Major Cities Of Nepal Research Articles

Assessing the availability and necessity of menstruation-friendly toilets in public and private sites in Kathmandu, Nepal

ABSTRACT Much of the world's public toilet infrastructure does not consider the needs of menstruators. Nepali menstruators, 18–52 years old, were surveyed at 40 different sites in three major cities in Nepal. During a random site visit, 20 eligible participants at each site were selected by convenience sampling to complete a quantitative survey assessing the importance of the eight aspects of a menstruation-friendly toilet, as outlined by the government of Nepal. Only 1 of 40 of the toilets assessed met all eight indicators of a menstruation-friendly toilet. None of the survey participants felt comfortable using a public toilet when menstruating, and 88.8% reported facing challenges using public toilets when menstruating.

Willingness to Pay for Improved Solid Waste Management in Itahari, Sunsari, Nepal

Solid waste management (SWM) is a widespread problem in urban areas of developed and underdeveloped countries. Unplanned urbanization, rapid population growth, and migration of people from rural to urban areas are the leading causes for the problem of SWM in the major cities of Nepal. Inadequate services for solid waste collection can lead to environmental problems, pollution, health risks, and economic burdens for the society. Understanding the willingness to pay (WTP) of residents for improved solid waste collection is crucial for deciding effective pricing policies and waste collection techniques. In this context, the main aim of the study is to examine the WTP for the services of improved SWM in the study area. Using simple random sampling method, 377 households were taken as a sample to estimate the WTP for SWM through the Contingent Valuation Model (CVM) and Tobit regression. A field survey was conducted to collect the required data and information related to the WTP of households through the structured questionnaire. The study found that 83.55 percent of respondents would pay for improved SWM services, and the willingness to pay varies from NRs. 50 to NRs.500 per month. Tobit regression results identified the factors influencing WTP for improved SWM in the study area. The factors of gender, ownership of the house, education, profession, income level, and service satisfaction are statistically significant in determining the WTP for SWM.

Derivation of Reference Intervals for commonly tested Biochemical analytes from five major Cities of Nepal.

Introduction: 
 Reference interval (RIs) is the range of values provided by laboratory scientists in a convenient and practical form to support clinician for diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of a disease. Clinical laboratories in Nepal uses RIs, provided in the kit inserts by the manufacturers or from the scientific literature, established for western/European population. It is well known that population across the globe differs physiologically, genetically; ethnically, food habits and diet which have great impact on the reference values. Thus, it is inappropriate to use RIs that is not derived for local population. This approach highlights for establishing reference values for Nepalese population using the IFCC-CRIDL guidelines published in (C28-A3).
 
 Methods: 
 Reference individuals were selected from healthy volunteers according to the IFCC/C-RIDL protocol in (C28–A3). After exclusion of abnormal samples, a total of 555, age and sex matched apparently healthy subjects of 18-65 were enrolled in the study. Blood samples were collected, serum were separated and stored in well-sealed cryo vials and finally measured collectively in Beckman Coulter AU480, a fully automatic chemistry analyzer. The sources of variations and need for partitioning were analyzed by multiple regression analysis and two-level nested ANOVA respectively.
 
 Results: 
 We adopted a threshold of SDR ≥ 0.4 for city wise partitioning. The SDRs for between-city differences (SDRcity) were calculated, which revealed that there is no significant differences for most of the analytes among the cities, except for K, LDH and CK. Total protein, DrkLvl, and Standing Position also shows association but not significant to derive separate RIs. Sex-related changes were typically noted by the criterion of either SDR or BR for UA, Cre, Fe, GGT, IgM, and Tf. From the result, city partitioning was required for 3 analytes, K, LDH, and Drklvl, in male and 4 analytes in TP, K, CK, Standing position in female.
 
 Conclusions: The reference intervals for common biochemical parameters in five major cities were derived. Source of variation and need for partitioning of RI was calculated.

