Final answer:
The Terai lowlands and urban areas of Nepal are more affected by modernization due to rapid population growth and increased demands for infrastructure to support agriculture and tourism. The northern mountainous regions are less affected because of their geographic isolation and challenging conditions. Modernization in Nepal faces a trade-off with environmental degradation.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering which region of Nepal is more affected by modernization, it is apparent that the urban and economically active areas encounter this the most. The Terai lowlands of southern Nepal, which harbor the country's best farmland, are experiencing high rates of population growth that exceed the country's economic growth rate. As a region with significant agricultural production and a burgeoning tourism industry, the infrastructure and services investments needed to support modernization direct funds away from essential public services.
Urban centers are expanding rapidly due to the rural-to-urban shift, increasing the region's interaction with the global economy. This urbanization is part of the shift observed in South Asian countries as they transition through the five stages of the index of economic development. Meanwhile, the northern mountainous regions, including the Himalayas, are less affected due to their isolation and challenging geographic conditions.
Despite the growing infrastructure and services brought on by tourism, Nepal faces severe environmental degradation through deforestation and soil erosion, primarily by cutting down trees for housing, cooking, and warmth. With monsoon rains washing soil from the mountain fields into the valleys, the northern mountainous and hilly regions encounter significant environmental challenges that contrast the modernization efforts in other areas of the country.