The damages following a massive earthquake, put in figures by an empirical study in 1997 by National Society for Earthquake Technology (NSET), could be overwhelming: some 100,000 casualties, more than 200,000 injuries, destruction of 60 percent of infrastructure and 900,000 homeless.[break]
How prepared are Nepal, Nepalis and the international organizations working in the country for the next big one?
To address the issues and questions on preparedness, protection and policy implementation, a high-level delegation will meet in Kathmandu from Feb 14-15 at a symposium on disaster risk management. Hosted by the Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with the United Nations and the US Government, the symposium will have some 500 guests from the Government of Nepal, Nepali security forces, diplomatic missions, the UN, SAARC countries and from the US government, including US Under-Secretary Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero.
Rameshwar Dangal, under-secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, said this symposium will help to raise awareness among policy makers.
“This would be a commitment between the Government of Nepal and the international community,” he said, adding, “This will also be a chance to learn from the disasters in other parts of the world and see what Nepal can and has to do.”
Sheila Roquitte, a senior advisor for disaster risk reduction and preparedness at the US Embassy in Nepal, said the main objective of the symposium is to demonstrate that the Government of Nepal and the international community are focusing on disaster risk reduction and learning lessons to support policy and planning.
“We’re bringing international experts to share the lessons learned and also to give an opportunity to the key players here to assess their capabilities [in case of a disaster],”
Roquitte said.
Some of the key international speakers at the symposium are Nadeem Ahmed, chairman of National Disaster Management Authority, Pakistan, Brigadier General John Broadmeadow, deputy commander, US Marine Corps Forces Pacific, and Mark Ward, United States Agency for International Development’s senior deputy assistant administrator for the Asia and Near East bureau.
The symposium will have three sessions and each will deliberate on different issues: saving lives that would look at the preparedness and capability to respond; mainstreaming disaster risk reduction from local to national level; and infrastructure management with focus on engineering safer future by following proper codes in constructing buildings, roads, hospitals and schools.
According to Amod Mani Dixit, executive director of NSET, weak enforcement of the National Building Code and lack of emergency medical response to the injured (about 10 percent), could increase the casualties in the event of an earthquake in Kathmandu. Nearly 6,000 houses are built every year in the valley, mostly without following the codes.
Under-Secretary Dangal also said that it’s the poor infrastructure that causes more damage. He, however, said that the country is prepared, if not completely, to handle a mega earthquake.
“The Kathmandu Valley Earthquake Preparedness Plan would be another step,” he said. The plan, which is in the process, will set guidelines on dealing with the aftermath of the quake from how to handle displaced people and camp management to health, food, transport management, and communication so that there is an effective work flow.
But Roquitte thinks preparedness and awareness is equally essential. “The most important task would be to focus on disaster risk reduction measures, to ensure the community and people are prepared, and work with school children,” she said. “We should make sure people are personally prepared so they can help each other because it’ll take time for external help to arrive.” - BB
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