Community Responses to the 2015 Gorakha Earthquake in NepalSwati Pujari

Damaged homes in Gorkha District [1 May 2015] Credit: AFP Photo/ Sajjad Hussain]

[AUTONOMA]International Conference on Urban Autonomy and the Collective City

Onassis Cultural Center, 1 & 2 July 2016 ‐ Athens, Greece

FIGURES & IMPACTS

Date 25 April 2015 (11:54 am)

Epicentre Barpak, Gorakha – 76 Kms from KathmanduEpicentre

Magnitude 7.6 

Aftershocks >6 = 4 Nos.>4 = 424 Nos.

C liti 8 891Causalities  8,891

Injuries 22,302

Lives Affected 8 Million

ff d f

Kathmandu

Affected DistrictsDistricts Affected 34 out of 75

Houses Affected 608,155 Complete Damage298,998 Partial Damage

Government 2 687 Complete DamagePrivate

All Others Combined 

Impact on Buildigs 

GovernmentBuildings Affected

2,687 Complete Damage3,776 Partial Damage

Heritage Sites Affected

133 Fully Collapsed95 Partially CollapsedPrivate 

Private Buildings Damaged 

33%

< 1%

515 Partly Damaged

Total Loss Monetized

NRP 706 Billion ≈ USD 7 Billion

Buildings Collapsed 

67%

Total Buildings Affected = 914359

IMPACTS

Source: epa/Narendra Shrestha SourceAmul Thapa/ kathmandutoday.com

There is variation in Vulnerability & Impact within the society

LOCATIONS

67 Deaths179 Injuries1 235 H D d1,235 Houses Damaged

Sankhu and Bungamati relative to the city of Kathmandu [Base‐map source: wwwmaps google com]

7 Deaths53 Injuries1,168 Houses Damaged

Sankhu and Bungamati relative to the city of Kathmandu [Base map source: www.maps.google.com]

GOVERNANCE & GEO-POLITICS

o People often help each other in these situations – because the government often cannoto Rescue and Relief

Sh l d C i P i io Shelter and Community Provisionso Youth Participation and rise in Volunteeringo Working in Groups

o Government bodies are hierarchical with time consuming bureaucracyo Rescue and Relief o ICNR – 25 June 2015, release of PDNA (June 2015), release of PDRF (May 2016)o Coordination Platformso Coordination Platformso Owner based approach in Rebuilding

o National Reconstruction Authority – Policy/ Plano Communicate to local government and citizenso Local government – implement the plans

There has not been a local election in Nepal since 1997!!!

Most Local Government bodies (Sankhu & Bungamati) are recently restructured.

GOVERNANCE & GEO-POLITICS

o Political (IN)stability? – Often considered a result of the 10 year armed conflict (1996‐2006)

o But Besides the armed conflict:

o 1768 – Unification & Institutionalization of absolute monarchyyo 1814‐1816 – Anglo‐Nepalese waro 1846‐1951 – Gain and lose of power by Rana Prime Ministerso After 1951 – Return to absolute monarchyo 1954 Floods King Mahendra seizes direct control solidifies hold of monarchyo 1954 – Floods, King Mahendra seizes direct control, solidifies hold of monarchy (contributes to the end of Rana dominance)o 1990 – Constitutional Monarchyo 2006 – Dissolution of Constitutional Monarchyo 2008 – Declaration as Federal Democratic Republico 2015 – Promulgation of a new Constitution

Thi ti l liti l t t dl d fi t t tThis continual political unrest repeatedly redefines government structure

Power‐play for political lead – Sharing of power by the elites & neo‐elites

LOCALLY LED – The Solution?Bungamati

o Atelier for Artists at Bungamati

Sankhu

o Comprehensive Master‐plan –o Atelier for Artists at Bungamati(implementation stage)

o Bungamati is a settlement popular for its art – especially woodcarving

o Comprehensive Master plan Sankhu (conception stage)

o Historic and cultural settlemento Increasing citizen participation 

o Impact on livelihood and monument reconstruction

o Multi‐stakeholder

– eg. Sakwo Vintuna Pucha (local youth group)

o Sankhu Reconstruction Society o Universities + Master‐Trainero Local Professionals – Traineeso Non‐academic Partners

o University o Local Governmento Professional Collective

Self-Organization as a Tradition

o Collective participation is a key development strategy in the ancient settlements of Nepalo Socio‐cultural groups called Guthis have institutionalized citizen participation in ritual, social, cultural and public activitieso This Collective Participation is also Exclusive in Guthis as they are primarily mono casteprimarily mono‐casteo Yet this exclusively mono‐caste system has contributed to the development of the cities, settlements and the societieso At the same time – Exclusion from traditional systems also equalso At the same time  Exclusion from traditional systems also equals marginalization

o Politicalo Economico Social

Thi t diti f t S lf O i ti i l h iThis tradition of mono‐caste Self‐Organization is also changing, but a strong influence of the caste system can still be felt

LOCALLY LED – The Solution?

o Responsiveness

Considering Communities in Bungamati & Sankhu as ‘Agents’[1] of Resilience Building

po Identify Problems/ Issues etc.o Coordinate amongst relevant stakeholderso Develop plans and activities, with minimal support from the governmento However Results not yet achievedo However, Results – not yet achieved

o Resourcefulnesso Finding & Mobilizing Assetso Technical Resources – Bungamati & Sankhugo Human Resources – Bungamati & Sankhuo Financial Resources – only Bungamati

o Capacity to LearnN t ti l l t i f d ft th th k t l t t llo Not entirely relevant in groups formed after the earthquake – too early to tell

o BUT, lessons from previous earthquakes are not well communicated

Processes of self‐organization are present and influential in resilience building – they are

1. The attributes of the agents are refered to from Tyler, S. and Monech, M. 2012. A framework for urban climate resilience.

Processes of self organization are present and influential in resilience building  they are in coordination with the government but are also challenging the government processes

THANK YOU!

Contact:swati.pujari1@gmail.com