Kathmandu, February 14:

Speakers at a programme today underlined the need to effectively implement the policies and plans formulated to manage disaster mitigation.

They suggested that integrated local and national level mechanism could minimise the risks from natural disasters.

Purna Kumari Subedi, vice chairperson of the Constitutional Assembly (CA), said early preparedness and formulation of sound plans and policies could prove effective to reduce disaster damages.

“It is the appropriate time to work on preventive strategy by making local people aware of destruction and initiating preparedness to reduce the damages,” she said.

“I will work to develop such policies and help approve them from the Constituent Assembly at the earliest,” she added.

Thir Bahadur GC, under-secretary at the Home Ministry, said Nepal was highly vulnerable to disaster risks.

“Effective integrated efforts are essential to tackle with natural disaster,” he added.

He said that systematic incorporation of risk reduction approaches into emergency preparedness, response and recovery was inevitable. “The government should carry out preventive measures and apply rights-based approaches rather than relief-based schemes,” he said.

“It is the challenge to develop a competent and decentralised national institution to work for risk reduction. Legal provisions on the issue are inadequate and enforcement is weak in the country,” GC said, adding, “There is a lack of scientific data, disaster mapping system, national documentation and information system on disasters.”

Surya Narayan Shrestha, deputy executive director of the National Society for Earthquake Technology-Nepal, said the national strategy for disaster risk management policy should be approved as soon as possible.

Shrestha said high population growth, unmanaged urbanisation and houses built against the codes were the main causes for adding vulnerability to earthquake.