AidAid and and Recovery Recovery in in 2019 November Field Monitoring: Nepal – Qualitative in Post-Earthquake Aid and Recovery AidAid and and Recovery Recovery in in Post-EarthquakePost-Earthquake Nepal Nepal Post-EarthquakePost-Earthquake Nepal Nepal IndependentIndependent Impacts Impacts and and Recovery Recovery Monitoring Monitoring Phase Phase 4 4 IndependentIndependent Impacts Impacts and and Recovery Recovery Monitoring Monitoring Phase Phase 4 4 QualitativeQualitative Field Field Monitoring: Monitoring: April April 2017 2017 QualitativeQualitative Field Field Monitoring: Monitoring: April April 2017 2017 Aid and Recovery in Post-Earthquake Nepal Independent Impacts and Recovery Monitoring Phase Five Qualitative Field Monitoring: November 2019 5 Aid and Recovery in Post-Earthquake Nepal AidAidAid and and RecoveryRecovery Recovery in in in Post-EarthquakePost-EarthquakePost-Earthquake NepalNepal Nepal IndependentIndependentIndependent ImpactsImpacts Impacts and and RecoveryRecovery Recovery Monitoring Monitoring Monitoring Phase Phase Phase Five 4 4 QualitativeQualitative Field Field Monitoring: Monitoring: April April 2017 2017 Qualitative Field Monitoring: November 2019 i Aid and Recovery in Post-Earthquake Nepal 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 work across the region addresses five overarching goals— Thestrengthen Asia Foundationgovernance, isempower a nonprofit women, international expand economic development opportunity, organization increase environmentalcommitted to resilience, improving and lives promote across regional a dynamiccooperation. and Headquartered developing Asia. in San Informed Francisco, by The six Asiadecades Foundation of experience works through and deepa network local of expertise, offices in our 18 work Asian acrosscountries the and in regionWashington, addresses DC. five overarching goals— strengthen governance, empower women, expand economic opportunity, increase environmental resilience, and promote international cooperation. Headquartered in San Francisco, The Asia Foundation works through a network of offices in 18 Asian countries and in Washington, DC. Independent Impacts and Recovery Monitoring Phase Five Independent Impacts and Recovery Monitoring Phase 4 Qualitative Field Monitoring: November 2019 Qualitative Field Monitoring: April 2017 © The AsiaAsia Foundation Foundation All rights reserved. NoNo part part of of this this book book may may be be reproduced reproduced without writtenwritten permission permission from from The The Asia Asia Foundation Foundation th 456 California California Street, Street, 9 9th Floor Floor San Francisco, CA U.S.A. 94104 San Francisco, CA U.S.A. 94104 www.asiafoundation.org www.asiafoundation.org The project is funded by UK aid through the UK government and the Swiss Development Cooperation. The viewsproject expressed is funded in with this UK report aid dofrom not the necessarily UK government. reflect the The UK views or the expressed Swiss government’s official policies. in this report do not necessarily reflect the views of the UK government. Cover photo: Chiran Manandhar Design: Deddeaw Laosinchai Cover photo: Prabhat R Jha Design: Creative Press Pvt. Ltd. ii Aid and Recovery in Post-Earthquake Nepal Preface he publishing of this report marks the five- poses alongside damaged homes. Longer-term safety year anniversary of Nepal’s devastating of housing has likely improved as most have rebuilt T2015 earthquakes and the fifth round of this within the grant system and followed the building time-series monitoring research. Notably, this mile- guidelines. Yet, future planned expansions, and un- stone comes amidst the global Covid-19 pandemic. supervised repairs may not maintain the compliance Many of Nepal’s most vulnerable communities face ensured under the grants system. The findings also disproportionate impacts of the pandemic consistent highlight the pronounced differences between ur- with those from the earthquakes: increased unem- ban and rural areas, debt trap trends, and possible ployment, debt, and needs for immediate cash; lim- longer-term lessons for future disaster responses at ited livelihood alternatives, access to health services, the local government level. As in previous rounds, and social safety nets; and suffering at the hands of this report highlights the continued slow or stalled systemic governance challenges. reconstruction and recovery progress of those house- holds with low incomes before the earthquakes (e.g., Since 2015, The Asia Foundation has tracked how Dalits, the disabled and widows). The earthquakes those affected by the earthquakes have recovered (and now the pandemic) appear to have exacerbated through