Assessment of Environmental Policies and Institutions for Effective Air Quality Management in Nepal

Air pollution is a serious environmental threat in major cities of Nepal. The major emission source of air pollutants is vehicular emission, resuspension of street dust litter during dry climatic conditions, black smoke plumes from brick kilns, and refuse burning. Effective plans and policies are required for the effective management and monitoring of air pollution. This study aims to review environmental policies and plans prevalent in Nepal and assess their effectiveness in controlling air pollution. The study is based on the literature review and a questionnaire survey using Najam's 5C framework for policy analysis. Although several national policies, plans, laws and standards have been formulated and international agreements have been ratified for the management of air pollution, separate policy dedicated to air pollution management has not been formulated in Nepal. According to Najam's framework, the content, context, and commitment of the overall policies, plans, and agreements for managing air quality in Nepal were assessed as effective. However, the capacity of the implementor, client support, and management coordination was found ineffective. This study recommends that a separate policy on air quality management is required, while the capacities of stakeholders and coordination mechanisms should be strengthened to improve the country's air quality.

Contribution of rattan cane in livelihood resilience in relation to Community Forest User Groups and Rattan Processing Enterprises in Nepal

This study highlights the contribution of rattan cane in livelihood resilient of rural people in Nepal. Rattan cane is used as raw material for rattan processing enterprises as well as livelihood resilient of community people. The study was designed based on the exploratory research and was carried out in Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs) Kailali and Bardia district including rattan processing enterprises of major cities in Nepal. The main objective was to assess the contribution of rattan on capitals of Sustainable Livelihood Approaches (SLA) that increase resilient of community people. Systematic random sampling method was followed to take the sampling of rattan processing enterprises and CFUGs. Primary data was collected through open-ended questionnaire, and direct observations; and secondary data was collected from business reports, Forest Operational Plans, and audit reports. The questionnaire survey was conducted to 35 rattan entrepreneurs and rattan traders, and ten executive committee members of CFUGs and 526 household members. The quantitative data was analyzed using frequency of SPSS 20 software tools. The study found that rattan has been important source of income to improve their human capital, natural capital, physical capital, social capital and financial capital in relation to livelihood resilient in the community level, and creation of job in the enterprise level. The major constraints concerning the livelihood resilient was that investment was focused community development rather than household income, investment on rattan development and management was low, and weak employability focus. The study also identified a number of opportunities in the livelihood perspective such as enterprise development, employment generation to youths and linkage with service providers.

Solid waste management practices and challenges in seven cities of Nepal before and during lockdown against COVID-19 pandemic

The nationwide lockdown imposed to control the spread of novel coronavirus induced dramatic alterations in different sectors of the Nepalese governance, including Solid Waste Management (SWM) practices. The study identifies SW collection gaps in seven major cities of Nepal and highlights the municipal and public households on SW management practices before and during the lockdown to emphasize the linkage between COVID-19 and SWM. It includes information on solid waste status, collection frequency and coverage, workers' safety practices, types of vehicles operated for collection and alternative methods adopted by households to manage SW during the lockdown. For this, 1329 households survey and key informant interviews were conducted in seven cities of Nepal during the lockdown. It was found that although the coverage of the collection service was similar during the pandemic in surveyed households, there was a drastic decrease in the collection frequency leading to a collection gap of around 570 tons/day. More than 50% of the surveyed households adopted no proper alternative measures as they claimed that they stored solid waste with proper management so that municipal authorities can take it. While other 50% adopted practices such as open burning, throwing in streets or composting. The study reveals poor occupational health and safety practices among solid waste workers due to the unavailability of safety gear and equipment despite being aware of the modes of transmission of the virus. The pandemic exacerbated the challenges of smooth SWM as it is an essential and needy service. This study highlights the need for a timely strategic management framework to be developed by the government to continue the smooth SWM practices during the lockdown.

Effect of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Ambient Air Quality in Major Cities of Nepal.

