepal's population grew from 9 million people in1950 to 26.5 million in 2011 and is still rapidly growing as the birth rate exceeds the death ratefourfold.Since 70% of the population depends on agriculture and half the country’s landmass is highmountains and therefore unsuitable for growing crops or even habitation, malnutrition is endemicand nearly half of all children are stunted, 35% underweight, and 15% wasted. The need forfood has pushed agriculture into marginal land and lead to the rapid deforestation of Nepalcausing floods and soil erosion, which further reduces the country’s food growing potential whenit most needs it.With a median age of 21, a population density of 180 people per km 2 and the world’s highestmountains occupying at least half of your landmass, crowding Nepal’s 26 million people into thebottom half of the country, you have a serious land shortage and demographic problem thatrequires drastic measures.You have made political progress by finally abolishing the monarchy and establishing a federalmultiparty representative democratic republic in 2008, but half of your working-age populationis either unemployed or underemployed, which accounts for the high emigration. This meansthat your administration is under great and justified pressure from the international community todefuse your overpopulation bomb before it leads to widespread famine, breakdown of the socialorder and environmental disaster.573 | P a g e