Nepal: Better late than never

In his op-ed for Kantipur, Ratindra Khatri addresses the shift from disaster management to disaster risk reduction and risk management and the importance of community based disaster risk management. Using Haiti’s case as an example, he compares Port-au-Prince, which he says "was an unplanned and ill-managed city" to Kathmandu, which is "considered a most hazardous and risky place to live in." "Though we have sound building codes, they are rarely adhered," he continues.

"Disaster management is not the sole responsibility of any unilateral element," he asserts, raising the importance of community participation in the whole process of disaster risk management, including coordination mechanisms involving local, district and national level government structures, civil society organizations, private sector and vulnerable groups, as well as multi-hazard risk and capacity assessments at the community level.