Nepal Red Cross Society Disaster Management Department Central Office Kathmandu, Nepal Earthquake Preparedness for Safer Communities Programme Report on VULNERABILITY & CAPACITY ASSESSMENT In 46 Wards of Kathmandu valley Bhktapur Madhya Thimi Kathmandu Kirtipur Lalitpur Sub Municipality Municipality Metropolitan city Municipality Municipality Ward No. 2 Ward No. 3 Ward No. 2 Ward No. 8 Ward No. 1 Ward No. 5 Ward No. 6 Ward No. 10 Ward No. 9 Ward No. 3 Ward No. 7 Ward No. 8 Ward No. 12 Ward No. 11 Ward No. 6 Ward No. 8 Ward No. 10 Ward No. 15 Ward No. 6 Ward No. 7 Ward No. 9 Ward No. 14 Ward No. 16 Ward No. 8 Ward No. 12 Ward No. 16 Ward No. 18 Ward No. 9 Ward No. 13 Ward No. 21 Ward No. 11 Ward No. 14 Ward No. 23 Ward No. 12 Ward No. 27 Ward No. 13 Ward No. 28 Ward No. 16 Ward No. 29 Ward No. 18 Ward No. 30 Ward No. 20 Ward No. 31 Ward No. 21 Ward No. 34 Contents: 1. Background Information 3 2. Prevalent Risks and Hazards 3 3. Vulnerability Condition 4 4. Existing Capacities and Coping Mechanisms 5 5. Key Findings 5 6. Recommendations: 7 7. Annex: · Table 1: Hazard Matrix 8 · Table 2 Historical Profile (Timeline of Disaster) 28 · Table 3: Vulnerability Matrix 31 · Table 4: Capacity Matrix 47 · Table 5: Seasonal Calender 66 · Details of Vulnerability 68 · Table 6: Stakeholder analysis 69 · Table 7: Livelihood matrix 81 · Table 8: Problem and Solution Matrix 83 · Table 9:Disaster Ranking Matrix 94 · Model of Problem Tree 95 2 Background Information: Kathmandu Valley is in the Central region and consists of three districts, Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, which include One Metropolitan, One SuB Metropolitan and three municipalities, namely Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Madhyapur Thimi and Kirtipur respectively. The Vulnerable and capacity Assessment (VCA) was conducted in 46 wards in these cities of Kathmandu valley. In Kathmandu Metropolitan city 14 wards (2,10,12,15,16,18,21,23,27,28,29,30,31 and 34), in Kirtipur Municipality 4 wards (8,9,11 and 16), in Bhktapur Municipality 8 wards (5,7,8,9,12,13, 14 and 16), in Madhya Thimi Municipality 6 wards (3,6,8,10,14 and 16) and in Lalitpur SuB Metropolitan city 13 wards (1,3,6,7,8,9,11,12,13,16,20,21 and 22) were selected to conduct VCA survey in which Earthquake Preparedness for Safer Community Programme (EPC) programme was implemented by Nepal Red Cross Society. The total population of 46 wards covered by EPC programme is 576,172 in which 273,204 (47.4%) are Female and 320,968 (52.5%) are male based on the base line survey conducted By the EPC Programme. In the Bhaktapur District, 8 wards are covered with EPC programme. There are total 58,810 individuals in which 29,833 are female and 28,977 are male. The average Households recorded is 442. Similarly in 14 wards of Kathmandu District, there are 4, 19,431 individuals in which 1, 91,323 are female and 2, 28,108 are male occupying 8494 Households in average. Similarly in 13 wards of Lalitpur district, there are 97,931 individuals with 52,048 female and 45,883 male. The average household is 1588. The average disable persons in these 46 Wards are 14. The average altitude of the Kathmandu valley is 1320 m ranging from 1200 to 2300 m from MSL and found warm temperate climate. In the Kathmandu Valley (46 wards) , which is representative of its valley's climate, the average summer temperature varies from 28–32 °C and the winter temperature goes to minus 2°C. Rainfall is mostly monsoon-based (June- August). The average rainfall in Kathmandu valley calculated is 1400 mm. The majority of people from these Wards are Newar, followed by Chhetri, Bramhan and Dalit, Sarki, Magar as a minority. But now many ethnic groups are migrating from other districts of Nepal and found mixed ethnic groups in Kathmandu valley. Hindu and Buddhist is the main religion with Christian as a minor found in theses Wards of Kathmandu Valley. These Wards have no more rivers and stream But the main source of water is supplied By Government, deep tuB well boring, shallow wells and springs. Most of the people are involved in agriculture and Business as the main livelihood, supplemented daily labor, carpenter, Service, and foreign job. The income from agriculture is not sufficient for the whole year due to different disasters. The agricultural land is being converted into a concrete jungle, Even though the Government of Nepal implemented a Land use plan But not strictly applied. The space allocated for the emergency evacuation are also encroaching rapidly. Prevalent Risks and Hazards Kathmandu valley faces a numerous disasters including Natural as well as manmade. From the response during survey, the major Natural disasters experienced by 46 Wards of Kathmandu valley were earthquake followed by fire and the minor disasters as landslide and storm. The effect of flood is very low. The manmade disasters recorded are epidemic and road accident. Theses disasters may happen in the future if the appropriate risk reduction measures are not planned and implemented. The perception of the community people are based on their previous experience and the expected disaster may happen in the futures. 