31:T44e,md` Using Google Search^{[[1]](# "Research can be opportunistic.")}, the first government site I came across hosting maps and spatial data was Government of Nepal [Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA)](http://mofaga.gov.np/), which helps in the coordination, cooperation, facilitation, and monitoring and evaluation of activities undertaken by local governments as well as in the regulation and management of the country's civil service.^{[[ref]](https://socialprotection.org/connect/stakeholders/nepal-सङ्घीय-मामिला-तथा-सामान्य-प्रशासन-मन्त्रालय-mofald-ministry-federal)} Among the resources provided on the MoFAGA website is a [map and data interface](http://103.69.124.141/gis/) that allows users to drill down into Nepal's 7 provinces and to access some general demographic information about the districts and cities in each (as well as some additional spatial data in the form of \`.jpg\` maps). The MoFAGA website provide links to websites of regional and local governments. `32:T98d,md` #### Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) Poking around a bit further, I found the (now defunct) [Geo-Portal](https://web.archive.org/web/20211126101115/http://drm.moha.gov.np/) of the Government of Nepal [Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA)](http://www.moha.gov.np/). At the time of writing in 2019 the site hostde about [20 geospatial data layers](https://web.archive.org/web/20190926130009/http://drm.moha.gov.np/layers/) and [5 maps](https://web.archive.org/web/20190929114912/http://drm.moha.gov.np/maps/) that were available for download as in a variety of formats [incl. \`kml\`, \`geojson\`, \`xls\`, \`csv\`, shapefiles, \`png\`, \`pdf\`, and \`jpeg\`]. `33:[{"id":"bede682c9eb71d39750b63c55c54f4c8f70f4cb00c083310ad88bd3b378c4ebbdc3168f29bcf82c2864616a56e34b1812b02579fafbae0957a0a0dfe87d31d14","href":"https://static.observableusercontent.com/files/bede682c9eb71d39750b63c55c54f4c8f70f4cb00c083310ad88bd3b378c4ebbdc3168f29bcf82c2864616a56e34b1812b02579fafbae0957a0a0dfe87d31d14","name":"moha_admin0_state.json","type":"application/json","lastModified":1573560073914.381,"size":2245374},{"id":"6e4a61e9d73c99e48d47e3130b6a92fc633ea52913d2d9fbb33c7e343cbaa22e0f1f44c639c82124ee8fd8e29f76d29a74f512cc46b181d210236cc33acc4287","href":"https://static.observableusercontent.com/files/6e4a61e9d73c99e48d47e3130b6a92fc633ea52913d2d9fbb33c7e343cbaa22e0f1f44c639c82124ee8fd8e29f76d29a74f512cc46b181d210236cc33acc4287","name":"moha_admin1_region.json","type":"application/json","lastModified":1573560361511.912,"size":6097121},{"id":"4db925d967930ebbcc0673eaed598916dcb85f8a566cb7b013501c937187cf3b2a9107e68a88fbf96afc89560d32ea80eb585c37d662a774a6c0362b7a0dd9c0","href":"https://static.observableusercontent.com/files/4db925d967930ebbcc0673eaed598916dcb85f8a566cb7b013501c937187cf3b2a9107e68a88fbf96afc89560d32ea80eb585c37d662a774a6c0362b7a0dd9c0","name":"moha_admin2_district.json","type":"application/json","lastModified":1573560430037.942,"size":13559837},{"id":"8df7cdc3b428485564eb7f0949bb0045ea83d0a614afcc0049caa5238784ef06fade4f4c3ad987d9a36f826e019b855b2bebeb61c1b5cd20759b01e9c4ffbd8a","href":"https://static.observableusercontent.com/files/8df7cdc3b428485564eb7f0949bb0045ea83d0a614afcc0049caa5238784ef06fade4f4c3ad987d9a36f826e019b855b2bebeb61c1b5cd20759b01e9c4ffbd8a","name":"ghimire_admin3_municipal_simplified@1.json","type":"application/json","lastModified":1573623656875.047,"size":10425431},{"id":"9b7da178c958db57cf59129d9e5682e5b9a0961338b9cc4be37cdf319f7e92df6cdbb0e86a650569323f81424dddc787863daaf833267d8a580f9ed8546ff59a","href":"https://static.observableusercontent.com/files/9b7da178c958db57cf59129d9e5682e5b9a0961338b9cc4be37cdf319f7e92df6cdbb0e86a650569323f81424dddc787863daaf833267d8a580f9ed8546ff59a","name":"oknp_admin1_province.geojson","type":"application/geo+json","lastModified":1573641056924.714,"size":6204173},{"id":"8322ed531915f106ed02a0b76566605222ed2b45497da424101fe667dd8f816e