Kathmandu, March 21

Japan International Cooperation Agency, Ministry of Industry and Department of Mines and Geology today signed technical cooperation project named ‘Integrated Research on Great Earthquakes and Disaster Mitigation in Nepal Himalaya.”

A press statement issued here today by JICA said that it has been supporting Nepal in understanding earthquake disaster risk and planning to reduce the risk continuously.

It said that in this course, the new research project in collaboration with the University of Tokyo under the Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS) was selected through global competition last year, just before the April 25, 2015.

The statement said that minister for industry, Som Prasad Pandeya, MoI representative Yam Kumari Khatiwada, DMG representative Rajendra Prasad Khanal and Jun Sakuma on behalf of JICA Nepal were present during the signing ceremony.

According to the statement, the project aims to provide advanced research outputs on potential earthquakes in Nepal, its risks to Kathmandu Valley and strengthen research and training capacity of universities in Nepal.

The main collaborative partners for Nepal are DMG, Central Department of Physics and Geology of Tribhuvan University for research and education and Department of Urban Development and Building Construction, it said.