Nepal: 'Absence of local bodies challenging development'

In an interview for Republica, Shoko Noda, the newly appointed country director of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Nepal, says UNDP has added disaster risk reduction as one of the core areas in their portfolio: "Nepal has made much progress but if a major disaster occurs, the developmental gains could be lost in no time. Our focus in the days to come will be in developing policies for more effective inclusive development, empowering women and the marginalized groups."