Nepal is defined by its diversity and natural beauty, highlighted by the majestic young mountain range of the Himalayas. But this beauty comes at a steep price. Nepal is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to natural disasters, suffering from floods, landslides and fire throughout the year while living in constant fear of an impending large earthquake.
In order to limit the impact of disaster, the Government of Nepal launched the Nepal Risk Reduction Consortium (NRRC); a coordination mechanism that brings together diverse partners with the aim of strengthening resilience to disaster. Under the NRRC, 5 Flagship priorities have been set with each flagship coordinated by a government ministry and international agency. These flagships are:
1) School and Hospital Safety
2) Emergency Preparedness and Response
3) Flood Management in the Kosi River Basin
4) Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction
5) Policy and Institutional Support for Disaster Risk Management
An emerging issue is urban risk as Nepal is the fastest urbanising country in South Asia. This urbanisation is being done in a haphazard manner with little planning and poor infrastructure. As a result, urban populations are increasing their vulnerability to natural disasters, specifically earthquakes. The concept of urban risk reduction is relatively new in the disaster risk reduction field. The issues surrounding urban risk reduction are complex and cut across several of the Flagship programs of the NRRC. The focus of urban risk reduction has been primarily focused on the Kathmandu Valley; the most at-risk city in the world to earthquakes. However, Nepal has 57 other growing cities; each requiring comprehensive disaster risk reduction to strengthen resilience to disaster.