During the three-day conference, 45 experts from South Asian countries shared their experience of drone policy and usage around the world.
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In developed countries, the expansion of drones, devices that fly in the sky without the presence of a human pilot, is rapid. But South Asian countries have not yet benefited collectively from this technology, according to experts.
The World Bank, Korea-World Bank Partnership Facility and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation organized the three-day South Asia Drone Forum-2025 in Kathmandu from Wednesday. Government officials, civil aviation representatives, industrialists, researchers and innovators from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka claimed that Asian countries have not yet understood the importance of drones. They say that there is still confusion regarding drone registration process, legal hassles, training etc. in Asian countries.
Tanuja Pokharel, an aeronautical engineer working in the Ministry of Tourism, said that drones have been used since 2012 to prevent wildlife poaching in Nepal. After that, she said that the foreign media used drones excessively during the 2015 earthquake. There is no one-door system in drone operation in Nepal. Many agencies, including local government, parks, administration, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Tourism, Police, etc., are interested in drone flying.
"The registration process of drones in Nepal seems a bit complicated," said Vasant Poudel, a disaster and risk management expert of the World Bank, "After taking the permission of the drone from one agency, it is a hassle to move to another and then to another." There is no separate law on drones in Nepal. There is no designated area where drones can be flown in Nepal. Our country is like a drone ban. Drones can be flown only after obtaining permission," said Paudel, who is also the Deputy Coordinator of Drone Ecosystem Nepal.
is separated. Do not fly on red. Green is discounted. If someone develops drones in Nepal, where will they fly? Who will check that technology?'
Developed countries have been using drones for infrastructure inspection, environmental monitoring, medicine, food or cargo delivery services. Security agencies are also using drones for war surveillance and surveillance. China is increasingly using drones in agriculture to monitor crops, spray fertilizers and test soil. The use of drones is increasing to help in natural disasters, to take photos in disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and fires, and to deliver relief materials for rescue. It is also used in film production and photography.
There are challenges in using drones. It has a lot of usefulness,' Poudel, a disaster and risk management expert, said, 'In the forum organized by Nepal, the representatives of Asian countries have reached an understanding that one country will help the other country in policy and technical matters in the days to come.' 45 experts from South Asian countries who participated in the
conference shared their experience of the policy arrangements and use of drones around the world among the drone users of Nepal. With the technical support of the World Bank, the Ministry of Tourism is drafting a law on drones. On the last day of the conference, an exhibition of drones built by Nepali students and entrepreneurs was also held at Godavari in Lalitpur.
