Skip to content
Siddhartha Environmental Services Siddhartha Environmental Services

Siddhartha Environmental Services, environmental and social consultants in Kathmandu, Nepal

Machhapuchhre, Annapurna Conservation Area

Eco & Sustainable Tourism • Environmental Protection

Protecting Himalayan Landscapes for Sustainable Eco-Tourism

Over 20 years delivering EIA, safeguards and environmental assessments that preserve Nepal’s fragile destinations and empower local communities.

Explore Services Contact Us

20+ Years Serving Nepal

Protecting Nepal's Environment to Drive Sustainable Eco-Tourism

For more than two decades, Siddhartha Environmental Services has bridged the vital connection between environmental protection and eco-tourism development in Nepal. Our national parks, alpine trekking circuits, and scenic lakes are the foundation of our country’s tourism economy. By conducting rigorous statutory studies (BES, IEE, EIA), watershed restoration, community forestry agreements, and site safeguards, we ensure that infrastructure development protects fragile ecosystems, empowering local communities and fostering sustainable tourism destinations.

About Our Firm & Mission Explore Tourism Landscape Projects →
Eco & Tourism Safeguards
20+ yrs
Established Firm
2008
Official Assignments
30
Districts Across Nepal
25+
Our Strategic Contribution

How Our Environmental Work Drives Eco-Tourism

View Portfolio Register →

With over two decades of on-the-ground environmental studies, we safeguard the natural assets that define Nepal as a premier global eco-tourism destination.

Eco-Trails & Mountain Corridors

EIA, sensitivity mapping, and environmental safeguards for trekking circuits, eco-lodges, and ropeways in protected zones like Langtang, Manaslu, Mustang, and Annapurna.

Explore Corridor Projects →

Lakes & Watershed Conservation

Sub-watershed prioritisation, flood resilience, and catchment protection for tourism hubs like Phewa Lake and mountain river basins to prevent erosion and preserve crystal-clear waterways.

Explore Watershed Projects →

Community Forestry & Wildlife

Red panda habitat mapping in Langtang, tiger buffer zone sentiment in Banke, and tree enumeration with Community Forest User Groups so ecotourism benefits wildlife and locals together.

Explore Forestry Projects →

Services

All services

Environmental Impact Assessment

Safeguards Supervision & EHS Audit

Forest Clearance & Biodiversity

Eco-Tourism & Protected Landscapes

Watershed & Climate Resilience

Energy & Infrastructure Due Diligence

Selected projects

Project register
Barhakilo-Chhepetar-Bhaluswara-Barpak Road Project (47 KM) — Mountain Slope Stability & Heritage Trail Access

Eco-Trails, Mountain Corridors & Tourism Landscapes

Barhakilo-Chhepetar-Bhaluswara-Barpak Road Project (47 KM) — Mountain Slope Stability & Heritage Trail Access

2015 – 2018
Riu River Bridge Project (240 m) — Chitwan National Park Buffer Zone & Wildlife Corridor EIA

Protected Areas, Wildlife Corridors & Buffer Zones

Riu River Bridge Project (240 m) — Chitwan National Park Buffer Zone & Wildlife Corridor EIA

Feb 2017 – Dec 2018
Mardi Khola Riverbed Environmental Assessment — Trekking River Basin Preservation

Watershed, River Basin & Aquatic Conservation

Mardi Khola Riverbed Environmental Assessment — Trekking River Basin Preservation

Feb 2016 – Jun 2016
Upper Trishuli "1" 220 KV Transmission Line (12 KM, 216 MW) — Langtang Valley Eco-Corridor IEE

Clean Renewable Energy & Transmission Corridors

Upper Trishuli "1" 220 KV Transmission Line (12 KM, 216 MW) — Langtang Valley Eco-Corridor IEE

Jan 2013 – Mar 2014
Browse the register: Eco-Trails, Mountain Corridors & Tourism Landscapes (6) Protected Areas, Wildlife Corridors & Buffer Zones (5) Watershed, River Basin & Aquatic Conservation (8) Clean Renewable Energy & Transmission Corridors (7) Sustainable Resources, Agro-Industry & Sanitation (4)
Forest trail in Chitwan National Park

Our approach

Mission & approach

To give decision-makers sound field evidence, and to see that what is approved is what gets built.

