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Potential for Ecosystem-Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in the Urban Landscape of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

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Book cover Ecosystem-Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Adaptation in Practice

Part of the book series: Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research ((NTHR,volume 42))

Abstract

This chapter elaborates on the potential for applying ecosystem-based solutions for urban disaster risk reduction in developing countries, based on the case study of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. The high level of mainly informal urbanization in the Kathmandu Valley has led to severe environmental problems and loss of ecosystem services. As a consequence, the livelihoods of the 2.5 million inhabitants in the almost entirely built-up Kathmandu Valley are increasingly at risk, as seen in the aftermath of the 2015 earthquakes that caused widespread damage in the urban area. Combined risks from natural hazards and unsuitable urban planning are likely to be exacerbated by climate change. Due to political instability during the past decades, the poor execution of existing plans and policies as well as the enactment of new ones remain challenging, without real signs for improvement. In addition, the complex governance system involving local, national and international actors is another challenge being faced in this urban agglomeration. Understanding of human-nature interactions, including values attached to natural assets by local communities, is crucial for the development of successful long-term strategies for risk reduction that integrate ecosystem-based solutions.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    defined as ‘the totality of humanly created, modified or constructed spaces and places’ in World Disasters Report (2014: 121).

  2. 2.

    Although fire is also another major hazard which could potentially result in significant losses to homes and infrastructure. It is not further considered here as fire in an urban agglomeration is mostly human-induced, e.g. due to electrical short circuits or poor wiring (Ministry of Local Development/GoN and Disaster Risk Reduction at the National Level in Nepal/UNDP 2011)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geography, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria

    Simone Sandholz

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  1. Simone Sandholz
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Correspondence to Simone Sandholz .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Environment and Human Secu, United Nations University, Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

    Fabrice G. Renaud

  2. Commission on Ecosystem Management, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland

    Karen Sudmeier-Rieux

  3. Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch, United Nations Environment Programme, Geneva, Switzerland

    Marisol Estrella

  4. Institute for Technology and Resources Management in the Tropics and Subtropics (ITT), TH Köln, University of Applied Sciences, Köln, Germany

    Udo Nehren

Appendix: Institutions Interviewed for the Study

Appendix: Institutions Interviewed for the Study

  • Kathmandu Valley Development Authority (KVDA)

  • Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT)

  • Ministry of Culture , Tourism and Civil Aviation, Government of Nepal

  • Ministry of Urban Development , Government of Nepal

  • National Society for Earthquake Technology, Nepal (NSET)

  • Center for Disaster Studies, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu

  • Department of Architecture and Urban Planning , Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu

  • Central Department of Geography, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu

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Sandholz, S. (2016). Potential for Ecosystem-Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in the Urban Landscape of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. In: Renaud, F., Sudmeier-Rieux, K., Estrella, M., Nehren, U. (eds) Ecosystem-Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Adaptation in Practice. Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research, vol 42. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43633-3_15

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