five rounds of research to date. Using both pre-existing inequalities. More needs to be done to quantitative and qualitative methods, the initial help these vulnerable groups. The report identifies study highlighted just how destructive the earth- remaining challenges and opportunities for ongoing quakes had been and the immense challenges that earthquake recovery, as well as future disaster re- would lie ahead. The subsequent four rounds of re- sponses – with a particular focus on the governance search were conducted in the same areas, allowing of disaster responses. for a tracking of how recovery has been occurring. This report presents findings from the fifth in the se- This research demonstrates the value of long-term ries, completed in late 2019, and highlights some of social impacts monitoring in affected areas – from the longer-term impacts of the earthquakes, as well documenting local level perspectives and changing as observed recovery patterns, including remaining conditions on the ground. The lessons identified here needs and challenges. Specific additional research are relevant for all stakeholders involved in earth- questions were identified and incorporated through quake recovery and disaster risk reduction and pre- robust consultation with professionals in Nepal who paredness in Nepal. continue to tirelessly tackle the evolving needs and priorities of reconstruction and recovery. In partic- We thank our research partners (Democracy Re- ular, this round included an added focus on urban source Center Nepal and Interdisciplinary Analysts), recovery, vulnerable populations, coping strategies our donor partner (UK Aid), and Nepali government and related longer-term economic impacts. officials in the National Reconstruction Authority for their support. The findings from this round of data collection show immense progress in housing reconstruction since 2017. People in affected areas have now most- ly moved back to their houses and very few remain in temporary shelters. We also see that the types of houses built are not entirely satisfying for many Meghan W.T. Nalbo - they are too small to accommodate a household’s Country Representative - Nepal full spectrum of needs and often used for mixed pur- The Asia Foundation iii Aid and Recovery in Post-Earthquake Nepal Acknowledgements emocracy Resource Center Nepal (DRCN) chaels. Carolyn O’Donnell, Srijana Nepal, Charlotte and The Asia Foundation would like to thank Ramble, and Iona Liddell have provided valuable Dthe many individuals in Bhaktapur, Gorkha, feedback and inputs at various stages of the research. Okhaldhunga and Sindhupalchok districts who took Kimberly Keeton has edited the report. time to participate in the research, as well as those professionals who have supported and advised the Lena Michaels directed the IRM project in 2019/2020 research and participated in consultation workshops with support from Meghan W.T. Nalbo, Carolyn to discuss and finalize research topics and questions. O’Donnell, Binayak Basnyat and Srijana Nepal from The Asia Foundation-Nepal. Between 2015 and 2017, The research was conducted by a team of DRCN re- the IRM project was directed by Patrick Barron with searchers: Prawin Adhikari, Kiran Bhattarai, Aruna assistance from Sasiwan Chingchit. During the same Limbu, Pallavi Payal, Manasi Prasai, Dewan Rai, Daya period, Lena Michaels coordinated the project and Raj Subedi, and Indu Tharu. Nayan Pokhrel and Sa- led the qualitative research component. pana Sanjeevani coordinated the field research, with support from Venisha Udas and Smriti Rai. Anubhav The project was funded by UK aid through the UK Ajeet, Nayan Pokharel and Ishwari Bhattarai assisted government. Craig Irwin served as the donor lead. in preparing the research formats, researcher train- Radha Verma, Craig Irwin, Amanda Duff, Kamala ings, and oversight of field data collection. KC and Utsav Shakya have produced useful inputs throughout the project’s fifth research round. The Analysis and writing was done by Amish Raj Mul- views here do not necessarily reflect the UK govern- mi, Pranab Man Singh, Prawin Adhikari, and Nayan ment’s official policies. Pokhrel who co-authored the report with Lena Mi- iv Aid and Recovery in Post-Earthquake Nepal Executive Summary he Independent Impacts and Recovery People usually built on land they owned prior to the Monitoring (IRM) project is a longitudinal earthquakes–with the exception of those who were Tmixed-methods study that was initiated im- displaced. In some areas, people preferred to rebuild mediately after the April-May 2015 earthquakes in on land closer to roads or bazaar areas. Access to Nepal to systematically monitor patterns of recovery water