Legal researchers and rural development advocates.
- The “Dead Capital” Theory: Based on the work of Hernando de Soto, this blog argues that rural poverty isn’t a lack of assets, but a lack of legal title to those assets.
- The Nepali Reality: Millions of farmers occupy land but cannot use it as collateral for bank loans because of informal or disputed titles.
- The Policy Reform: Digitizing land records (LUMIS) and simplifying the land-transfer process to unlock billions in “trapped” capital.
- The Impact: Secure property rights are the difference between a subsistence farmer and a rural entrepreneur.