Legislation and disaster risk reduction at the community level
Permanent Link:

Material Information

Title:
Legislation and disaster risk reduction at the community level case study summary - Nepal
Creator:
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
Disaster Risk Reduction Program, Florida International University (DRR/FIU) ( summary contributor )
Place of Publication:
Geneva, Switzerland
Publisher:
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
Publication Date:
Copyright Date:
2011
Language:
English

Subjects

Subjects / Keywords:
Risk management -- Nepal ( lcshac )
Natural hazards and disasters -- Nepal ( lcshac )
Government policy -- Nepal ( lcshac )
Genre:
non-fiction ( marcgt )
Spatial Coverage:
Asia -- Nepal

Notes

Summary:
The document provides a summary of the Nepalese government’s efforts to establish the legal and institutional framework for comprehensive disaster risk reduction (DRR). It highlights areas of progress along with a number of setbacks experienced in the government’s objective of reducing risk throughout Nepal. The summary begins by highlighting the various natural hazards that the Nepalese government must account for in its efforts at comprehensive DRR. First and foremost of these are the floods and landslides associated with the heavy rains of the yearly monsoon season, which are compounded by human induced environmental degradation, deforestation, and soil erosion. Along with monsoon related flooding, a growing threat is increased glacial melt associated with climate change causing increased risks of glacial lake outburst floods. But potentially the most devastating of hazards is the seismicity around Nepal’s capital and largest metropolitan area, Kathmandu. The primary initiative by the government to address these hazards is the National Calamity Relief Act, which places emphasis on responding to disasters rather than risk reduction. While DRR may not have the profile it deserves in Nepal, there have been some efforts at addressing risks such as environmental laws that deal with the management of water catchments and forests, and legislation that addresses construction standards. Of significance are the National Building Act and the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction’s (DUDBC) set of voluntary guidelines called the “Mandatory Rules of Thumb” which assists builders in the construction of earthquake resistant small buildings which are not regulated by the previously mentioned building act. Another development includes the legal registration of DRR committees as community based organizations, allowing them access to government assistance and formal participation in local DRR related government planning. While the Nepalese government has made some progress in dealing with disaster risks, a number of issues persist. The document declares the lack of an implementing mechanism for the National Building Codes at the local level highly problematic. It is also critical of the failure to establish clear responsibility for land use planning. And lastly, it finds the absence of a coherent national institutional framework to support early warning systems at the local level in critically need of attention. ( English )
Subject:
Disaster Risk Reduction ( English )
Citation/Reference:
(2011). Legislation and disaster risk reduction at the community level: case study summary—Nepal. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Record Information

Source Institution:
Florida International University
Rights Management:
Refer to main document/publisher for use rights.
Resource Identifier:
FI13042193

dpSobek Membership

Aggregations:
Disaster Risk Reduction