Background.The Nepalese government announced a nationwide lockdown beginning on March 24, 2020 as an attempt to restrain the spread of COVID-19. The prohibition in flight operations and movement of vehicles, factory shutdowns and restriction in people's movement due to the lockdown led to a significant reduction in the amounts of pollutants degrading air quality in many countries.Objectives.The present study aimed to analyze changes in particulate matter (PM) emissions and the air quality index (AQI) of six cities in Nepal i.e., Damak, Simara, Kathmandu, Pokhara, Nepalgunj and Surkhet due to the nationwide lockdown in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.Methods.Daily PM concentrations of each of the six study cities from January 24 to September 21, 2020 were obtained from the World Air Quality Index project (https://aqicn.org) and analyzed using R Studio software. The drop percentage was calculated to determine the change in PM2.5 and PM10 concentration during different time periods. Independent sample Mann–Whitney U tests were performed to test the significance of differences in mean concentration for each site during the lockdown period (24 March–24 July 2020) and its corresponding period in 2019. Similarly, the significance of differences in mean concentrations between the lockdown period and the period immediately before lockdown (23 January–23 March) was also examined using the same test.Results.During the lockdown period, in overall Nepal, AQIPM2.5 and AQIPM10 were within the moderate zone for the maximum number of days. As a result of the lockdown, the highest immediate and final drop of PM2.5 was observed in Damak (26.37%) and Nepalgunj (80.86%), respectively. Similarly, the highest immediate drop of PM10 was observed in Surkhet (37.22%) and finally in Nepalgunj (81.14%). Analysis with the Mann–Whitney U test indicated that for both PM types, all sites showed a statistically significant (p < 0.05) difference in mean concentrations during lockdown and the corresponding period in 2019.Conclusions.The present study explored the positive association between vehicular movement and PM emissions, highlighting the need for alternative fuel sources to improve air quality and human health.Competing Interests.The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Comparative study of antimicrobial prescribing pattern between Nepal and Pakistan

Objective&#x0D; The purpose of this cross-sectional study conducted in different private and public sector hospitals of the major cities of Nepal and Pakistan was to compare and evaluate the antibiotic prescribing patterns.&#x0D; Methodology&#x0D; The data was collected based on prescriptions received from different hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan and Kathmandu, Nepal without much interaction with the patients.&#x0D; Results&#x0D; Out of a total of 272 patients, 111 (40.8%) patients from Nepal and 161 (59.19%) patients from Pakistan were prescribed with 447 antibiotics. In both countries, out of total antibiotics prescribed, 42.30% were 3rd generation cephalosporins. Also, in Pakistan and Nepal, out of all the indications, 49.2% of the antibiotics were given in medical prophylaxis.&#x0D; Conclusion&#x0D; In Pakistan, the antimicrobial prescription rate is comparatively higher than Nepal, and in both countries, there is a need of proper implementation of antibiotic prescribing guidelines for the prescription of antibiotics and the administration of antibiotics in medical prophylaxis.

Spatial distribution, source analysis, and health risk assessment of heavy metals contamination in house dust and surface soil from four major cities of Nepal

Raising population, deteriorating environmental conditions and limiting natural resources to handle the key environmental health problems have critically affected human health and the environment. Policy makers and planners in Nepal are more concerned today than at any other time in the past about the deterioration of the environmental condition. Therefore, understanding the connection between pollution and human wellbeing is fundamental endeavors to control pollution exposures and secure human wellbeing. This ability is especially critical for countries like Nepal where the issues of environmental pollution have customarily taken a second place to request for economic development. In this study, spatial distribution and sources of 12 heavy metals (HMs) were investigated in surface soils (n = 24) and house dust (n = 24) from four major urban areas of Nepal in order to mark the pollution level. Additionally, a health risk was estimated to establish the link between HMs pollution and human health. Results showed that the median concentration of Ag, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb, Mn and Zn in soil and dust were 2–13 times greater than the background value. The As, Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb showed a relatively higher spatial variability in soil and dust. Zn was the most abundant metal measured in dust and soil and accounted for 59% and 55% of ∑7HMs, respectively. The HMs in soil and dust were poorly correlated with total organic carbon (TOC) and black carbon (BC), suggesting little or no influence on HMs contamination. Source analysis study indicated the distribution of Cr, Ni, Sb, Ag, Pb, Cu, and Zn in soil and dust are mainly affected by anthropogenic sources, particularly traffic emissions, industrial source, and domestic households materials, while Co, Fe, As, Mn and Cd were from natural sources. The estimated carcinogenic risk (CR) of HMs in soil and dust exceeded the acceptable level of human exposure, recommending significant CR to the local population.

