Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, May 27

A disaster mitigation master plan for Kathmandu was unveiled at a talk programme on earthquake preparedness organised by National Society for Earthquake Technology, Nepal (NSET) here on Monday.

Outlining the plan, which would institutionalise disaster management strategy, Fouad Bendi Merad, chairman, Earthquake Mega-cities Initiative (EMI) said, "We plan to put Kathmandu along with Beijing and Mumbai with the aim of developing regional networks of cities co-operating with each other to reduce the impact of earthquakes."

"Though there is a lot of work to be done in the field of disaster mitigation here, the level of understanding and awareness about earthquakes among the people is an encouraging sign," he added.

The plan, which has different components would primarily assess the anticipated impact of a disaster and then evolve a response and recovery programme. This would, among other things include making preparations for housing reconstruction and infrastructure recovery. "It is also imperative to have disaster legislation in place which would allow authorities to function within a legal framework once a disaster occurs," Merad said.

Disaster mitigation strategy would also include retrofitting critical facilities and code regulation. The plan helps in identifying vulnerabilities and ensures participation of all stakeholders in preparing for the disaster.

Speaking at the programme, Haresh C. Shah, chairman, World Seismic Safety Initiative (WSSI) said, "The issue of earthquake is not technical or scientific, instead it is a social, political and cultural issue."

Shah, a renowned expert on earthquake issues emphasised the need to build up a culture of safety as the first step to disaster preparedness. He added, "Technology and knowledge are decades ahead of the ground situation. The solution lies in inculcating the notion of safety and accountability."

WSSI, set up in 1992, works in countries, which are susceptible to disasters yet have a low awareness about it. They plan to develop a model, which would encourage accountability among structural engineers and contractors by making licensing compulsory. NSET has played a major role in promoting awareness about earthquake related issues and developing disaster mitigation plans in Nepal in the past decade.