Kathmandu, Nov. 24
The
Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority
(NDRRMA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) are jointly organising the
third ‘Asia Shelter Forum (ASF)’ in Lalitpur on November25-26.
The
two-day conference is supported by the ASF Organising Committee members, said
the organisers at a press meet organised at the Singha Durbar on Wednesday.
It will be a hybrid mode programme
as the people attend it physically and virtually, said Dr. Dijan Bhattarai,
Spokesperson for the NDRRMA.
About 200 participants,
including the representatives from government and non-government bodies,
private sector organisations and development partners, and individuals will
participate in the conference in-person while about 350 will joint it via
online platform.
A field
meeting will be organised for the international delegates on November 27where
they will have an opportunity to witness Nepal’s reconstruction efforts and
cultural heritage preservation, and to interact with local government officials
and community members.
Dr.
Bhattarai said that the ASF 2021 is an opportunity for governments, I/NGOs, and
community-based organisations to share and identify the most appropriate
housing solutions for safe and dignified homes for vulnerable households
through improved collaboration and networking.
According
to him, this regional forum will encourage continuous dialogue between
governments, non-governmental organisations, and community based organisations to
ensure sustainability and institutionalisation of best practices.
Minister
for Urban Development Ram Kumari Jhakri is scheduled to inaugurate the
conference. Technical sessions focusing on the best practices, lessons and
challenges on shelter and settlement issues and interventions from Nepal are major
topics of the conference.
The
conference will draw on the lessons and experiences of recent disasters and the
responses in respective countries. The participants will explore best practices
in achieving safe, adequate, and dignified implementation of shelter programmes
that support community engagement.
The conference will promote
formation of a National Shelter Forum (NSF) for effective coordination among
shelter practitioners and government agencies.
“We need to have active
engagement with federal, provincial and local governments and robust support
system for vulnerable households at grassroots level for them access to
government services including shelter assistance and socio-technical solutions,”
said Engineer Minar Thapa of Housing Recovery and Reconstruction Platform
(HRRP), an organising committee member.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 25 November 2021.
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