82776593a87f8d650d1c375e01c3d6356cd0b97e9a240e53349b2158dd287597","href":"https://static.observableusercontent.com/files/8322ed531915f106ed02a0b76566605222ed2b45497da424101fe667dd8f816e82776593a87f8d650d1c375e01c3d6356cd0b97e9a240e53349b2158dd287597","name":"oknp_admin3_municipalities.geojson","type":"application/geo+json","lastModified":1573641056709.895,"size":4321588},{"id":"f5c801898baf5c95083b8434eea1b4adf06d01196dfc1e12a5eb5b8ce694d52531133ac76915446fad3371233b074b2718e9120e1de7c433d715f7f14e69eefd","href":"https://static.observableusercontent.com/files/f5c801898baf5c95083b8434eea1b4adf06d01196dfc1e12a5eb5b8ce694d52531133ac76915446fad3371233b074b2718e9120e1de7c433d715f7f14e69eefd","name":"oknp_admin2_district_simplified.geojson","type":"application/geo+json","lastModified":1573641283312.985,"size":5113614},{"id":"edf2406ccead8caa92d3f347144ec08709ae41f8edd18556d9a52c6841322b1d29056ac089bb52773e4c85bf94c46b38f0373c64c206cc7992aa2bcbc8008dac","href":"https://static.observableusercontent.com/files/edf2406ccead8caa92d3f347144ec08709ae41f8edd18556d9a52c6841322b1d29056ac089bb52773e4c85bf94c46b38f0373c64c206cc7992aa2bcbc8008dac","name":"countries_np.json","type":"application/json","lastModified":1663384067996.284,"size":3114343},{"id":"d103a8a81b96c6ee69e66b2dbc7799c9076e557c880f01b0a0befe9780c337512a11a2328ddc71bb4adb056124093f5990191a5c662f7315ab492fdf349c0971","href":"https://static.observableusercontent.com/files/d103a8a81b96c6ee69e66b2dbc7799c9076e557c880f01b0a0befe9780c337512a11a2328ddc71bb4adb056124093f5990191a5c662f7315ab492fdf349c0971","name":"GoN - 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This notebook reflects a sort of 'walk through' of my findings in this pursuit._\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":481,"value":"md`\n---\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":485,"value":"md`\n**UPDATE** [_September, 2022_]:
It's not so easy to find [the _official_ GIS dataset for Nepal's current| administrative boundaries](${FileAttachment(\"local_unit.zip\").url()} \"original source: http://www.dos.gov.np/assets/uploads/files/surveydownloadcontent/Local_Unit.zip\") post-restructuring (particularly for the English language audience), but fortunately [it exists](https://web.archive.org/web/20200724223831/https://www.dos.gov.np/download/news-events/shapefilegis-data-for-political-and-administrative-map-of-nepal). As of this latest update, still the administrative areas reflected in [Open Street Maps](), as served through []() are outdated.\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":489,"value":"md`\nWhat follows is an account of the journey I took in late 2019 to find 'offical' geospatial data on Administrative Divisions... which (as reflected) was a long (and not entirely successful) process. Since original publishing, I have slightly re-structured the notebook narrative and added more references to non-official data sources.\n\n---\n\nTo the greatest extent possible, I like to work with 'official' data sources—those published and maintained by state agencies. My search begins in this pursuit.\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":615,"value":"---","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":611,"value":"md`\n#### Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration \n\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":4,"value":"$31","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":564,"value":"\n\n\n\n\n

${await FileAttachment(\"GoN - web-data-interface_crop.jpg\").image({ width: width*0.25 })}

\nA Note on MoFAGA Spatial Data Accessibility\n
\n
\n
MoFAGA's map and data interface is a fun and helpful way to convey information, but it's not super easy to get at the underlying data, and [available structured data](http://103.69.124.141/gis/data/countries.json) are limited, and the detailed data encoded by their [map interface](http://103.69.124.141/gis/) aren't provided in the most easy-to-access format.

