Making Nepal’s Data Open and Accessible for All: Introducing the Remapped Open Data Nepal

We’re thrilled to unveil the remapped and redesigned version of Open Data Nepal (ODN) – Nepal’s trusted hub for open, accessible, and actionable data.

Since its initial launch in 2018, Open Knowledge Nepal has envisioned ODN as a single, public gateway to Nepal’s data. Over the years, it has become a valuable resource for civil society organizations, researchers, journalists, developers, and citizens.

As the country’s data landscape continues to expand, so do our users’ needs. The new and improved Open Data Nepal represents a smarter, more collaborative data platform – designed for the next generation of data users, from journalists and civic innovators to local governments and developers.

What Is Open Data Nepal?

Open Data Nepal is a civil society-led digital platform that makes Nepal’s public data freely accessible, discoverable, and reusable.

It brings together datasets from diverse sectors, including health, education, governance, and the environment, to empower evidence-based decision-making, reporting, and innovation. Every dataset is available in machine-readable formats like CSV, XLSX, and JSON to ensure openness, interoperability, and transparency.

Core Features Continued from the Previous Version

• Central Data Hub: Access data from multiple public agencies and organizations in one place.
• Machine-Readable Formats: Download datasets in CSV, JSON, or Excel for easy analysis and reuse.
• Metadata & Descriptions: Understand each dataset’s source, context, and update frequency.
• Search & Filter: Find relevant data by category, tags, or organization.
• Open Licensing: Use, reuse, and share data under open data principles.
• Community Uploads: Contribute new datasets or suggest updates directly.
• API Access: Seamlessly integrate datasets into your applications or dashboards.

What’s New in Open Data Nepal

🧩 Technical Upgrades

• Built with Portal JS: The new version is developed using Portal JS, a cutting-edge open-source framework that makes the platform faster, more interactive, and easier to maintain.
• Upgraded CKAN Backend: Running on the latest version of CKAN 2.11.3, ODN now supports improved dataset management, metadata standards, and API integration.
• Enhanced API Access & Automation: All datasets are accessible through standardized APIs, with automated scripts ensuring they remain synchronized with their original sources.

📊 Data Improvements

• Consolidated Datasets: Datasets from government agencies, development partners, and civic organizations are now unified into comprehensive data packages.
• Richer Metadata: Each dataset includes more detailed information – such as its source, coverage area, and last updated date.
• Quality & Standardization: Data formats have been reviewed and standardized for consistency, quality, and usability.

Data Stories: Where Data Inspires Action

Our new Data Stories section showcases how open data is being used in research, journalism, and civic innovation. These stories highlight real-world examples of how open data fuels insights, accountability, and change – turning raw datasets into meaningful narratives.

Community & Collaboration

• Suggest a Dataset: Users can now recommend or flag missing datasets directly through the platform, helping ensure ODN remains responsive and community-driven.
• Author Data Stories: We invite researchers, journalists, and civic innovators to share their own stories using Open Data Nepal’s datasets. Each published story links to its data sources, fostering transparency and collaboration.

Coming Soon

As we continue to expand and refine Open Data Nepal, we’re committed to pushing the boundaries of accessibility, intelligence, and collaboration. Here’s a glimpse into what’s next for the platform:

• Seamless Publishing:  Automating and standardizing data updates to keep information fresh and machine-readable.
• Interactive Dashboards: Compare datasets, explore trends, and analyze indicators right on the platform.
• GPT-Based Chatbot: An AI assistant that will guide users in discovering, understanding, and using data through natural language queries.
• Comprehensive Data Explorer:  Filter, merge, and visualize datasets directly within Open Data Nepal.
• Community Governance:  Developing shared models for dataset curation, validation, and storytelling.
• Experimental Integrations: Testing Model Context Protocol (MCP) for AI-assisted analysis, insights generation, and automated workflows.

Join the Movement

As Open Data Nepal evolves into a smarter and more collaborative platform, we invite partners, contributors, and supporters to join us in strengthening Nepal’s open data ecosystem.

💡 How You Can Get Involved

• Financial & In-Kind Support: Contribute funding, infrastructure, or expertise to help sustain and expand the platform.
• Data Wranglers & Contributors: Collaborate with us to collect, clean, and publish datasets. We welcome researchers, civic-tech enthusiasts, and data advocates.
• Project Partnerships: We’re seeking collaborations to integrate the Climate Knowledge Portal and develop an AI-powered data assistant – expanding ODN’s reach and impact.

Contact Us

If you’re interested in supporting or collaborating, reach out to us at: info@oknp.org | data@oknp.org.

Together, let’s make Nepal’s data open and accessible for all.