  • Evidence first

    Our own field baselines, documented so that others can check them.

  • On site

    We supervise what we recommend, through to close-out.

  • Whole landscapes

    Slopes, rivers, forests, wildlife and visitors assessed together.

  • Communities as partners

    Consultation, GESI and grievance redress built in from the start.

Government of Nepal

Environment Protection Act 2076 and Rules 2077 · Forest Act 2076 · National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2029 · Labour Act 2074

Development partners and lenders

World Bank Environmental and Social Standards · ADB Safeguard Policy Statement · KfW Sustainability Guidelines · IFC Performance Standards

Key experts

All experts
Yub Raj Dhakal Team Leader · Environment Management & Safeguards Specialist Yub Raj Dhakal leads the firm’s assignments. He is an Environment Management Specialist with more than 20 years in environmental assessment, environmental and social safeguards, statutory clearances, construction supervision, occupational health and safety, biodiversity conservation and stakeholder engagement, across 35+ major infrastructure projects in Nepal, India, Iraq and Mauritania, including assignments financed by the World Bank, ADB and KfW and private projects applying IFC standards. Dr. Shravan Kumar Ghimire Associate Expert · GIS, Remote Sensing & Watershed Planning Dr. Shravan Kumar Ghimire is a human geographer and spatial analyst. His doctoral research at the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, examined how terrain constrains economic development at the small-watershed scale in Nepal, and produced the Watershed Morphometric Composite Index (WMCI) for prioritising mountain sub-watersheds for soil conservation (Ecological Indicators, 2025).

Research highlights

All research
2026

Identifying optimal subwatershed delineation thresholds using variance-based segmentation in the Central Himalaya

Journal of Mountain Science (Springer)

 2025

An improved framework to prioritize sub-watersheds: construction of Watershed Morphometric Composite Index (WMCI) for mountain soil conservation

Ecological Indicators (Elsevier)

 2025

Disparate perceived resilience of rural households at different altitude belts: An empirical study from the Wenchuan earthquake-stricken area, China

Journal of Mountain Science 22(4)

Common questions

On Nepal’s environmental assessment process and how we work on site.

All questions Ask us

What is the difference between a BES, an IEE and an EIA in Nepal?
Under the Environment Protection Act 2076 and Environment Protection Rules 2077, proposals are screened against schedules according to their type, scale and location. A Brief Environmental Study (BES) applies to smaller proposals with limited impacts, an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) to proposals of moderate scale, and a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to large or sensitive proposals. BES and IEE reports are approved by the concerned authority; an EIA goes through scoping, terms of reference and public hearing before approval by the Ministry of Forests and Environment. Confirming the correct level of study at screening avoids costly re-work later.

Which international environmental and social frameworks do you work with?
Our experts have delivered assignments under the World Bank Environmental and Social Standards, ADB safeguard requirements (including the Safeguard Policy Statement 2009), KfW Sustainability Guidelines and IFC Performance Standards. On co-financed projects we apply these alongside Nepal’s own approvals, so that one set of studies and management plans satisfies both.

How do you handle forest clearance and tree felling for roads and transmission lines?
We map the alignment in GIS, carry out GPS-based tree enumeration and forest area surveys, and consult the Division Forest Office and Community Forest User Groups along the route. The resulting record supports forest clearance under the Forest Act 2076 and gives forest user groups a transparent basis for compensation and replanting. On the Malekhu 132 kV line this process led to forest clearance approval by the Ministry of Forests and Environment.

Do you stay involved during construction?
Yes. Construction-phase supervision is a core service. We monitor compliance with the approved EMP or ESMP, inspect camps, quarries and borrow pits, carry out OHS and hazard (HIRA) audits, track measures against gender-based violence and trafficking in persons, operate grievance redress reporting, and prepare monitoring and audit reports. Recent examples include the World Bank-financed Butwal–Gorusinghe–Chandrauta road and the ADB-financed SASEC highway sections.

Institutions whose assignments our experts have delivered

  • Department of Roads, Government of Nepal
  • Nepal Electricity Authority
  • Department of Electricity Development
  • Alternative Energy Promotion Centre
  • Nepal Academy of Science and Technology
  • World Bank
  • Asian Development Bank
  • KfW Development Bank
  • Global Green Growth Institute
  • WWF Nepal