","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":566,"value":"// note: this file remains availabe as of September 2022 from http://103.69.124.141/gis/data/countries.json; web archives availalbe\nnp_admin_district_mofaga = \nFileAttachment(\"countries_np.json\").json()","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":620,"value":"Inputs.table(np_admin_district_mofaga.features.map(d => d.properties), {\n layout: 'auto',\n width: {\n Province: '6ch',\n TARGET: '4ch',\n Level: '6ch',\n },\n multiple: false\n })","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":631,"value":"md`\n---\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":640,"value":"md`\n#### Department of Survey \n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":634,"value":"[Up until 2020](https://web.archive.org/web/20200724223831/https://www.dos.gov.np/download/news-events/shapefilegis-data-for-political-and-administrative-map-of-nepal), the Nepal [Department of Survey](http://dos.gov.np/) hosted spatial data describing Nepal's administrate divisions.^{[*](# \"http://www.dos.gov.np/assets/uploads/files/surveydownloadcontent/Local_Unit.zip\")}","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":646,"value":"nepal_admin_map_docs = html``","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":454,"value":"dos_gov_np = FileAttachment(\"docs-gov-np_nepal-districts.geojson\").json()","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":658,"value":"Inputs.table(dos_gov_np.features.map(d => d.properties), {\n layout: 'auto'})","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":660,"value":"---","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":11,"value":"$32","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":163,"value":"md`\nLet's load in MoHA's data files for the state, province/region, and district levels:\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":78,"value":"nepal_admin_map_moha = html``","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":91,"value":"moha_admin0 = FileAttachment(\"moha_admin0_state.json\").json() // alt: d3.json(\"https://cors-anywhere.herokuapp.com/http://drm.moha.gov.np/geoserver/wfs?srsName=EPSG%3A4326&typename=npdisaster%3Aoutline&outputFormat=json&version=1.0.0&service=WFS&request=GetFeature\")","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":107,"value":"moha_admin1 = FileAttachment(\"moha_admin1_region.json\").json() //alt: d3.json(\"https://cors-anywhere.herokuapp.com/http://drm.moha.gov.np/geoserver/wfs?srsName=EPSG%3A4326&typename=npdisaster%3Adistrict&outputFormat=json&version=1.0.0&service=WFS&request=GetFeature\")","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":126,"value":"moha_admin2 = FileAttachment(\"moha_admin2_district.json\").json() //alt: d3.json(\"https://cors-anywhere.herokuapp.com/http://drm.moha.gov.np/geoserver/wfs?srsName=EPSG%3A4326&typename=npdisaster%3Adistrict&outputFormat=json&version=1.0.0&service=WFS&request=GetFeature\")","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":254,"value":"md`\nAs visible in the rendered map, the MoHA data files available in 2019 depicting Nepal's administrative strucutre prior to 2015—comprising 5 development regions. This administrative structure was revised into 7 provinces 20 September 2015.^{[*](http://www.lawcommission.gov.np/en/archives/category/documents/prevailing-law/constitution/constitution-of-nepal \"In accordance with Schedule 4 of the Constitution of Nepal [archival URL: http://www.lawcommission.gov.np/en/archives/792]\")}\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":536,"value":"---","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":277,"value":"md`\n#### Open Knowledge Nepal\n\n[Open Knowledge Nepal](https://np.okfn.org/), part of the non-profit [Open Knowledge Foundation ](https://okfn.org/), hosts a collection of spatial data layers called ['Local Boundaries'](http://localboundries.oknp.org/), which (as they explain) were generated by merging and integrating \"old shapefiles\" (presumably the MoFALD/MoFAGA data) according to the new federal structure. OKN notes that the municipality-level dataset (admin level 3) comprises rural municipalities, municipalities, metropolitans, sub-metropolitans, national parks, wildlife reserves, and hunting reserves.\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":292,"value":"md`\nI'll load in the Open Knowledge Nepal data and will re-draw the map:\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":324,"value":"oknp_admin1 = FileAttachment(\"oknp_admin1_province.geojson\").json() // alt: d3.json(\"https://cors-anywhere.herokuapp.com/http://localboundries.oknp.org/js/province.geojson\")","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":326,"value":"oknp_admin2 = FileAttachment(\"oknp_admin2_district_simplified.geojson\").json() // alt: d3.json(\"https://cors-anywhere.herokuapp.com/http://localboundries.oknp.org/js/district.geojson\")","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":328,"value":"oknp_admin3 = FileAttachment(\"oknp_admin3_municipalities.geojson\").json() // alt: d3.json(\"https://cors-anywhere.herokuapp.com/http://localboundries.oknp.org/js/municipalities.geojson\")","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":663,"value":"nepal_admin_map_oknp = html``","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":793,"value":"Inputs.table(oknp_admin3.features.map(d => d.properties), {\n layout: 'auto'})","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":539,"value":"---","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":5,"value":"md`\n\n#### Open Data Nepal\n\n[Open Data Nepal (ODN)](http://opendatanepal.com/) is a site maintained by [Open Knowledge Nepal](https://np.okfn.org/). At the time of publishing this notebook in2019, ODN hosted some [702 datasets](http://opendatanepal.com/dataset) from [43 data sources](http://opendatanepal.com/organization), many of which are government agencies (i.e. 