• PDNA basically determines the disaster’s impact and defines a recovery strategy
• It also includes funding needs for restoration of livelihoods, and chart out plans to revive the economy and rehabilitate and reconstruct damaged houses and other infrastructure

KATHMANDU: The devastating earthquake of April 25 and subsequent aftershocks have caused damage worth Rs 513.38 billion to physical infrastructure and assets, and inflicted income loss of another Rs 187.08 billion, indicating billions of rupees will have to be spent in the coming years to regain lost opportunities, restore physical assets and improve livelihoods. This is the initial finding of the Post Disaster Needs Assessment — a draft report of which has been prepared by the National Planning Commission, the apex body that frames the country’s development plans, in coordination with the United Nations, the European Union, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency. The draft PDNA report, which has covered damage, loss and needs of 23 sectors, was submitted to Prime Minister Sushil Koirala this evening. PDNA basically determines the disaster’s impact and defines a recovery strategy. It also includes funding needs for restoration of livelihoods, and chart out plans to revive the economy and rehabilitate and reconstruct damaged houses and other infrastructure. PDNA, which began on May 15, shows that the temblor and its aftershocks have not only caused damage to infrastructure and assets but reduced output of productive sectors, like agriculture, industry, commerce and services. What is even more startling is the damage caused to the social sector, like education, which can limit the country’s ability to churn out quality human resources — a precondition for sustained economic development. Estimates show that the education has sustained damage worth Rs 28.06 billion and income loss of around Rs 3.25 billion. Just to ensure resilient recovery of this sector, a sum of around Rs 39.70 billion in required. “And to regain losses suffered by all 23 sectors and build back better, the country will need to spend at least Rs 666.31 billion in the short and medium term,” NPC member Swarnim Wagle told The Himalayan Times. The amount is little more than this fiscal year’s budget of Rs 618.10 billion. Tremors appear to have badly shaken the housing sector, which has suffered damage worth Rs 303.63 billion and income loss — basically from rents — of around Rs 46.75 billion. Over 505,000 private houses were fully damaged by the disaster and around 279,000 houses were partially damaged, show the government data. As houses reduced to rubble or became uninhabitable, lives of many were destabilised. In this course, many were rendered jobless as well. “This led households to incur income loss of Rs 17 billion,” said Wagle. To recover this loss, the country needs to spend at least Rs 12.55 billion. The devastation has badly hit some of the major sectors that generate employment. For instance, agriculture sector, which employs around 60 per cent of the working age population, suffered damage worth Rs 16.40 billion and income loss — revenue that could have been generated from sales of output — of Rs 11.96 billion. The sector will need at least Rs 15.56 billion to make full recovery. Also, tourism sector has suffered damage of around Rs 18.86 billion and income loss of a whopping Rs 62.38 billion.

QUICK QUAKE FACTS

• Total damage- Rs 513.38 bn
• Total loss- Rs 187.08 bn
• Total needs- Rs 666.31 bn

This figure excludes damage and losses suffered by monuments, which were preserved for hundreds of years. It is estimated cultural heritage sites suffered damage of Rs 16.91 billion during the tremors. Among others, industry and commerce sector has sustained damage worth Rs 17.41 billion and income loss of Rs 16.87 billion. The government will need to fork out at least Rs 27.40 billion to make recovery in this sector. These figures will be floated at national consultation seminar tomorrow and may even be revised prior to finalising the PDNA report. The final PDNA report would be presented during the International Conference on Nepal’s Reconstruction, an international donors’ conference scheduled for June 25, when the government will seek financial support from the international community to rebuild parts of the country ravaged by the disaster.