Women without access to risk

Natural disasters include floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, lightning, tsunamis, and epidemics. In addition to human-made development activities being disaster-friendly, if emphasis is placed on human-friendliness, the impact of disaster damage can be minimized to some extent.

It is estimated that 200 million people in the world are affected by disasters every year. The most vulnerable are women, children, people with disabilities, senior citizens, and people from marginalized communities. Most of the marginalized groups live on hilly slopes, foothills, rivers and streams. Even on the banks of the river in the Terai, the lower classes live in huts with thatched roofs. Economically and socially backward communities are hit hardest by disasters. Every year in the Terai during the rainy season, there are reports of loss of property due to flooding and inundation.

Nepal is located on the friction between the Indian and Eurasian plates. Because of this, our country is at high risk of earthquakes and floods. Due to the annual floods and landslides, an emergency situation has been created and a large amount of money has been lost. In Solukhumbu's Thame, on July 32, the flood that occurred after the Himtal burst destroyed many structures. Every year, the country has to suffer loss of human wealth due to floods, landslides, lightning and fire at various places.

Nepal ranks 11th in the world in earthquake risk, 4th in climate change risk, and 16th in mixed disaster risk. Due to climate change, droughts, floods and landslides have adverse effects. Drought adversely affects agricultural production and creates famine. Its impact is also seen more in marginalized groups. Along with the loss of wealth, it brings mental problems to the affected sections. In the earthquake of 2072, more than 8,900 people lost their lives, about 33 percent were children, senior citizens and people with disabilities.

The government has made national policy, legal and institutional arrangements to plan and manage disaster risk reduction and management. For disaster risk management, the Constitution of Nepal, Disaster Relief Act 2039, Building Act, National Building Code 2060, Disaster Risk Management National Strategy 2066, Climate Change Policy, Waterborne Disaster Management National Strategy 2072, Local Government Operation Act 2074, Disaster Risk Management and There are many policies and legal provisions including the Mitigation Act 2074. From the center to the local level, the divine disaster rescue committee, various agencies and institutions of the government, the National Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, the executive committee, the authority, and the local level committees have been institutionalized. The aforementioned policy and institutional arrangements seem to pave the way for nationwide implementation of the 2015-2030 Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction. It is equally important to support the local government in the development and implementation of local disaster and climate protection plans, national adaptation programs and local adaptation plans.

It is necessary for all three levels of government to pay attention to increase public awareness about disaster risk, to ensure access to disaster risk information at all levels and categories. Increasing public and private investment to enhance resilience, developing and expanding information systems and making pre-disaster preparedness and response effective also seems inevitable. It seems that it is necessary to ensure post-disaster recovery, restoration and reconstruction, adopt the concept of risk-sensitive development, and make excessive use of local means, resources, knowledge and skills. It is necessary to include the subject of disaster risk in the educational curriculum from school level to higher level.

The policies, plans, programs and budgets of the three levels of government should cover all phases and structures of disaster risk reduction. According to the concept of inclusive disaster management, it is necessary to ensure access, representation and effective involvement of marginalized communities including women, children and senior citizens, persons with disabilities. Emphasis should be placed on making public, physical structures, government offices, educational institutions, community buildings and shelters senior citizen-friendly, gender-friendly, disabled-friendly and child-friendly. It is also necessary to encourage the construction of adapted infrastructure in rivers, riverbanks, steep lands, remote and sensitive settlements.

– Acharya is a human rights officer.