“Review of the Progress and Challenges in Implementing the Hyogo Framework for Action:

Experience of Nepal”

By

Iswar Raj RegmiUnder Secretary

Ministry of Home Affairs

Government of Nepal

• Good afternoon and welcome

• I take this valuable opportunity to thank DMC team for this "Review of Regional Experiences on Realizing HFA".

Structure of Presentation

•Nepal and Disaster Interface•HFA: Source of Inspiration for National Disaster Management System•HFA and National Response: Innovative Approaches and Achievements•Challenges and Gaps•Moving Ahead

Nepal and Disaster Interface Disaster-prone and multi-hazard country: hot-spot for disaster Disaster has significant relationship with poverty, livelihood, natural

resource management, sustainable development Disaster has multi-dimensional impacts: environmental, humanitarian,

political, demographic, economic and infrastructural Climate change impacts Nepal has

Three layers of tectonic fault zonesUnstable soil condition due to young mountains

Lack of general tendency to maintain gradient in mountainous settlements Deforestation and vegetation loss due to unscientific agro-farming and

livestock farming Culture of manipulating nature/environmental resources rather to add

value to nature

HFA: Source of Inspiration for National Disaster Management System

• Developing policy ownership and securing priority at the national polity

• Effective integration of disaster risk considerations into national development framework

• Development and strengthening of institutions, mechanisms and capacities at all levels of disaster response, and in particular at the community level

• Developing educational, scientific and technological support systems• Systematic incorporation of risk reduction approaches into

emergency preparedness, response and recovery

• Persuasive and collaborative partnerships at all levels: regional and international, national and community, government and non-

government

HFA and National Response: Innovative Approaches and Achievements

Priority 1Ensure that

disaster risk is a national and a local priority with a strong institutional basis for implementation

Key Achievements• Tenth Plan and PRSP priority: Mainstreaming and

sectoral interventions• Integration into local self-governance act and the

development planning system• National Strategy for Disaster Risk Management in

process• Participatory exercise for a National Platform on

Disaster Risk Reduction• Disaster programming by Central Disaster Relief

Committee• New Act on Disaster Management in exercise with

a focus on developing strong national and community level institutions

• Community based disaster management initiatives

Priority 2Identify,

assess and monitor disaster risks and enhance early warning

Key Achievements• Central Disaster Relief Committee has improved

the criteria and methods for disaster risk assessment

• Guidelines for effective preparedness to disaster risks

• Seismic vulnerability assessment of major hospitals/drinking water supply network

• Municipal earthquake risk management• Information sharing at national, district and

community levels on disaster risks• Disaster Preparedness Network in action• Awareness campaigns and community level early

warning system applied through community based disaster risk management programmes

• Pre-disaster seminars at national and community levels for disaster risk assessment and early preparedness

• Weather forecasting and monitoring system

Priority 3Use knowledge,

innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels

Priority 4Reduce the

underlying risk factors

Key Achievements• Community based disaster risk management

programme• School safety programme• Behaviour change communication through media

and training, seminars and interactions• Earthquake safety day campaigns• Integration disaster risk into school curricula• Publication of IEC materials at national and local

levels• Dynamic website on 'Disaster' in progress

• Enforcement of 'Building Code' and safety requirements by Municipalities

• EIA and IEE• Relocation of at-risk communities in process• Retrofitting of public buildings

Priority 5Strengthen

disaster preparedness for effective response at all levels

• Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund, Central Disaster Relief Fund and District Disaster Relief Fund

• Disaster preparedness programme budget at national and district levels

• National guidelines reviewed and put into force• Planning and simulation exercises at national and

local levels• Kathmandu Valley earthquake preparedness

initiatives• Seminars and workshops at all levels• Disaster preparedness and response action plan

at local level• Community level disaster risk management/ flood

management programme• Prepositioning of emergency rescue stores

Priority 5 - Achievements contd.....

• Community Level Preparedness for Glacier Lake Outburst Flood• Model agreement with UN OCHA for emergency response• Programme for Enhancement of Emergency Response-Training on

– CSSR– MFR– HOPE

Development of National Strategy for Disaster Risk Management

Driving Factors• Hyogo Framework of Action and Nepal’s firm

commitment to realization• Sustainable development movement• Disaster management as cross-cutting issue of

development• Disaster management as transformative agenda• Increased political commitment• Poverty reduction and pro-poor development• State obligation and responsive governance• Cross-border, regional and international cooperation• Disaster risk reduction as global, regional and sub-

regional concern

Streams and Approaches

• Strategic planning model • Diffusionist and inventionist streams• Critical social model (social legitimacy) rather than

administrative-technical legitimacy model• Adaptive model: Best fit rather than best practiceBest fit rather than best practice• Logical/Strategic incrementalism rather than so-

called rational comprehensive model• Entrepreneurial thinking• Collaborative/participatory approach• Rights-based approach rather than welfare

approach

Structure• Sector-specific

strategies– Health– Education– Water and sanitation– Shelter, infrastructure and

physical planning– Information, communication,

coordination and logistics– Search and rescue, and

damage/need assessment– Agriculture and food security

– Livelihood protection

• Cross-cutting interventions– Human rights and

protection– Gender and social

inclusion– Staff safety and security– Decentralization and local

self-governance

Consultative Mechanism

• Involvement of Stakeholders– Government line ministries

– Local governing bodies

– NGO networks

– Corporate sector

– Community level organizations

– Local community people

– Experts

– Media

– International development partners

• Consultative process– Sectoral workshops– National workshop– Consultation with

international development partners

– Consultation with technical experts

Challenges and Gaps• Governance Challenges

– Peace building process and political stability: determinant to political priority

– Developing a competent national institution with decentralized system of functioning

– Utilization of international and regional cooperation– Inadequate legal instrument and weak enforcement– Lack of visible and persuasive role by local self-governing bodies

• Socio-cultural/Behavioural Challenges– Culture of submission to divinity and lack of resilient culture– Conventional pattern of human settlement– Complacent and non-demanding society– Lack of environment-friendly society– Inadequate behaviour-change communication– Natural resource dependency trap

• Methodological Challenges– Lack of scientific data, disaster mapping and micro-

zonation – National documentation and information system on

disaster is lacking– Unpredictability due to climate change– Sustainability of technological applications

• Economic Challenges– Widespread poverty and livelihood problems– Weak capacity of national treasury to adequately fund

disaster risk reduction– Maintenance and reconstruction of developmental

infrastructures

Forward Moving Strategies: Priority Actions

• A nationally-owned and implementable national strategy on A nationally-owned and implementable national strategy on disaster risk reduction to implement HFAdisaster risk reduction to implement HFA

• Mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into national and local Mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into national and local level planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation level planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation frameworksframeworks

• Strong institutional base for effective response to disaster risk Strong institutional base for effective response to disaster risk preparedness and reduction: Networked, decentralized, preparedness and reduction: Networked, decentralized, entrepreneurial, collaborative, professional and virtualentrepreneurial, collaborative, professional and virtual

• Strengthening prevention and preparedness: systems, Strengthening prevention and preparedness: systems, mechanisms, methodologies and actionsmechanisms, methodologies and actions

• Scientific, educational and technological interventionsScientific, educational and technological interventions• Behaviour-change interventionsBehaviour-change interventions• Reconstruction, recovery, relocation and rehabilitationReconstruction, recovery, relocation and rehabilitation• Sub-regional, regional and international cooperation and Sub-regional, regional and international cooperation and

collaborationcollaboration

Any queries, comments and suggestions...PLEASE

• Thank you

Thank you