Atmospheric organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in urban areas of Nepal: spatial variation, sources, temporal trends, and long-range transport potential

Abstract. The study of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in low-latitude tropical and subtropical urban cities is necessary to assess their local and global impacts on ecosystems and human health. Despite studies on levels of POPs in water, soils, and sediments, analysis of the distribution patterns, seasonality, and sources of POPs in urban regions of Nepal remain limited. Polyurethane foam (PUF)-based passive air samplers were deployed in three major cities in Nepal: Kathmandu (the capital city), Pokhara, and Hetauda (agricultural cities). Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) were the dominant organochlorine pesticides in the atmosphere at all sites. The average concentrations of POPs were ∑ DDTs, 8.7–1.0 × 103 pg m−3; ∑ HCHs, 5.3–3.3 × 103 pg m−3; HCB, 5.8–3.4 × 102 pg m−3; ∑ endosulfan, BDL–51 pg m−3; and ∑ 6PCBs, 1.4–47 pg m−3. Isomer and metabolite ratio analyses suggested that the concentrations present were from both new and historical applications of the POPs. Vegetable production sites and their market places appeared to be the major DDT and HCH source areas. Higher atmospheric concentrations of DDT and HCH occurred during the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons, and winter, respectively, closely associated with their local application for soil preparation and vegetable spraying. The estimated travel distances of the POPs (HCB, α-HCH, γ-HCH, and p, p′-DDT) under the Nepalese tropical climate were all above 1000 km, suggesting that high precipitation levels in the tropical climate were not enough to scavenge the POPs and that Nepal could be an important source region for POPs. Due to their close proximity and cold trapping (driven by low temperatures), the high Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau are likely the key receptors of POPs emitted in Nepal. These results add to the information available on POPs from tropical developing countries.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in house dust and surface soil in major urban regions of Nepal: Implication on source apportionment and toxicological effect

Urban centers have turned to be the provincial store for resource consumptions and source releases of different types of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), bringing about boundless environmental pollutions, among different issues. Human prosperity inside urban communities is unambiguously dependent on the status of urban soils and house dusts. However, environmental occurrence and sources of release of these SVOCs are challenging in Nepalese cities, as exceptionally very limited data are accessible. This motivated us to explore the environmental fate, their source/sink susceptibilities and health risk associated with PAHs. In this study, we investigated the contamination level, environmental fate and sources/sink of 16 EPA's priority pollutants in surface soil and house dusts from four major cities of Nepal. Additionally, the toxicological effect of individual PAH was studied to assess the health risk of PAHs. Generally, the concentrations of ∑16PAHs in surface soil were 1.5 times higher than house dust, and ranged 767–6770ng/g dry weight (dw) (median 1810ng/g dw), and 747–4910 dw (median 1320ng/g dw), respectively. High molecular weight-PAHs both in soil and dust were more abundant than low molecular weight-PAHs, suggesting the dominance of pyrogenic source. Moderate to weak correlation of TOC and BC with PAHs in soil and dust suggested little or no role of soil organic carbon in sorption of PAHs. Source diagnostic ratio and principal component analysis indicated fossil fuel combustion, traffic/vehicular emissions and combustion of biomass are the principal sources of PAHs contamination in Nepalese urban environment. The high average TEQ value of PAHs in soil than dust suggested high risk of soil carcinogenicity compared to dust.

Assessment of the availability and rationality of unregistered fixed dose drug combinations in Nepal: a multicenter cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe medications that are registered and available in a country are meant for the prevention and treatment of ailments and diseases. However, a lack of effective regulatory bodies and operative control mechanisms, especially in developing countries, promotes irrational and inappropriate use of medicines. This study aims to evaluate the availability and rationality of unregistered fixed-dose drug combinations (FDCs) in Nepal.MethodsA snowball sampling method with visits to 20 retail pharmacies in each of five major cities in Nepal was used to assess the availability of unregistered FDCs. To justify the rationality of the FDCs obtained from these five cities, the toolkit developed by Health Action International Asia-Pacific (HAI-AP) was used.ResultsAltogether, 41 unregistered FDCs were obtained from the five cities. Among the total 41 FDCs, a majority were anti-inflammatory/analgesic/antipyretics. A maximum of eight drugs and a minimum of two drugs per combination were present among the total 41 FDCs, with a majority in the form of tablets followed by suspensions. The cost ranges from a minimum of 3.7 Nepalese Rupees (NRs) (= USD 0.05) to a maximum of 240 NRs (= USD 3.15). None of the FDCs fulfilled all the fundamental requirements as stated in the toolkit; thus, they were categorized as ‘irrational’.ConclusionsUnregistered FDCs are available in the Nepalese pharmaceutical market. All the unregistered FDCs found in our study were ‘irrational’ as per the HAI-AP toolkit. Regulatory authorities should initiate strict monitoring and appropriate regulatory mechanisms to prohibit the use of unregistered and irrational FDCs.

