Disaster risk reduction: Critical for Nepal

By Krishna Raut and Renaud Meyer

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In the April 2015 earthquakes, Nepal witnessed one of the biggest tragedies in its history with the loss of nearly 9,000 people. They were killed as a result of weak infrastructure that collapsed during the earthquake. In comparison, the 2016 earthquake in Chile, which was stronger, did not lead to human casualties mainly because of strict enforcement of building codes. Indeed, earthquakes do not kill, weak buildings do. This year witnessed one of the worst floods in recent times in South Asia that affected 29 districts in Nepal, killing 160 people. It also destroyed 43,000 houses, affecting another 191,000, damaged public infrastructure like roads, bridges, embankments, canals, and washed away standing crops and other livelihoods worth over NPR 8 billion.

The government recognises these risks and has accorded high priority to disaster risk reduction. As a significant step in that direction, the Parliament passed the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, 2074 which will result in setting up a high-level Disaster Risk Reduction Authority in government.

This new Act has provisioned roles and responsibilities for the Federal, Provincial and Local level governments as per the new Constitution. It also provides for a National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council headed by the Prime Minister as the highest policy making and coordinating body for disaster risk management.

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