Aid and Recovery in Post-Earthquake Nepal — Quantitative Survey: June 2015 Aid and Recovery in Post-Earthquake Nepal Independent Impacts and Recovery Monitoring Phase 1 Quantitative Survey: June 2015 Aid and Recovery in Post-Earthquake Nepal Independent Impacts and Recovery Monitoring Phase 1 Quantitative Survey: June 2015 September 2015 The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization committed to improving lives across a dynamic and developing Asia. Informed by six decades of experience and deep local expertise, our programs address critical issues affecting Asia in the 21st century— governance and law, economic development, women’s empowerment, environment, and regional cooperation. In addition, our Books for Asia and professional exchange programs are among the ways we encourage Asia’s continued development as a peaceful, just, and thriving region of the world. Headquartered in San Francisco, The Asia Foundation works through a network of offices in 18 Asian countries and in Washington, DC. Working with public and private partners, the Foundation receives funding from a diverse group of bilateral and multilateral development agencies, foundations, corporations, and individuals. Independent Impacts and Recovery Monitoring Phase 1: Quantitative Survey © The Asia Foundation All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from The Asia Foundation 456 California Street, 9th Floor San Francisco, CA U.S.A. 94104 www.asiafoundation.org This project was funded by UK aid from the UK government. The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies. Cover photo: Tenzing Paljor, Chiran Manandhar Design: Deddeaw Laosinchai Aid and Recovery in Post-Earthquake Nepal PREFACE esponding effectively to disasters requires communities to work together to requires knowledge of the needs overcome their challenges. Politics and R of the affected, how they evolve leadership, at the local and higher levels, over time, and the effectiveness of aid in will help determine the extent to which aid addressing these. The international aid is employed effectively; and the way aid apparatus is a well-oiled disaster response is delivered may, in turn, shape political machine. Within days, emergency relief preferences and competition. Understanding can be deployed, pulling bodies from rubble how local structures and norms change over and providing basic sustenance and shelter time requires in-depth research in affected to those who have lost their homes. A now- communities. standardized tool, the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment, provides information on what Further, ‘one shot’ assessments, conducted immediate needs are and estimates the shortly after the disaster, are unable to financial costs of replacing infrastructure capture how social, economic, and political and repairing economic damage as well impacts—and associated needs—change as impacts on different sectors such as over time. The evolution of such needs health and education. This helps determine will not only be a function of the intensity the overall level of official development and nature of the impacts of the disaster assistance and government money needed to but also of the disaster response. Aid may repair damage, compensate for losses, and replace people’s homes, get people working determines where and on what such money again, or avert disease; however, it may should go. This usually becomes the basis also have negative impacts on the social for a joint early recovery and development and economic fabric, for example by plan, which guides the response over the accentuating competition over scarce re- short, medium, and long term. sources or changing local power relations. Understanding these evolving impacts and Such damage assessments are valuable needs at the local level, and the interaction but their focus on quantifying impacts with the provision of aid, is vital for the and costs means key information needed effective delivery of emergency, early re- for disaster responses to be effective and covery, and development assistance. This accountable is missed. Issues such as local requires continued visits to communities to social relations are important, for recovery see how things are changing. III Aid and Recovery in Post-Earthquake Nepal This report is part of a larger, longer-term in-depth qualitative fieldwork conducted project aimed at tracking changing needs, at the same time, is released in parallel. and the impact of aid responses, in areas of In order to track changes over time, future Nepal that were affected by two devastating rounds of work—two per year—are planned. earthquakes in April and May 2015. The report presents findings from a large re- We hope that the survey findings will help presentative quantitative household survey aid providers, Nepali and international alike, conducted two months after the first quake. respond effectively to help the people of A sister report, outlining findings from Nepal recover. Patrick Barron Regional Director for Conflict & Development The Asia Foundation IV Aid and Recovery in Post-Earthquake Nepal ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS he survey was implemented by a Nepal), and Jacob Rinck. Thanit Herabat team from Interdisciplinary Analysts provided research assistance and Lavinia T(IDA), led by Sudhindra Sharma. Tyrrel and Mim Koletschka assisted with Analysis of the data was done by Anup editorial support. Phayal and Sunil Pillai, who co-authored the report with Sasiwan Chingchit and Patrick Many thanks to the people of the 14 affected Barron. districts who spent time sharing their views with the research teams. A number of people provided useful inputs at various stages, including in the formation This project was funded by UK aid from of the questionnaires, finalization of the the UK government. Andy Murray, Tom sampling strategy, and analysis of the Wingfield, Ed Bell and Ben Powis from the data. They include George Varughese, Department for International Development Ed Anderson, Nandita Baruah, and Lena (DFID) provided useful inputs and guidance. Michaels (from The Asia Foundation), Sudip The views expressed here do not necessarily Pokharel (Democracy Resource Center reflect the UK government’s official policies. V Aid and Recovery in Post-Earthquake Nepal EXECUTIVE SUMMARY n 25 April 2015, a powerful 7.8- This report is based on quantitative survey magnitude earthquake struck Nepal. research conducted between 15-29 June OThousands were killed, tens of 2015. It focuses on four areas: the impacts thousands were injured, and hundreds of the earthquakes; the nature of the aid of thousands of homes were damaged or delivered and satisfaction with it; immediate destroyed. A second major earthquake struck and short-term needs; and security, social less than three weeks later, killing hundreds relations, and politics. The second report, more and adding to the destruction. which is based on in-depth qualitative field research, is published in parallel. National and international aid providers quickly responded with emergency aid. The survey comprised face-to-face inter- But developing effective plans for long- views with 2,980 respondents randomly term sustainable recovery requires learning selected from 240 Village Development from relief efforts to date and understanding Committees (VDCs) and municipalities the needs and challenges that lie ahead. across 14 of the 26 earthquake-affected The Independent Impacts and Recovery districts, along with 298 ward leaders. Data Monitoring for Accountability in Post- collection took place in six high impact earthquake Nepal (IRM) project contributes districts, five medium impact districts, and to this by assessing five interrelated issues three low impact districts. The household —aid delivery and effectiveness; politics sample was distributed equally among men and leadership; social relations and conflict; and women. Respondents were individuals protection and vulnerability; and economy over the age of 18 who are involved in and livelihoods—through two research household decision-making. Findings are components. representative of the full population of the 26 earthquake-affected districts. Impacts of the earthquake The two earthquakes caused substantial our high impact districts, 86% of respondents damage to infrastructure. The survey findings report that their house was destroyed or still support the accuracy of the government’s uninhabitable two months on from the first initial assessment of damage to property; in quake. The scale of destruction is partly VI Aid and Recovery in Post-Earthquake Nepal a result of the poor quality of housing in The incomes of businesspeople are reported high impact districts. Most houses in high as being the most affected, despite them impact areas are made from mud mortar and suffering less damage to their houses than collapsed, while the relatively few concrete many other occupational groups. The income and pillar houses were rarely substantially of low caste groups has been affected less impacted. The poor are most likely to have than that of others. Borrowing has increased, lost their homes with those who farm their particularly in highly affected districts and own land, daily wage laborers and those wards and for those who suffered major with livestock the most affected. Amongst housing damage. People are most frequently public infrastructure, schools are reported to turning to relatives or moneylenders for cash be the most affected. with few taking loans from banks.