Occurrence and source apportionment of halogenated flame retardants in the indoor air of Nepalese cities: Implication on human health

Elevated level of brominated- and chlorinated-flame retardants (FRs) have been accounted in ambient air across the globe. Despite what might be expected, restricted information is available on PBDEs and other halogenated FR contained indoor air in whole of Indian sub-continent especially in case of Nepal, sandwiched between two most populous countries i.e. India and China. It was conjectured that the level of halogenated flame retardant (HFRs) in Nepalese air would be high because they have not been liable to control in Nepal; and henceforth there is more plausibility of HFRs to be available in a diverse array of goods and consumer products. This study therefore aims to measure the occurrence, spatial distributions and sources of 15 brominated- and 2 chlorinated-FRs in indoor air from four major cities of Nepal. The overall concentrations of HFRs ranged from 16.1 to 6750 pg/m3 (median 334 pg/m3). The total concentrations of novel brominated fire retardants (NBFRs) were 20 and 100 times (13.2–6270 pg/m3) higher than PBDEs (2.2–353 pg/m3) and DPs (0.67–129 pg/m3), respectively indicating much higher usages of NBFRs in Nepal. The level of ∑PBDEs in air is identified with utilization of wide variety of consumers products and building materials containing FRs in Nepalese houses, while higher concentration of BDE-209 were subject to emission from materials containing deca-BDE formulation. Significantly higher concentrations of DBDPE than BDE-209 in air demonstrated a move to more prominent use of DBDPE as alternative to BDE-209. The lower fanti ratios suggests the DP level in this study was essentially affected by the long range atmospheric transport from remote DP source instead of commercial products. The exposure to BDE-47, -99, −153, −209 and HBB via inhalation was 3–4 orders of magnitude lower than corresponding RfD values, suggesting insignificant risk to Nepalese population. However, other modes of human exposure might still be significant in Nepal.

Occurrence, profile and spatial distribution of organochlorines pesticides in soil of Nepal: Implication for source apportionment and health risk assessment

Nepal is a landlocked country located between world's two most populous countries-India and China where high level of organochlorines pesticides has been reported from multi-environmental matrices. In this study, we investigated the occurrence, distributions and profile of selected OCP chemicals in surface soil samples (N=72) from four major cities of Nepal. Overall, the sum of total OCPs in soil ranged from 20 to 250ng/g with Biratnagar being the most polluted site in Nepal. DDTs and endosulfans were the most abundant OCP chemicals in soil samples. The concentration of DDTs ranged from 8 to 230ng/g, 8-56ng/g, 8-63ng/g, and 8-27ng/g in surface soil, while endosulfans were in the range of 2.9–3.3ng/g, 2.8–8.7ng/g, 2.8–3.4ng/g, 2.8–3.2ng/g in Biratnagar, Kathmandu, Pokhara and Birgunj, respectively. The isomeric ratio of DDT and their metabolites suggested the ongoing usages of technical DDT as well as dicofol in this region. Lower ratio of α/β-endosulfan indicated past application of endosulfans in Nepal. HCHs were less detected OCPs in soil sample accounting only 4–9% of ∑OCPs. The isomeric ratio of α-/γ-HCH indicated that the HCHs may be originated from mixed source of technical HCH as well as lindane use. Scattered plot of TOC and BC showed they were weakly and positively related with concentration of OCPs in soil. Health risk assessment modeling study of OCPs in soil suggested moderate cancer risk with ingestion being the most potential pathway of OCPs exposure.

Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in Nepal

Kathmandu University Medical Journal Vol.12(3) 2014; 161-162

Lead in new paints in Nepal

Samples from 75 paint products made by 21 domestic and foreign manufacturers were purchased from retail stores in five major cities in Nepal and tested for lead content. Information provided on product labels were noted. Samples were selected to be representative of the large number of brands and colors available in retail shops. Although a majority of the products purchased were manufactured in Nepal, paints from four additional countries were tested. Out of a total of 75 samples, 57 (76%) of the tested paints contained lead at concentrations greater than 90ppm (ppm). Ninety-three percent of the paints that exceeded 90ppm had levels in excess of 600ppm. Lead concentrations in the tested paints ranged up to 200,000ppm (20%) lead by weight and the median concentration was 5100ppm. These results indicate that lead paint is commonly being sold for residential and other consumer applications in Nepal without any consumer warnings. Regulations are needed to specify the maximum concentration of lead allowed in paint products manufactured, imported, or distributed in the country to protect public health. Efforts must be made to get lead-containing paint products recalled from stores so that they are not used in homes, schools, and other child-occupied facilities.

Ground based comparison of solar UV index in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Biratnagar

This paper presents the ground based comparison of solar UV index at three major cities in Nepal (Kathmandu, Pokhara and Biratnagar). Kathmandu (27.72° N, 85.32° E), Pokhara (28.22° N, 83.22° E) and Biratnagar (26.45° N, 87.27° E) are located at an elevation of 1350 m, 800 m and 72 m respectively from the sea level. This comparison was performed from January to December 2009 for Kathmandu (KTM) and Pokhara (PKR) and from February to December 2009 for Biratnagar (BRT). The measurement instruments used are the NILU-UV irradiance meter and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The NILU-UV irradiance meter records the UV radiation whereas the MODIS estimates AOD. During this study, the monthly mean UV Index (UVI) in July were found to be 7.5 ± 2.5 in KTM, 8.6 ± 3.5 in PKR and 7.2 ± 3.1 in BRT. Meanwhile, the hourly mean UVI during monsoon at 7UT was found to be 5.7 ± 2.5 in KTM, 6.4 ± 2.6 in PKR and 5.8 ± 2.5 in BRT. The highest values of these hourly mean UVI was found at or around noon. The UVI values between KTM and PKR was slightly more correlated with its correlation coefficient being 0.73 than that between KTM and BRT whose correlation coefficient was 0.65. Similarly, the mean bias difference for KTM, BRT and KTM, PKR was found to be 4.8% and −38.1% respectively. This higher and lower mean bias difference indicates large and small deviation in UV data. The study also showed that besides solar elevation, the fluctuation in UVI was also influenced by the variation in ozone, aerosols and clouds. Furthermore, a year long comparison of UVI indicated that the UVI in Pokhara was higher than that in Kathmandu and Biratnagar. This analysis also showed that the extreme values of UVI were not found during the study period.

Economic and social burden due to injuries and violence in Nepal: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveInjury and violence cause 5 million deaths annually in the world which is around 9% of the global mortality. Eight out of 15 leading causes of deaths in the age...

Application of Building Integrated Photovoltaic Electric System: Its Contribution in Reduction of Load Shedding Hours in Nepal

Nepal, with a per capita energy consumption of about 15 GJ, is one of the five least energy consuming countries in the world. About 85% of its total energy comes from traditional energy sources such as fuel wood, agriculture residues and animal waste. This has led to grave consequences on ecological and environmental degradation. Keeping this in mind, GoN has provided policy guidelines in its Three Year Interim Plan (2007/08-10/11) to encourage the development and application of Renewable Energy Technologies such as photovoltaic power systems. This paper contains a brief account of the survey of PV powered solar home, telecommunication, civil aviation and water pumping systems in different parts of Nepal. As of July 15, 2008, about 6 MWp of PV power has been already installed in 67 districts of Nepal. The paper indicates on how load shedding hours could be reduced to some extent if Building Integrated Photovolatic Electric System (BIPVES) is introduced in different major cities of Nepal. The paper concludes that BIPVES systems be installed and awareness programmes on application of these systems are needed for different levels of people so that the quality of life could be improved.Key words: energy resources, building integration, urban renewable energy policyJournal of the Institute of Engineering, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2009 July, page: 1-5doi: 10.3126/jie.v7i1.2056