Please DON'T Let Nepal Suffocate!

Smog is choking our cities. Waste piles in temples and streets. Children are missing school.

And yet, the system profits from it.

But change is possible. And it can start with us. In fact, it has to start with us.

The Crisis in Nepal:

Nepal’s cities, especially Kathmandu, are being suffocated by unmanaged food waste. Every day, over 1,200 tons of garbage are dumped in landfills like Sisdol and Banchare Danda.

More than 60% of that is food waste. And when it rots in landfills, it produces methane, a gas that is 80 times more potent than CO2. That methane traps pollution in our air and directly fuels Kathmandu Valley’s smog crisis.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) regularly crosses "hazardous" levels. Children, elderly people, and outdoor workers are breathing poison every day. Life expectancy has dropped by 4+ years in many parts of the country.

And it is not just about Kathmandu anymore. Waste mismanagement is growing in Butwal, Dharan, Bharatpur, and Pokhara among other cities. This is a national emergency.

This is not just about air. It is about survival.

Our nation once drew visitors from around the world for its pristine hills, crisp mountain air, and spiritual calm. But in recent years, worsening waste management and rising landfill emissions have turned most cities into a pollution hotspot. Tourists are staying away. The livelihoods of tour operators, hotel staff, and local businesses are under threat.

At the center of this crisis? Unmanaged organic waste.

We are not just facing a garbage problem. We are facing a climate, soil, and human health emergency.

But what if we could stop methane before it starts? What if food waste didn’t rot, but renewed the soil?

The BioBhumi Solution:

BioBhumi is on a mission to turn Nepal into a circular, climate resilient region. We are designing and building Nepal's first locally engineered, smart composting pod that converts food waste and any other organic waste into compost on-site, stopping methane emissions before they even start.

Each BioBhumi unit:

• Processes 1000kg/day, and scalable to 10000 kg/day of organic waste

• Runs on 100% clean electricity

• Converts waste into compost in 12 hours

• Uses smart sensors to track impact like methane avoided, and compost produced

We plan to start in Kathmandu with 3 pilot sites:

1. Pashupatinath Temple

2. A school

3. A hotel

But this is just the beginning. With your help, we can bring BioBhumi to every community in Nepal, no matter how big or small.

BioBhumi is:

• Affordable and locally repairable

• Designed for Nepali waste streams, especially high-moisture vegetable waste

• Built by INSEAD and Kellog students in collaboration with local engineering students

• Part of a circular ecosystem with on-site sensors, impact dashboards, and compost return programs

Why This Is Urgent:

When food waste rots in landfills, it emits methane that traps smog and worsens air pollution. Until we fix organic waste, we can’t fix our air, our soil, or our health.

We cannot fix air pollution, soil degradation, or public health without fixing organic waste.

Every ton of waste composted saves:

• NPR 3,000 in transport costs

• NPR 5,000 in imported fertilizer

• NPR 2,500 in public health savings

Each BioBhumi pod prevents at least the equivalent of 270 garbage trucks of waste from reaching the landfill per year.

This is the kind of innovation Nepal needs, and you can help make it happen.

Who’s Profiting from Nepal’s Waste Crisis?

Behind Nepal’s worsening pollution lies more than just poor planning, as it is a corrupt business.

Every year, an estimated NPR 2 billion (NPR 2 Arba, US$1.5 Million) is collected by a powerful group of private waste contractors in Kathmandu Valley. These companies charge homes, hospitals, and hotels to “manage” their waste, but they don’t even take it to the landfill. Instead, they dump it at collection centers like Teku, and it is the Metropolitan City Offices (Like KMC, LMC, etc) that bear the cost and responsibility of transporting it to Banchare Danda.

Even worse?

• These companies don’t pay taxes

• They operate under political party banners

• They funnel money to corrupt leaders

• And they actively block reforms, using their influence to undermine leaders like Mayor Balen who are trying to fix the system

This is not just a waste problem. It is a protection racket and the Nepali people are paying the price.

BioBhumi is a direct challenge to this status quo.

We are not here to ask the system for permission. We are here to build a new one.

One that is:

• Transparent

• Community driven

• Tax paying

• Climate smart

• Built for and by the people

If you are tired of watching the same corrupt system pollute our air, harm our children, and block change, support BioBhumi. Let’s take that 2 billion rupees and redirect it into something clean, honest, and proudly Nepali.

Why We Are Fundraising

We are not a large international NGO, but a startup in the social enterprise sector. We are a team of engineers, sustainability advocates, and local change makers building a climate solution for Nepal, from Nepal.

