National Target 8: By 2020, pollution from different sources, including from use of fertilizers and agro-chemicals affecting biodiversity and ecosystem functions are maintained within the national environmental standards.

Currently except in areas around main industrial estates and localized water pollution, the ambient air and water quality at macro level is found to be in good state. However, increasing sediment loads in the rivers and streams due to developmental activities, impacting the aquatic biodiversity as well as hydropower plants, is becoming one of the emerging environmental issues. Although agro-chemical and fertilizers are potential sources of pollution of both land and water, especially if used without proper management practices, currently there is no report on the extent of the impacts of these agro-chemicals on land and environment in general, except for sporadic observations. The country has legal measures in place to address pollution from all sources but the overriding issue of concern is the weak implementation and enforcement of environmental standards and inadequate monitoring. Therefore, this target is to focus on strengthening national mechanism to implement and monitor standards for all sources of pollution, including agro-chemicals and fertilizers.