The earthquake damaged private homes the most.
Natural disasters strike without warning. On April 25, 2015, a devastating earthquake hit Nepal, causing immense damage. The earthquake killed 8,790 people and injured over 23,300. It affected 31 districts and damaged nearly 1 million households. The damage was not only human but also economic, with an estimated loss of around Rs 7 trillion.
The aftermath posed significant challenges in providing rescue, shelter, and food. In addition to humanitarian relief, the government took on the responsibility of reconstruction. With limited revenue, the country faced immense pressure to manage resources, as the earthquake had worsened the situation. According to revised estimates from the post-disaster reconstruction framework, the total cost of rebuilding was projected at Rs 630 billion.
Just as the saying goes, "Where there is a problem, there is a solution," the government responded to the resource crisis by organizing a donor conference. The National Planning Commission and the Ministry of Finance jointly hosted the conference to raise funds for post-earthquake reconstruction and rehabilitation. The event brought significant relief to the government.
During the conference, development partners, donor agencies, and friendly nations pledged around Rs 410 billion in support. Donors played a crucial role in Nepal's reconstruction efforts following the 2015 earthquake. According to Sushil Gyawali, who served as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) at the time, Nepal mobilized more than 100 percent of the total commitments from the international community. "We also established standards for engaging national and international partner organizations in the reconstruction process," Gyawali said. "Donor support made reconstruction possible."
The NRA's records show that Nepal received Rs 321 billion in support after deducting expenses for programs and projects. Gyawali confirmed that Nepal mobilized more than what donors initially pledged. He noted that international non-governmental organizations contributed an additional Rs 92 billion. While some donors provided less than expected, others exceeded their commitments. "International organizations enforced a policy that capped administrative expenses at 20 percent, which allowed a greater share of funds to go directly to program implementation," he added.
The earthquake caused major devastation in 31 districts, including Bhaktapur, Dhading, Dolakha, Kathmandu, Kavrepalanchok, Lalitpur, Makwanpur, Nuwakot, Okhaldhunga, Ramechhap, Rasuwa, Sindhuli, Sindhupalchowk, Arghakhanchi, Baglung, Bhojpur, Chitwan, Dhankuta, Gulmi, Kaski, Khotang, Lamjung, Myagdi, Nawalparasi, Palpa, Parbat, Sankhuwasabha, Solukhumbu, Syangja, and Tanahun.
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It severely damaged 2,656 government buildings and partially damaged another 3,622. The disaster also damaged 920 archaeological heritage sites, 1,320 monasteries, 1,197 health facilities, 4,545 drinking water infrastructures, three strategic roads, and over 50 rural roads that required reconstruction.
In response, authorities rebuilt private houses, schools, health posts, government offices, heritage sites, temples, the Dharahara tower, roads, and other key infrastructure. By the time the NRA handed over its responsibilities in 2021, records showed that the total reconstruction cost had reached around Rs 470 billion. The reconstruction drive relied heavily on contributions from the government, foreign grants, international loans, and support from international non-governmental organizations. With limited domestic revenue, the government depended largely on foreign donors to fund the effort.
International donor agencies significantly supported Nepal's reconstruction efforts. The IMF, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, IDA, China, Japan (JICA), JFPR, the European Union, India Exim Bank, Saudi Fund, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States were among the key contributors.
With limited revenue, the government relied heavily on foreign-funded projects and international non-governmental organizations. The NRA's report shows that authorities approved 445 projects from 260 organizations.
According to the report, INGOs helped build 18,914 private houses. They also reconstructed 1,308 school buildings, 80 health posts, 2,200 model homes, 15 heritage sites, 55 drinking water systems, and 23 irrigation projects.
The earthquake damaged private homes the most. According to the report, the government allocated Rs 222 billion in grants for private housing, Rs 7.90 billion for traditional settlements, Rs 20.53 billion for health facilities, Rs 72.35 billion for educational institutions, Rs 29.62 billion for government buildings, Rs 14.68 billion for road and drinking water infrastructure, Rs 1.75 billion for social rehabilitation, Rs 530 million for settlement. relocation, and Rs 790 million for sustainability initiatives.
