Disaster incidents are continuously growing which instigated Nepal as one of the disaster-prone countries in the world. Nepal is ranked 11 th out of 198 countries in terms of seismic risk in the world. It is also ranked 30 th and 4 th in the risk of waterborne disasters and climate change respectively. Although, various efforts have been made to mitigate disaster risk, they still seem inadequate. Nepal Disaster Risk Reduction Portal under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) has mentioned about the death of 415 persons due to landslides and flood-induced disaster in past six months which is almost double compared to last year. In this context, International Disaster Risk Reduction Day is marked through a virtual program with the slogan "Disaster Risk Reduction Favorable Good Governance: Our Campaign for a Secure Future" on 13th October, 2020. Addressing the program, Prime Minister and Chairperson of the National Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management KP Sharma Oli said that government has been focused on rescue, relief and reconstruction activities for mitigating the risk of disaster. Further, Prime Minister Oli stressed that government is strongly working to inform Local Governments about national policy, strategy and action plan on disaster risk reduction and management prepared by the Federal Government. In addition, he also said, ‘Minimizing disaster would not be possible without the cooperation of all concerned stakeholders.’ Similarly, Home Minister and Chairperson of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Executive Committee Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ said, "While celebrating Disaster Risk Reduction Day, it is also equally important to review our policies, rules and action plans.’ Jitram Lama, President of NGO Federation of Nepal, highlighted the role of social organizations in reducing disaster risks, and protecting the poor and vulnerable. Mentioning the challenges of climate change, he pointed to the need of formation and functioning of the DRR mechanisms at the local government levels. Generally, CSOs are the early responders to disasters and are always ready to collaborate with the government. Speaking on the occasion, Richard Howard, on behalf of the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office for Nepal, expressed his commitment to continue the support of the United Nations for minimizing the risk of disaster. The program was divided into two sessions. Both sessions were chaired by Anil Pokharel, Executive Chief of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. The program was facilitated by Surya Bahadur Thapa, Chairperson of Disaster Preparedness Network Nepal (DPNET). In the second session, six working papers were presented focusing on disaster risk reduction and management. The program started with the working paper by former Education Minister Gangalal Tuladhar, who focused on the role of central, provincial and local levels. Following the presentation of Tuladhar, NSET’s Executive Director, Surya Narayan Shrestha commented on the paper. Topics of working papers presented in the program included 1) Gender and inclusive disaster risk management in Nepal; 2) local disaster and climate resilient planning; 3) humanitarian disaster governance in the context of 2020 monsoon disaster; 4) Covid-19 situation in Nepal, key achievements, challenges and future strategies; and 4) managing landslides: issues of responsibility distribution in federal system of government. The working papers were presented by Shakti Gurung on behalf of Women Humanitarian and Disaster Risk Platform, Rishi Raj Acharya, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, Raju Thapa, Durga Prasad Upadhyay and Dr. Suresh Tiwari. Those papers were commented by five experts who have specialized their work on the related sectors. At the end, Executive Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, Pokharel expressed his concern over the lack of adequate implementation of laws and regulations for disaster risk reduction in Nepal. He concluded the program by thanking all the participants. The program was jointly organized by NGO Federation of Nepal, Disaster Preparedness Network Nepal-DPNET and National Disaster Management Network Nepal (DIMAN). Around 500 people participated in the program.
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