CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT & HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE WWW.CFE-DMHA.ORG NEPAL Disaster Management Reference Handbook October 2020 Acknowledgements CFE-DM would like to thank the following people for their knowledge and support in developing this resource: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Gabrielle Emery, Disaster Law Coordinator-Asia Pacific Krishna Kumar K.C., Focal Point CBDRM Platform/Humanitarian Diplomacy Manager IFRC Country Office, Nepal United Nations (U.N.) Nepal Prem Awasthi, National Field Coordinator, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office United States (U.S.) Agency for International Development (USAID) Stephanie Wilcock, Office Director for Disaster Risk Reduction, Reconstruction and Resilience Office, U.S. Embassy, Nepal USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID BHA) Kristin Pettersen, Humanitarian Assistance Advisor to the Military Front Cover The Boudhanath Stupa (also known as Boudha or the Great Stupa) located near Kathmandu, Nepal is one of the most sacred among Buddhist pilgrimage sites and an example of ancient religious architecture. The stupa represents the Buddha’s mind. Prayer flags of colorful rectangular cloth are strung from the top for blessings and for other purposes. Photo by Erik Torner. https://www.flickr.com/photos/eriktorner/13255293984/in/photostream/ Disclaimer This handbook has been prepared in good faith based on resources available at the time of publication. Information was gathered from the public domain, from local and government sources, as well as from subject matter experts. Where possible, a link to the original electronic source is provided in the endnote (reference) section at the end of the document. While making every attempt to ensure the information is relevant and accurate, the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DM) does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or currency of the information in this publication. Each handbook is a working document and will be updated periodically as new and significant information becomes available. We hope that you find these handbooks informative, relevant, reliable, and useful in understanding disaster management and response. We welcome and appreciate your feedback to improve this document and help fill any gaps to enhance its future utility. For feedback, comments, or to request a printed copy please email [email protected]. Please visit our website to download copies of this publication and other products (https://www.cfe-dmha.org). All parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval systems, and transmitted by any means without the written permission of the publisher. 2 Center for Excellence in Disaster Management & Humanitarian Assistance Table of Contents Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................................. 2 Letter from the Director ........................................................................................................................ 6 About the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management & Humanitarian Assistance .......................... 7 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................... 8 Country Overview ................................................................................................................................. 9 Culture ......................................................................................................................................................10 Demographics ...........................................................................................................................................12 Ethnic Makeup ...................................................................................................................................12 Language ............................................................................................................................................12 Religion ..............................................................................................................................................12 Vulnerable Groups .............................................................................................................................13 Economics.................................................................................................................................................17 Government .............................................................................................................................................18 Environment .............................................................................................................................................19 Geography ..........................................................................................................................................19 Borders ...............................................................................................................................................19 Climate ...............................................................................................................................................20 Disaster Overview ............................................................................................................................... 21 Climate Change ........................................................................................................................................21 Hazards .....................................................................................................................................................21 History of Natural Disasters ......................................................................................................................23 Country Risks ............................................................................................................................................28 Country Risk Profile ...........................................................................................................................28 Organizational Structure for Disaster Management ............................................................................. 30 Lead Government Agencies in Disaster Response ...................................................................................30 Disaster Relief and Emergency Response .................................................................................................30 Armed Forces Role in Disaster Relief .................................................................................................33 The 2015 Earthquakes: Relief Operations and External Assistance ...................................................33 Laws, Policies, and Plans on Disaster Management .................................................................................35 Disaster Management Partners ................................................................................................................37 Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) ....................................................................................................38 The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement ...............................................................39 U.S. Government Agencies in Nepal .........................................................................................................39 Nepal Disaster Management Reference Handbook | October 2020 3 Disaster Management Communications ..................................................................................................41 Early Warning Systems .......................................................................................................................41 Information Sharing ...........................................................................................................................42 Infrastructure ...................................................................................................................................... 47 Airports .....................................................................................................................................................47 Seaports ....................................................................................................................................................47 Roads ........................................................................................................................................................47 Railways ....................................................................................................................................................48 Waterways................................................................................................................................................48 Schools .....................................................................................................................................................48 Disaster Risk Reduction in the Education Sector ................................................................................49 Communications .......................................................................................................................................50 Utilities .....................................................................................................................................................50