But we are up against time.

Nepal’s air quality is now among the worst in the world. In March 2024, Kathmandu recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) above 300 which is classified as “hazardous to health” by WHO standards. On many occasions, the city has ranked among the top 10 most polluted cities on the planet, while also being the most polluted in the world on a few days.

But this crisis goes beyond the air.

When food waste is dumped and left to rot:

• It releases methane, a greenhouse gas 80x more potent than CO₂

• It generates toxic leachate that contaminates rivers and groundwater

• It attracts vermin and flies, increasing the risk of disease

• It creates chronic odor and visual pollution in schools, hospitals, and sacred sites

• It weighs heavily on the mental health and dignity of communities, especially the poor

This is not just a public health emergency. It is environmental injustice.

BioBhumi was created to fix this. But building new systems in Nepal, ones that are transparent, tax paying, and community powered comes with resistance.

The government is not funding it. Investors want proof. The existing waste system is politically protected.

So we’re turning to people, to you. Your support helps us:

• Stay independent from corrupt gatekeepers

• Launch fast, with full community transparency

• Prove that Nepal can build its own circular climate infrastructure

Our founder is a Nepali youth, returning right after completing their MBA from INSEAD. He brings global education and training, and is choosing to return and build. (LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshyatkarki/)

How the Funds Will Be Used:

We are raising $100,000 to launch BioBhumi.

Every milestone unlocks a crucial stage of measurable, irreversible progress:

$45,000: Core Infrastructure Build

• Manufacture and commission a 1-ton/day composting machine

• Construct the centralized curing facility

• Procure conveyor belts, curing beds, power setup, and safety gear

This is our launchpad. Without this foundation, nothing moves forward.

$60,000: R&D & Validation (3-Month Pilot Phase)

• Process 135,000 kg of food waste

• Produce more than 40 tons of high-quality compost

• Prevent over 8.5 tons of CO₂e methane emissions

• Refine C:N ratios, odor control, curing duration, and yield maximization

• Begin baseline ESG data tracking

This turns BioBhumi from a prototype into a validated climate engine.

$80,000: Product Launch & Community Distribution

• Finalize packaging and branding of compost for B2B and public use

• Launch the community compost giveback program

• Distribute compost to temples, schools, nurseries, and farms

• Develop full SOPs, safety guides, and training manuals

• Formalize partnerships with 3 institutional waste partners

Compost becomes a product and a platform.

$100,000: Full Ecosystem Deployment

• Launch public ESG impact dashboard (methane, compost volume, air quality indicators)

• Deploy pilot composting pods at a school and temple

• Open platform to CSR funders and city partners

• Showcase BioBhumi as Nepal’s first replicable model of circular climate infrastructure

This is where waste becomes climate leadership.

What You Get When You Give:

• $100 = A personalized thank-you email and BioBhumi update

• $300 = A curated digital photo story of the build process and your name listed on our website as a Founding Supporter

• $500 = Your name printed on a compost batch bag as a thank-you

• $1,000 = Virtual composting tour & early access to compost impact dashboard

• $3,000 = Named sponsorship on our smart compost pod

• $5,000 = Full pod naming rights on the first compost pod created (e.g., "The Karki Family Compost Pod")

• $10,000 = Founding Circle Visionary

a) Recognition as a Founding Circle Visionary on our campaign page and a commemorative display at our main site

b) A personalized mini-documentary capturing your impact story and BioBhumi’s journey, shared across our channels

c) A curated Compost-to-Community photo journal showing how your contribution transformed waste into community value

d) Round-trip travel sponsorship (from anywhere in the world) to visit our facility and pilot sites in Nepal (scheduled in Year 2 of operations)

e) Private guided tour, behind-the-scenes walkthroughs, and a hosted dinner with the BioBhumi founding team

f) Commemorative gift and certificate of appreciation

Join the Movement:

This isn’t just about waste. It is about dignity, climate resilience, and giving Nepal the solutions it deserves.

This is about giving Nepal clean air, healthy soil, and solutions we can build ourselves, instead of waiting for someone else to fix it.

If you have ever wanted to make a real difference in our country, this is as close as it has come in a long time. This is Nepal’s first community-powered solution to stop methane at the source. Built in Nepal, for Nepal and launching with your help.

Be a part of BioBhumi. Let’s build it together, from the soil up. Let Nepal breathe again.

Donate now.

Thank you.