Strengthening Urban Disaster Risk Governance

Cecial Adhikari, Consortium Manager, PRAGATI - Urban DRR Project

An urban Disaster Risk Reduction project is being implemented since August 2017 in two new municipalities in the Kathmandu valley with the financial support from European Union through Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid. The project aims to increase preparedness and response capacities of local authorities.

The project is initiated at the right time supporting the DRR governance in local governments under the new federal structure.

Under the current administrative arrangement most erstwhile district-level structures no longer exist and that the decision-making authority is with the local government.

The project has been working closely with the municipalities and among other things supporting the implementation of recently endorsed Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Act. Within a very short time, institutional structures such as Municipal and Ward Level Disaster Management Committees have been formed.

A Local Disaster and Climate Resilience Plan (LDCRP) and Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (EPRP) are being drafted under the leadership of local governments. The municipalities have already established Municipal Emergency Operation Center (MEOC), which are connected to the National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) in Kathmandu.

The project had also led the formulation of Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) working closely with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA). This model SOP will be rolled out in all 753 Local Emergency Operation Center (LEOCs). Even MEOC at its formative stage was able to mobilize its team within 24 hours of the landslide to undertake assessment and map each landslide spots in both municipalities.

The municipalities witnessed loss of lives and livelihoods this year due to the extreme rainfall induced landslides and mudflows.

A Disaster Information Management Platform (DIMP) has also been established to support risk sensitive decision-making process. This digital platform has archived all risk and hazard information identified through the vulnerability and capacity assessments undertaken this year in all of 9 wards each in both the municipalities. The information from the mapping of similar landslide events this year will be fed into the platform to be utilized for prioritization of mitigation works in their plan. Similarly, these new municipalities have developed their own Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act and also the Disaster Management Fund starting with USD. 10,000.