Community engagement in disaster recovery: Lessons from the aftermath of Nepal earthquake 2015

As first responders in disasters, communities are one of the key players in disaster response. The effects of natural disasters in resilient communities are known to be minimal and the recovery process is quicker. Thus, the role of a community is equally important in disaster preparedness as it is in disaster response. The nature of trust and cooperation that exists within the community through the existing networks and ties which form the social capital, plays a vital role in building the community back better after disasters occur. In this light, this paper discusses the important role of social capital, networks and community engagement in disaster recovery. This study takes the case of Nepal and analyzes the recovery and reconstruction activities done through direct initiative and active engagement of local residents in Giranchaur village of Sindhupalchowk district after the devastating earthquake of 2015. The village opted to build integrated settlements with direct initiative from locals themselves and has garnered significant external support in doing so. Information was gathered based on primary data sources collected through field visits and analysis of secondary data. Two field visits were carried out in October 2017 and August 2018 respectively during which, direct observation and in-depth interviews were carried out with key informants and local residents of Giranchaur. Available scholarly literature on the topic was reviewed together with two main policy documents prepared in Nepal to guide the reconstruction and recovery process. While the general pace and quality of recovery process is not satisfactory, the finding of this study shows that idea generated from the grassroots, lead by an able local leadership and implemented via existing social networks with active community engagement leads to sustainable recovery, as shown by the case study of Giranchaur village. Based on the evidences found during the process of research on how active engagement of community can lead to better recovery and improved resilience, the paper derives some lessons from the experience in the aftermath of the Nepal Earthquake 2015 that have practical implications to policymakers when deciding future intervention strategies in disaster affected communities.