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Building A Safer Future

Five years after the 2015 Nepal earthquake, the country is turning a corner.

By Asian Development Bank

April 25^th, 2020

The Devastation

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck on 25 April 2015 and subsequent aftershocks and landslides killed over 8,000 people and damaged hundreds of thousands of homes and buildings.

Woman from Singla village extracts her belongings from the rubble in the aftermath of the earthquake in Nepal.

Trail of Destruction

From private homes to public infrastructure; farms, businesses and historical monuments – hardly anything was spared in the trail of destruction.

The earthquake and the aftershocks destroyed over 30,000 classrooms, damaged almost 8,000 public schools in 31 districts, directly affecting the education of 1.5 million children.

The quake and subsequent landslides badly damaged more than thousands of kilometers of district and village roads.

Ruins of Patan in Kathmandu;s Durbar square after the eartquake.

Earthquake damage in Timbu, Helambu, Nepal.

Damaged school building in Sindhupalchowk district, Nepal. The earthquakes destroyed over 25,000 classrooms. Another 10,000 classrooms will require repair.

Family beside a damaged house near Naglebhare, Nepal. Almost half a million houses have been destroyed and more than 250,000 damaged, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The earthquakes destroyed over 25,000 classrooms. Another 10,000 classrooms will require repair.

Immediate Relief Efforts

ADB provided a $3 million grant on 27 April 2015 to support immediate relief efforts. ADB also established a Nepal Earthquake Response Team, and joined with UN agencies and other development partners to assess the damage and the long-term investment needs for reconstruction and rehabilitation.

The international community was quick to show support to government-led relief efforts. International search and rescue and medical teams arrived in Nepal within hours of the first earthquake, supported by military and civil defense assets.

The Earthquake Emergency Assistance Project (EEAP)

Five years after the devastating earthquake, the ADB-supported EEAP has helped put thousands of children back to schools, returned vital government services and infrastructure to earthquake-affected communities, and created jobs and income through employment in rebuilding critical road networks.

The EEAP is jointly financed by ADB, the United States Agency for International Development, and the Government of Nepal. The school rebuilding effort included reconstruction of high enrolment schools in eight affected districts and14 hardest hit districts.

A total of 162 schools, including 8 schools funded by Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, have been reconstructed and handed over to school management committees

Because of the improved road conditions, Hira Tamang was able to shorten his travel time from 3days to two hours to reach Sungati from Charikot.

Ramesh Paguwal together with his family was able to expand their business of collecting and transporting milk because of the improved Dolakha- Singati Road.

Nirmal Thami attracted more customers and was able to expand her business after the Dolakha-Singati Road was improved.

ADB Vice-President Shixin Chen visiting a newly constructed school in Nepal.

Build Back Better

The project presented an opportunity to provide students, teachers, and the local community with new and improved facilities. Indeed, this pledge to “build back better”, and not simply replace what was destroyed, has been a key feature of the EEAP.

The schools that are rebuilt or repaired under the project include stronger construction and engineering specifications that are designed to help the structures withstand future disasters.

All the schools constructed under the project have better classrooms and facilities. Most of these schools also have hostels for out-of-town students.

The Naag Kanya School was built to improve and educate the children of marginalized fishermen community. The school was completely destroyed by the earthquake and was rebuilt through the assistance of ADB.

Students from Naag Kanya School. The school was completely destroyed by the earthquake and was rebuilt through the assistance of ADB.

Naag Kanya School was completely destroyed by the earthquake and was rebuilt through the assistance of ADB.

To enhance science education, the new buildings have science and ICT laboratories and new equipment. Learning has become more fun and interactive for children.

Solar panels, modern sanitation facilities, disabled friendly features, and other new additions in school designs have paid off through increased student and teacher satisfaction and improved educational outcomes, and even increased student enrolment.

Pawan Pradhan, a health teacher of Sanjiwani Model School, conducting his class using multimedia materials.

Students performing an experiment at the science lab of Sanjiwani Model School, Dhulikhel, Kavre, Nepal.

The Rudraksheshwor Secondary School was rebuilt in 2017 with the assistance from ADB. The school has a library, canteen, science laboratory, and computer laboratory.

Students of Rudraksheshwor Secondary School studying in the library. The school was rebuilt in 2017 through the assistance of the ADB.

Students at the biology laboratory of Sanjiwani Model School, Dhulikhel, Kavre, Nepal.

"For five years, we have been studying in a temporary learning center, and many times we faced various challenges and difficulties due to summer rain and winter cold. Now, the reconstruction of Shree Krishna Ratna Ganga School is over and is running smoothly." - Garima Thapa

The project has repaired and improved about 100 km of strategic roads and about 300 km of rural roads damaged by the earthquake and landslides. The roads were rebuilt with improved road safety features and designed to withstand future disasters and the impact of climate change.

The project also helped construct government office buildings with better facilities.

Water And Irrigation Development Division office in Chautara, Sindhupalchwok, Nepal

Government workers at the Financial Controller office at Chautara, Sindhupalchwok, Nepal.

Disaster Risk Reduction Preparedness

As part of the project, disaster risk management planning and awareness have been developed in the communities surrounding the refurbished schools.This has speed up the social and economic recovery of communities devastated by the earthquake.

“During emergency drills in the assembly area, we learn about ways to stay safe during natural disasters. I think such activities really help us in being better prepared if the next disaster strikes,” -Pratima Khadka, Sanjiwani Model School.

Pratima Khadka,14, taking her class at Sanjiwani Model School, Dhulikhel, Kavre, Nepal.

Building A Future

“A better reconstruction process can strengthen a country’s resilience to natural disasters,” says Mukhtor Khamudkhanov, ADB’s Country Director for Nepal. “The reconstruction of the schools was an opportunity to build back better. All the schools reconstructed after the earthquake with ADB support have followed better standards, building norms, and amenities. These schools are resilient, safe and with modern facilities and provide an improved and safe learning environment for over 60,000 children.”

Children studying at the Sanjiwani Model School in Dhulikhel, Kavre, Nepal.

Footnotes

Photos by Samir Jung Thapa, Madhup Shrestha, and Narendra Shrestha.

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FootNotes

Photos by Samir Jung Thapa, Madhup Shrestha, and Narendra Shrestha.