Disaster Management

1. Introduction

Disasters are avoidable provided we take precautionary measures in time. It can be mitigated, managed, and prevented by human interventions. A disaster preparedness programme, therefore, is of utmost importance that alerts the people and provides them with necessary knowledge and skills to cope with the devastating situation.

A survey carried out in 200 countries in terms of vulnerability showed that Nepal falls in 11th and 30th position in the risk profile from the viewpoint of earthquake and that of floods. In the world's 40 worst disasters in terms of event, 67% falls in Asia and 50% out of 67% is in SAARC Region (UNDP world report).

Floods and landslides act as regular phenomenon in the monsoon period in Nepal. According to the data provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs, 68 districts were affected out of 75 in the year 2004. Among 68 districts, in line with the Human Development Report, 32000 families get affected due to the landslides and floods in Nepal every year and millions of rupees worth of public and private property / infrastructure is being washed away annually. In addition, many lives, either human or livestock, together with farmlands, are lost creating serious traumas in the communities.

According to Natural Calamity Relief Act 1982, earthquake, flood, landslides, fire, drought, epidemic, storm and other similar natural disasters including industrial accident and accidents caused by explosion or poisoning are identified disasters in Nepal.

2. Existing practices in Nepal

A Number of government institutions and non – government institutions working in this sector. The existing practice focuses on the relief and mitigation. i.e.

- Emergency response planning and capacity enhancement

- Strengthening policy and legal environment and institutional reform

- Efficient and effective reconstruction and rehabilitation

- Human resources development in disaster preparedness

- Strengthening disaster management information system

3. Issues/ challenge

- Lack of long-term strategic plan on Disaster Management

- Lack of appropriate legal framework (enacted in 1982 has focused on post-disaster scenario. Pre-intervention including disaster risk management, preparedness and mitigation not incorporated)

- National Action Plan on disaster response development during 1996 has not been updated to include emerging needs in relation to disaster management

- Lack of a large scale and systematic approach for disaster risk assessment/management

- Disaster Management Program could not be included in the development program as a cross cutting

Disaster Management Network in Nepal

- Disaster Management Network Nepal (DiMaNN)

- Disaster Victims Concern Network (DiViCoN)

- Disaster Management Forum (DMF)

- Disaster Preparedness Network (DP Net)

4. Learning

- Plan and implement a programme jointly with the people, and involvement

- Encourage and promote the involvement of women, men, children and school students at all stages to create awareness

- Evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the work and share with communities

- Awareness, advocacy and lobbying program is most essential for the preparedness and disaster reduction

- Participatory vulnerability assessment, Community level action plan and capacity building of community people is important for effective disaster management program

5. Future scope

Legal instruments/provisions

- Natural Calamity Relief Act adopted in 1982 with main focus on rescue and relief

- Tenth development Plan has emphasized a need for environmental impact and natural disaster appraisal study of each infrastructure construction project

- National Action Plan on disaster reduction-1996 reviewed in 2005

Strategies for mitigation of disaster included problems

- Focus towards adopting technology that would minimize loss and environment effect due to disaster

- Making rescue and relief reliable and effective and launch activities for public awareness

- Strengthening earthquake measurement station

- Prepare hazard map

- Ministry of Home Affaires as national focal in DM

- Mapping, monitoring and preparedness of earthquake area

- Identification of water induced disaster area

6. Further links

Organization	Phone No	Website
United Nation Development Program	5523200	www.un.org.np
ActionAid Nepal	4419115	www.actionaid.org/nepal
Practical Action Nepal	4446015	www.practicalaction.org
Care Nepal	5523717	www.carenepal.org
Oxfam Nepal	5520586	www.oxfam.org.np
Lutheran World Federation	4720217	www.lwf.org.np
Caritas Nepal	5538172	www.caritas.org.np
JICA	5552375	www.jica.go.jp
World Vision Nepal	4434943	www.wvi.org
GTZ Nepal	5535692	www.gtz.org.np
ICIMOD	5525312	www.icimod.org
Ministry of Home Affairs	4221699	homehmg@wlink.com.np(email)
Department of Water Induce Disaster Programs	5535502	www.dwidp.org
Nepal Red Cross Society	4270650	www.nrcs.org
Friends Service Council Nepal	5536497	www.fscnepal.org
Rural Reconstruction Nepal	4415418	www.rrn..rg.np
National Society for Earthquake Technology - Nepal	4474192	www.nset.org.np
NepalCenter for Disaster Management	5530668	www.ncdm.org.np
Nepal Geological Society	4414330	www.dmgnepal.gov.np
Center for Disaster Studies	5521531	ioe@ioepc.healthnet.org.np(email)
Jalsrot Vikas Sanstha	4230450	www.jvs-nwp.org.np
Eco Nepal	4445322	www.econepal.org
Natural Disaster Management Forum Nepal	4422812	deepak714@hotmail.com
Women and Children Development Forum	057-524074	wcdf@mail.com (email)
Disaster Preparedness Network Nepal		www.dpnet.org.np

Note: Most of the above mention I/NGOs work in relief field also as per requirement.