3 The prevalent disaster that responded from the community people from 46 Wards of Kathmandu Valley is Earthquake. The major reasons of the huge destruction in the Kathmandu valley will be geophysical condition, unmanaged construction of houses ignoring the implementation of earthquake measures and communities’ traditional perception aBout the earthquake. In the 46 Wards, most of the houses are old, weak in construction, constructed with mud mortar and attached with each other. The elder people experienced the earthquake disaster occurred in B.S 1990 and saw the devastating hazards caused many lives and destroyed huge property. It is forecasted that even huge earthquake disaster will happen in future that will destroy 60% of the lives and 80% of the physical property. The second prevalent disaster is fire. Fire is recurring disaster caused By mainly negligence of the people and short circuit of electricity. These fires cause economic losses and environmental degradation throwing dedicates ecosystems out of Balance. It is also threatening valuable and endangered flora and fauna, degrading the soil and inducing flood and landslide. Most of the houses are old having CGI sheet and mud tile roofs which are susceptible to fire. Some houses are found thatch roof. These houses are Built in a group and continuously attached. Though, the inhabitants were using fire wood and thatch as cooking materials, now most of them changed their habits and are using LPG gas and electricity. Lack of knowledge and skills to operate these equipment’s, fire disaster may happen. Another reason of fire disaster is the old electric wiring and heavy storm in the months of March to May. The third major and freQuent, manmade disaster occur in the Kathmandu valley is road accident. The urbanization of the Wards adjacent to the Kathmandu valley is in rapid which demanded the transport facilities. The vehicles are Being imported in Kathmandu valley in huge number. Lack of length of road network, unmanaged Traffic operation, and narrow width of road could not accommodate the huge number of vehicles. Even though, the drivers and pedestrian’s attitude do not change. The driver drives fast in any situation and pedestrian cross the road without seeing the approaching vehicles. The fourth major manmade disaster is epidemic as identified from the response of the community people from 46 Wards. The main reason of the epidemic is the supply of turbid water in rainy season and use of water from well, spring and deep tuBe well. The dysentery and diarrhea is common in the rainy season in these areas. Other epidemic disease is the Burning of eye (conjunctivitis) when the climate changes aBruptly. Generally in dry season the disease spread in a community. Vulnerability Condition The elements at risk due to Natural and Manmade disaster identified by the community people of 46 Wards are Human, Physical, infrastructures, organizational and attitudinal vulnerability. The physical and infrastructural vulnerability observed in the community are prevalent By the social, Organizational and attitudinal vulnerability factors. Earthquake disaster affects full range of loss from royalty to poor. Earthquake treats every one equally. However, the poor and disadvantage group of the society are the most vulneraBle. It is necessary to Bring these communities in the groups so that they can collectively involve in the risk reduction. The Wards have physical and organizational capacity to cope the disasters But there coverage area is very less. The main occupation of the community people is agriculture having productive soil But 4 they are using traditional method leads to the less production. It is analyzed that the community have many organizations and cooperative But they are working in small area and targeted to a specific group of the community for the specific purpose. They are not using the fund in the Disaster preparedness. To improve the capacity to cope with the disaster and reduce the risk, it is essential to organize the community in a group. The community groups and organizations in disaster management are essential in sustaining the risk reduction process for the community to meet intended aims and targets. The formation and strengthening of community disaster response, organizations or community disaster management volunteer’s team is the key to mobilizing communities for sustainable disaster risk reduction. The community people are aware about some of the early warning system of disaster.