After the earthquake struck with its epicenter in Gorkha, the government formed the NRA to lead reconstruction and rehabilitation. Although it initially gave the authority a five-year mandate, it extended the term by one year due to pending work.
By the end of its term, the NRA had rebuilt 92 percent of private houses, 85 percent of heritage structures, 92 percent of government buildings, 85 percent of school buildings, 80 percent of health facilities, and 60 percent of integrated settlements.
After the NRA handed over its responsibilities, the Ministry of Urban Development continued the reconstruction efforts. It spent Rs 4.47 billion in fiscal year 2022/23 BS on government buildings, health facilities, heritage sites, monasteries, integrated settlements, and private housing. In FY 2023/24 BS, it spent an additional Rs 4.06 billion.
The government provided nearly 13,000 landless families with both land and homes during the reconstruction process.
In December 2021, the NRA handed over its responsibilities, tasks, structure, and capital-related documents to the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). Since then, these two agencies have carried forward the reconstruction work.
The NRA transferred responsibilities related to Dharahara, Singha Durbar, Ranipokhari, Shanti Batika, Harihar Bhawan, and Ranodeep Durbar within the Narayani Museum. It also passed on documents concerning the Central Project Implementation Unit, policies, and housing grant management to the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction.
Earthquake survivors spent extended periods in temporary shelters, and some lost their lives due to cold conditions in these makeshift homes. After the NRA completed the handover, the pace of reconstruction slowed down. By mid-July 2021, the NRA had already distributed private housing grants to 866,207 households. The government disbursed the grants in three installments, and beneficiaries received the payments in phases.
The NRA also transferred remaining responsibilities-such as addressing legal and policy matters, implementing decisions from the appeals committee, and coordinating, facilitating, and monitoring reconstruction-to the NDRRMA.
The 2015 earthquake caused significant pain and loss in Nepali society, but the country has since returned to a state of normalcy. Despite the complexities, reconstruction work has progressed. A decade after the earthquake, another one struck on November 3, 2023, with its epicenter in Jajarkot, causing considerable damage.
While the earthquake caused massive destruction, it also brought new learnings for Nepali society and economy. The affected districts expanded housing construction techniques. Traditional masons, who had long practiced their trade, gained the opportunity to learn new technologies. Post-earthquake engineering knowledge, modern building materials, and skilled masons played key roles in the reconstruction of various structures. The devastating earthquake also brought everyone to the streets, reminding us that we are all equal in the face of nature. The culture of building earthquake-resistant private homes and infrastructure has flourished.
Post-earthquake reconstruction faced challenges due to overlapping roles among various agencies and a lack of coordination. After the earthquake, victims had the opportunity to invest in government grants and build traditional-style houses, but they missed this opportunity. The houses built after the earthquake are now earthquake-resistant, which will help mitigate future risks. The government also set new standards for house construction. Awareness of earthquake preparedness has increased, not only among government agencies but also within the general public. Although the reconstruction process offered an opportunity to relocate high-risk settlements, the state missed this opportunity. It could have used this opportunity to move vulnerable communities to safer locations.
Nepal is highly vulnerable to earthquakes because of its location in the Himalayan seismic zone. A major earthquake could strike at any time. Earthquakes are natural events, and no one can prevent or stop them. They are also impossible to predict. The solution is to learn from past weaknesses and build earthquake-resistant structures. The state must encourage the construction of earthquake-resistant homes and infrastructure through its policies, while citizens must ensure that their buildings adhere to these standards.
Everyone must take responsibility and be accountable for earthquake preparedness to mitigate potential risks in the future. Since earthquakes can strike at any time, constructing strong structures is crucial. If this is overlooked, the same fate will likely repeat, resulting in significant loss of life and property. The state must facilitate the creation of an environment where every citizen can live in a safe home.