Recently, Nepal's National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) confirmed that 10 percent of 5.4 million houses in the 13-most affected districts were either damaged or completely destroyed. This included around 11,000 government buildings that were totally destroyed; while another 14,741 such buildings were partially damaged. Of the 581 heritage buildings in Nepal, 137 have been completely destroyed while 444 are partially damaged. Altogether, around one million people have been rendered homeless in 38 of the 75 earthquake-affected districts.In Kathmandu Valley, several multi-storey buildings and residential complexes were razed to the ground. Even the Presidential building, Prime Minister's residence, Supreme Court and central secretariat of Singh Durbar witnessed severe damages. Over three-fourth of old buildings, temples and monuments in the Valley were completely destroyed. As such, Kathmandu looks like a bombed-out war zone today.
The earthquakes are always a threat with the constant movement of tectonic plates in the Indian sub-continent. With constant increase in population in the major urban centers in this region, the risk of death and destruction could multiply in the future, especially as building regulations are widely flouted.
Sadly, there is no government planning for effective reconstruction and rehabilitation in the short, medium and long-term, though the monsoon is right around the corner. We also don't have skills in construction of light-weight housing that could withstand big earthquakes—the kind of houses built in earthquake-prone Japan and certain parts of China.
Physical loss due to the earthquakes is estimated at US $10 billion. In view of the fact that the total GDP of Nepal is only $20 billion, it is impossible for the government to meet this enormous loss through its own resources. It would also not be possible for any one country or multilateral institution to make such high investments for reconstruction and rehabilitation programs in Nepal. In such a situation, it is essential that we seek maximum international support, apart from mobilizing all our domestic resources.
Even amidst the dark clouds hovering above Nepal, the silver lining is that national and international communities have made generous contributions for earthquake victims. Reports are that the Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund has now Rs 15 billion. Additionally, the government has set up National Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Fund to collect US $2 billion. Of course, this amount falls far short of the estimated needs for the massive reconstruction and rehabilitation works that lie ahead. But what is most distressing is that the government has not made even a modest beginning in the expenditure of the funds already at its disposal.
Reconstruction and rehabilitation are also stuck on account of the suspicion between government and foreign donors. Altogether 29 foreign donors have together pledged $154 million in humanitarian support. But this amount has not been given to Prime Minister's Fund. Only the ADB has provided $3 million; while the UN is likely to provide another $15 million for humanitarian activities.
Most donors want to spend the pledged amounts through their own I/NGOs, fearing that the government would misuse the funds and aid administration would be too slow. On the other hand, government bodies have an impression that foreign agencies take away at least half of what they offer to Nepal due to their higher administrative costs and consultant fees involved in the execution of their programs.
In fact, this is not the time either for the government or the foreign agencies to indulge in ultimately useless blame game. It is their collective duty to address the plight of earthquake victims on humanitarian grounds. They should all do what is within their means in order to help with the reconstruction and rehabilitation, while focusing on worst-affected districts. While launching such activities, they need to adhere to strict building codes so that the new structures they help build can withstand big earthquakes and casualties are minimized in future disasters.
The likes of Japan, Indonesia, Turkey, Mexico and El Salvador are as quake-prone. But they have minimal casualties even though they have had very powerful earthquakes. This is due to the strict enforcement of building codes, which in turn has enabled their structures to withstand the ravages of nature. People in these countries construct light-weight and earthquake-resistant houses rather than bulky concrete homes so as to minimize casualties. This is why the people there rarely abandon their homes even when higher-magnitude earthquake strikes. Japan is indeed a pioneer in earthquake technologies, which is something Nepal can learn a lot from.
This is the time for Nepal to turn the new challenge into an opportunity by undertaking well-planned reconstruction and rehabilitation. However, the sad part is that the government of Nepal is incompetent for such responsibilities and most I/NGOs could be looking to serve their own vested interests in the name of relief and reconstruction. In such a situation, it would be wrong to generate false hope among earthquake victims that the government and I/NGOs are serious about addressing their plight. The bitter truth is that the victims themselves would have to do something if they really want to emerge from this period of grief and mourning.
The author is Professor of Economics and Executive Director of Centre for Economic and Technical Studies in Nepal
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