Govt initiates works for Strategy for Resilient Urban Communities

The government has begun ground works to develop ‘national strategy for resilient urban communities’ with an aim of building disaster and climate change resilient cities in Nepal.

An inception workshop was organized Sunday to present initial concept of the strategy and get the feedback of experts on it. 

“New strategy will focus on community resilience, including disaster resilience and climate change adaptation. It will try to address resilience and adaptation, assessment of the community assets, vulnerability of infrastructure, potential systems interventions for community resilience,” informed Gopi Krishna Khanal, joint secretary of the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD).

He said that the strategy would also include national, regional and local policies on resilience and adaptation.

The MoFALD, Institute for Social and Environmental Transition – Nepal (ISET-N), Practical Action Consultation and Genesis Consultancy are jointly developing the strategy.

The strategy formulation committee started its work from January this year and will complete its work by the end of May.

Kunti Kumari Shahi, Minister for State of the MoFALD, suggested for coordination among the respective agencies in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

She urged to make an assessment of the limitation of resources, inherent risks and estimated cost while applying the resilient development measures.

 Nepal’s population lives 217 municipalities. Given the disaster vulnerability of the country, security of those people living in the urban areas must be addressed,” said Khanal.

“About 42 per cent of

He said that implementing land-use plan in the urban areas was a major challenge and the ministry was preparing approach to address the issue.

Executive director of ISET-N and leader of the committee Ajay Dixit said that the first draft of the strategy would be made public on March 30 for further discussion and public suggestion.

“We will review all the existing policies in the country as well as international practices. There will be discussions with local experts about the local and traditional knowledge on resilient construction and development,” he informed.

The team will also study international declarations on disaster resilience and climate change adaptation, like Sendai Framework and Paris Climate Declaration.

Bimal Gadal, director of Sustainable Development Directorate at Oxfam, said that Nepal should have developed such strategy much earlier as the country was attributed as the 4^th most vulnerable country in terms of climate change, 11^th in terms of earthquake and 30^th in flood.

Another member of the committee, Ashutosh Kumar Shukla said that at least two national level consortiums would be organized to formulate the strategy.

He stressed the need to create resilience index for the municipalities.

Dr. Jiba Raj Pokharel, vice-chancellor of the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, urged the committee to find out local resilient measures and apply them with modern technology.

“We have 300 years old temples standing tall even after half a dozen powerful earthquakes. They are the testimony of our knowledge on resilient technology. We must not ignore it,” he said.