Industry under the open sky: An exploration of the political economy of brick making in Nepal; ICIMOD Working Paper 2019/7

To gain a nuanced understanding of the political economy of brick making, this study examines the brick sector at three levels: kiln, local and national level. At the lowest level is the brick factory, which includes brick kiln workers, labour suppliers, brokers, and owners. The local level comprises brick kiln owners, transporters, the local government and other stakeholders, and the relations and power dynamics between them. At the national level, the study analyses relationships between government bodies (ministries and line agencies, revenue office), the national brick kiln association, financial institutions, non-governments actors, activists, and policy makers. The study has identified the following major actors at the three different levels.