Five years after the Gorka earthquake, Nepal is still falling short

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the fifth anniversary of the devastating 2015 earthquake was observed on April 25 in Nepal. The earthquake killed about 9,000 people and left hundreds of thousands of Nepalis homeless. The National Commission for Reconstruction was established immediately after the earthquake to coordinate post-earthquake reconstruction. After five years, we must assess whether we have learned anything from experience.

It should be noted that the earthquake provided an opportunity to rebuild all residential buildings and public service facilities in the affected areas by following earthquake resistance standards. Major disasters turn into opportunities for development by other countries. Local governments should have seized this opportunity to build earthquake-resistant cities and villages, and we had to cooperate with the government so that the next earthquake did not leave us homeless.

The Reconstruction Authority has a mandate to rebuild what was destroyed. It proclaimed itself with the slogan “rebuilding better”, an idea that emerged in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The concept is defined as improving the social, environmental, material, and economic conditions of societies in relation to a pre-disaster situation. Unfortunately, the Reconstruction Authority has failed to live up to its motto when it comes to apartment and public buildings and other infrastructure. The Authority is still considering rebuilding a number of buildings and homes, regardless of their functional use, as a passing standard. Seismic resistance in apartment buildings is only one parameter among many to develop a resilient society. The National Reconstruction Authority has faced problems from the start, including political obstacles and a shortage of qualified personnel. Reconstruction efforts were ineffective and stumbled into the bureaucracy.

Located in a very dangerous earthquake zone, Nepal’s disaster preparedness is only on paper, just as the rules for building earthquake-resistant buildings. Five years after the Gorka earthquake, the government has shown no sign of learning the lesson – there is no new plan to make earthquake-resistant construction mandatory across the country, no new regulation on hospitals and public buildings, no strengthening of infrastructure construction rules like bridges and dams, More earthquake-resistant. Moreover, there was no training for earthquake preparedness in schools or colleges, and the curricula in higher education were not updated to deal with disasters.

Planning failed

Nepal has not taken a major step to reduce its seismic vulnerability. Let’s think about Kathmandu, for example. One study showed that about 85 percent of apartment buildings in Kathmandu Metropolitan City did not obtain a “Building Closing” certificate, just because their homes do not comply with the building code and internal regulations. Have we done anything to re-equip non-standard buildings to comply with the existing building code? Have we managed more open spaces in the Kathmandu valley, the absence of which is a major risk multiplier during disasters? Have we started periodic exercises for all people to teach them the best course of action in a place to protect themselves and others from earthquakes? Has the seismic vulnerability of the Kathmandu Valley been reduced by a little since 2015? The government temporarily banned the construction of more than two-story homes along with stricter building provisions. However, it has now retracted its imposition. Building codes are flagrantly violated.

More than 80 percent of buildings in Nepal are unprepared or poorly supported military buildings. Of these, more than half are constructed using clay mortar. More than 90 percent of the buildings collapsed during the 2015 earthquake were such buildings. Given our social and economic situation, we cannot avoid such buildings unless and until we significantly increase our per capita income. Unfortunately, our universities hardly offer any courses on building buildings except for a few introductory classes. However, we do have intensive courses on reinforced concrete and steel structures that hardly make up 2 percent of buildings in Nepal. This situation remains the same even after the 2015 earthquake. Our universities failed to redevelop their courses even after facing disasters and seeing how insufficient education was. Meanwhile, many traditional buildings in Nepal were built using seismic technology hundreds of years ago, using wood, brick, stone or mud and lime. These buildings have survived many large earthquakes in the past. It may have collapsed in the last earthquake because the material was weakened by age and poor maintenance. Have we started any research or study to make our traditional buildings earthquake-proof?

We had a great shortage of tarpaulin during the emergency response immediately after the earthquake. Do we have enough emergency supplies to prepare for earthquakes except for a few thousand tarpaulins received from China? Do we have enough special equipment, including personal protective equipment and respiratory protection (for example, escape breathing apparatus), to respond to disasters?

Unpreparedness

It is also worrying to note that in the past five years, we have not been able to implement the building code, even in urban areas. We haven’t learned any lessons from the recent earthquake. Obviously, no one cares about rules and regulations when it comes to building. What we know for sure is that disasters will never stop. We must plan and prepare before the next earthquake, which can strike at any time. It seems that the government and people are only asking for another catastrophe, regardless of preparedness. We will again mourn thousands of people, lose economic gains and plead for foreign aid.

Government officials seem to be unaware of the vulnerability of this mountainous region. Risks are the product of risk and vulnerability. In order to reduce earthquake risk, we need to reduce vulnerability. Vulnerability can be greatly reduced by making earthquake-resistant structures mandatory. The 2015 Gurka earthquake killed nearly 9,000 people and destroyed entire communities in 14 districts in central Nepal. If it had happened today in western Nepal, the damage would have been much worse. We need to develop national earthquake preparedness and emergency management procedures. We must invest in more resilient infrastructure and societies for true recovery to take place. Five years after the earthquake, we must realize that while we have lost a lot of time, there is still an opportunity to move in the right direction.

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