Building resilience: Knowledge, experience and perceptions among informal construction stakeholders

Nepal is considered one of the most disaster-prone countries is the world, with vulnerabilities exacerbated by chronic poverty. Whilst a variety of sound buildings codes and regulations has been introduced in the past decades, a challenge exists in implementing these as the majority of the building stock is constructed by informal construction workers. Based on a case study of Nepal’s Banepa Town, this paper aims to explore the role of knowledge, perceptions of and experiences with disaster risk reduction (DRR) measures among informal construction stakeholders. The paper highlights that whilst the level of awareness of hazards and knowledge of the importance of DRR measures among informal construction stakeholders is high, it is also important to consider perceptions and organisational challenges when finding the best solutions for promoting DRR measures. There is still a gap between transforming knowledge into practice, often because of the perceptions (such as trust, experience, and gender) that are predominant in the sector. Understanding these issues is important as this situation is not unique to Nepal: rapid urbanisation in many developing countries has similarly led to a boom in informal construction sectors and construction that has little regard for building codes and regulations

Pathways to raising disaster risk reduction awareness among the informal construction stakeholders: a case of Nepal

Nepal is a low-income country where the majority of people live in chronic poverty, with vulnerabilities exacerbated by various natural hazards (in particular earthquakes). Whilst Nepal has implemented comprehensive building codes and a Building Act, a major challenge exists as both the existing building stock is refurbished and the new stock is continuously added by the informal construction sector, without adherence to any building standards and codes. Such informal construction leaves urban areas highly vulnerable and with little resilience to any disaster. This situation is not unique to Nepal’s urban areas, as rapid urbanisation in many developing countries has similarly led to a boom in informal construction sectors and construction that has little regard for building codes and regulations. Based on a case study of Banepa’s 11 wards, this paper will discuss the informal construction stakeholders’ awareness of disaster risk reduction measures, and provide an overview of existing initiatives to engage the informal construction sector in appreciating the importance of hazard-resilient buildings