Sustainable Urban E-mobility Project (ADB-58217-001)

Regions
  • South Asia
Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.
Countries
  • Nepal
Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.
Specific Location
Kathmandu and Pokhara Valleys
Whenever identified, the area within countries where the impacts of the investment may be experienced. Exact locations of projects may not be identified fully or at all in project documents. Please review updated project documents and community-led assessments.
Financial Institutions
  • Asian Development Bank (ADB)
International, regional and national development finance institutions. Many of these banks have a public interest mission, such as poverty reduction.
Project Status
Proposed
Stage of the project cycle. Stages vary by development bank and can include: pending, approval, implementation, and closed or completed.
Bank Risk Rating
B
Environmental and social categorization assessed by the development bank as a measure of the planned project’s environmental and social impacts. A higher risk rating may require more due diligence to limit or avoid harm to people and the environment. For example, "A" or "B" are risk categories where "A" represents the highest amount of risk. Results will include projects that specifically recorded a rating, all other projects are marked ‘U’ for "Undisclosed."
Borrower
Government of Nepal
A public entity (government or state-owned) provided with funds or financial support to manage and/or implement a project.
Sectors
  • Communications
  • Energy
  • Infrastructure
  • Transport
The service or industry focus of the investment. A project can have several sectors.
Investment Type(s)
Loan
The categories of the bank investment: loan, grant, guarantee, technical assistance, advisory services, equity and fund.
Investment Amount (USD)
$ 100.00 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Loan Amount (USD)
$ 100.00 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Primary Source

Original disclosure @ ADB website

Updated in EWS Jan 17, 2026

Disclosed by Bank Dec 18, 2024

Contribute Information
Can you contribute information about this project?
Contact the EWS Team

Project Description
If provided by the financial institution, the Early Warning System Team writes a short summary describing the purported development objective of the project and project components. Review the complete project documentation for a detailed description.

As stated by the ADB, the proposed Sustainable Urban E-Mobility Project aims to modernize public transportation in Nepal's Kathmandu and Pokhara Valleys by introducing electric buses, enhancing traffic management through intelligent transport systems (ITS), and implementing forward-thinking policies and regulations. In Kathmandu Valley, the proposed project focuses on deploying new electric bus fleets and modernizing traffic infrastructure with ITS. In Pokhara Valley, it goes further to integrate comprehensive mobility solutions that improve public transit infrastructure, promote green and livable city concepts, and bolster the city's tourism potential. This proposed project will not only facilitate a seamless transition to electric public transport but also foster institutional capacity and green transportation skills, positioning both valleys at the forefront of sustainable urban mobility.

Nepal's rapidly growing urban centers are crucial for economic growth and social transformation. The urban population now makes up 66% of the country's total population of 29 million, with Kathmandu Valley housing 3.1 million people, contributing over 31% of national gross domestic product (GDP). Pokhara, with 0.6 million residents, is the second-largest urban area. Rapid urbanization has increased travel demand. However, inadequate public transport, unplanned urban development, aging bus fleet, limited regulatory enforcement, weak governance, and low institutional capacity, has led to a 26% rise in private vehicle use and a 40% decline in public transport, thereby increasing pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Moreover, public transport is mostly run by small-scale private operators under a fragmented 'route license' system, are plagued by overcrowding, delays, unpredictability, and safety concerns. Limited financial capacity of private operators has led public transport to use fossil-fuel based fleet that has high intensity of GHG emissions and air pollution.

Early Warning System Project Analysis
For a project with severe or irreversible impacts to local community and natural resources, the Early Warning System Team may conduct a thorough analysis regarding its potential impacts to human and environmental rights.

The ADB categorized the project E&S risks as follows -

Environment: B
Involuntary Resettlement: B
Indigenous Peoples: C

Investment Description
Here you can find a list of individual development financial institutions that finance the project.

Contact Information
This section aims to support the local communities and local CSO to get to know which stakeholders are involved in a project with their roles and responsibilities. If available, there may be a complaint office for the respective bank which operates independently to receive and determine violations in policy and practice. Independent Accountability Mechanisms receive and respond to complaints. Most Independent Accountability Mechanisms offer two functions for addressing complaints: dispute resolution and compliance review.

ADB Team Leader:

Arun Ramamurthy
Email: rarun@adb.org

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

You can submit an information request for project information at: https://www.adb.org/forms/request-information-form

ADB has a two-stage appeals process for requesters who believe that ADB has denied their request for information in violation of its Access to Information Policy. You can learn more about filing an appeal at: https://www.adb.org/site/disclosure/appeals

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF ADB

The Accountability Mechanism is an independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who believe they are likely to be, or have been, adversely affected by an Asian Development Bank-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the Accountability Mechanism, they may investigate to assess whether the Asian Development Bank is following its own policies and procedures for preventing harm to people or the environment. You can learn more about the Accountability Mechanism and how to file a complaint at: http://www.adb.org/site/accountability-mechanism/main.

How it works

How it works