Nepal: Building strong

By Kishore Thapa

Nepal ranks 11th in terms of earthquake risk and 30th in terms of flood risk. Every year, natural disasters render thousands of people homeless; the earthquake last year left more than three million people homeless. Earthquakes do not kill people; weak and vulnerable buildings do. Buildings that were constructed without following codes and proper construction techniques were destroyed by the quake. It was a reminder of how the quality of construction is what counts during natural calamities; century-old buildings in the heart of Kathmandu withstood the earthquake and the aftershocks, while newly constructed so-called ‘RCC-framed’ buildings in periphery areas like Gongabu and Sitapaila were devastated.

Resilient buildings are those that can withstand the impact of natural disasters with minimum damage to their structure and occupants. In order to achieve better resilience, buildings have to be planned, designed, constructed and maintained as per architectural and engineering norms and standards. They should be environmentally friendly and best suited to the local culture.