'official data').\n\nSearching these datasets, I find files depicting [Nepal's 75 districts](http://opendatanepal.com/dataset/geojson-file-of-all-75-districts-of-nepal) (attributed to [Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD)](http://mofald.gov.np/), which in turn appears to be integrated within MoFAGA), as well as data depicting [administrative boundaries of Nepal's 753 municipalities](http://opendatanepal.com/dataset/nepal-municipalities-wise-geographic-data-shp-geojson-topojson-kml) (attributed to an engineer named Sagar Ghimire).\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":180,"value":"md`\nWe can map in Sagar Ghimire's municipality data for comparison:\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":185,"value":"ghimire_admin3 = FileAttachment(\"ghimire_admin3_municipal_simplified@1.json\").json()\n// NOTE: The original file is available as a zipped shapefile at: http://opendatanepal.com/dataset/0111c4be-e50d-4bb7-8e68-141beacfab81/resource/06b90abc-1380-46ed-b529-e455de6d794d/download/local_level_gis.zip There are some clever ways to load in such files, but for convenience I'll convert it first to .geojson and attach it to this notebook for direct reference. ","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":226,"value":"nepal_admin_map_community = html``","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":796,"value":"Inputs.table(ghimire_admin3.features.map(d => d.properties), {\n layout: 'auto'})","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":223,"value":"md`\nNot bad: We've arrived at a fairly nuanced political map. Certainly workable for most purposes, but I'd really like to include the 2015 province administrative divisions. My search continues.\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":153,"value":"md`\n---\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":170,"value":"md`\nLet's see if we can locate some additional spatial data, including provinces as well municipal and village-level boundaries, and also see what sorts of socio-economic data are available.\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":576,"value":"md`\n---\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":442,"value":"md`\n#### [WorldPop](https://www.worldpop.org/geodata/summary?id=24658)\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":444,"value":"worldpop = FileAttachment(\"npl_subnational_admin_2000_2020_vector.json\").json()","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":330,"value":"nepal_admin_map_worldpop = html``","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":344,"value":"md`\nTerrific. I've arrived at a (presumably) up-to-date map of administrative divisions of Nepal from the state down to the local level.\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":237,"value":"md`\nThere is, of course, a lot more mapping work one can do, but I'm pretty satisfied at this first foray and will stop here (for now).\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":372,"value":"md`\n---\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":550,"value":"#### Other Public Contributors","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":316,"value":"md`\nBefore concluding this notebook, I'd like to acknowledge a couple of other sources of geospatial data on Nepal that I found more immediately and which I feel are very helpful (particularly for generating quick maps), but which I intentionally shied away from in my predisposition for using 'official' data. These are (in no particular order):\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":418,"value":"md`\nAashish Manandhar. GitHub: [Acesmndr](https://github.com/Acesmndr)/[nepal-geojson](https://github.com/Acesmndr/nepal-geojson)\n * hosts \\`.geojson\\` files of Nepal's post-2015 provinces and districts with their headquarters; renders these out in an [online map with mouse-over information about each administrative unit](https://acesmndr.github.io/nepal-geojson/)\n * also provides these files as an [npm package](https://www.npmjs.com/package/nepal-geojson)\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":420,"value":"md`\nSaugat Acharya. GitHub: [mesaugat](https://github.com/mesaugat)/[geoJSON-Nepal](https://github.com/mesaugat/geoJSON-Nepal)\n * hosts \\`.geojson\\` files of Nepal's post-2015 provinces, districts, and municipalities, as well as providing layers of the pre-2015 administrative divisions; renders these out in an [online previews](https://mesaugat.github.io/geoJSON-Nepal/)\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":373,"value":"md`\n---\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":297,"value":"md`\n### Appendix\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":147,"value":"md`\n#### JavaScript Visualization Code\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":80,"value":"path = d3.geoPath(projection)","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":82,"value":"width = 975","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":84,"value":"height = Math.ceil(path.bounds(moha_admin0)[1][1])","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":86,"value":"d3 = require(\"d3\")","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":88,"value":"projection = d3.geoIdentity()\n .reflectY(true)\n .fitWidth(width, moha_admin0)","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"}],"files":"$W33","stdlib":"1","titling":"auto"}