Monthly Operational Summary of Bank and ida proposed Projects

Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience Global Practice

(N) Nepal Resilience and Risk Mitigation Project: Objective: The project development objective (PDO) of the proposed project is to enhance government capacity for disaster preparedness and climate resilience and strengthen end to end early warning systems.

Strategic Context and Rationale: Nepal is one of the world’s most disaster and climate vulnerable countries. The impact of the 2015 Gorkha earthquake and its major aftershocks are estimated at 35% of GDP with financial loss estimated at US$ 7 billion. An estimated 80% of the geographic area in Nepal is at risk from multiple hazards, with the vast majority of the country’s population inhabiting high risk areas. The country is highly prone to floods, landslides, drought and glacial lake outburst floods which are likely to intensify with climate variability and change, further jeopardizing resilient development of Nepal. Between 1983 and 2013, floods and landslides—two of the most devastating hazards in Nepal, killed 8,642 people averaging at 270 people killed per year. In 2014, economic losses from water and storm induced disasters amounted to about US$ 140 million. While the Bank is currently supporting reconstruction efforts and also improvement of hydromet information systems and services, there is a critical need to invest in disaster preparedness and response mechanisms, and strengthen early warning systems in Nepal.

The main agency responsible for disaster preparedness is the Disaster Management Division (DMD) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA). However, as the Gorkha earthquake highlighted, disaster risk management capacity in the country at the national and sub-national levels is severely limited. For instance, the National Emergency operation center (NEOC) facility does not have the space or functionality required to coordinate disaster response and relief operations. At the district level, only 29 out of the 75 districts have district emergency operation centers (DEOCs). These need significant improvement in terms of improved communications and logistical capacity.In districts with no EOCs and also in the newly formed Provinces as per Nepal’s Constitution (2015), emergency response capacity needs to be set up. Efficient search and rescue operations require various types of equipment including search, rescue, lighting, personal, communication and command, medical, logistics and on site office equipment. These are not adequately available in Nepal. Warehouses for storing equipment for quick deployment in strategic locations across the country such as the Tribhuvan international airport are also not adequately available. Further, a closer linkage needs to be forged between disaster management institutions and the agencies such as DHM responsible for issuing early warnings to facilitate end to end early warning systems at the community level.

To address these critical gaps, the proposed project will support capacity strengthening for disaster preparedness and response at the national and sub-national levels, support development of technical documentation and first level mitigation activities, and integration of operational activities related to warning services between relevant agencies. It will be prepared in close coordination with Ministry of Home Affairs (including Nepal Police, Armed Police Force), Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, and the Department of Water Induced Disaster Management. It will fully compliment ongoing Bank supported housing reconstruction and the Building Resilience to Climate related hazard projects and be complimented by Bank executed technical work on disaster risk management capacity. Identification completed on 23 June 2016. Environmental Assessment Category B. US$ 5.0 (CIF). Consulting services to be determined. Ministry of Finance; Government of Nepal Home Ministry (MOHA); Nepal Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Ministry of Population and Environment.