Local Solutions, Global Partnerships: Confronting Disasters in Nepal
Nepal’s breathtaking mountains and vibrant communities mask a harsh reality: the country is a hotspot for natural disasters. The accelerated melting of the glaciers in the Himalayas increases the risk from related hazards such as glacial lake outburst floods and avalanches. It also impacts the availability of water and hydropower for 2 billion people downstream of major Asian rivers originating in the Himalayas in the longer term. Nepal is further prone to earthquakes as it is located above the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. With livelihoods tied to agriculture and tourism, Nepal’s vulnerability is acute.
However, amid these challenges, a story of resilience unfolds—one driven by local action, innovation, and the unifying force of the United Nations Country Team under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator.
The UN agencies are supporting Nepal's localised approach to resilience building and disaster risk reduction at the federal, provincial, and local levels of government. Close and sustained cooperation at all levels of government since the federalisation in 2017 has led to the creation of disaster risk reduction plans that are implemented with government resources, with UN entities providing specialised technical support.
Empowering communities
An innovative system of providing single entry points for government officials is the Provincial Focal Point Agencies concept, which nominates one of the UN organizations present at the provincial level as the focal point to liaise with provincial governments, relay information, convene development partners around the request for support, and hold coordination meetings. The Provincial Focal Point Agencies are supported in their function through a direct line of communication with the UN Resident Coordinator. This concept has already demonstrated its efficiency for disaster risk governance and emergency management. For example, during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when travel restrictions were in place and around 100,000 migrant workers were returning to Nepal at once, the conditions in more than 1,000 quarantine sites were assessed by locally-based development partners. At the request of the Government of Nepal, the Provincial Focal Points Agencies reached out to the partners, trained them on the survey provided by the Government, and the assessment of quarantine sites was completed within two weeks.
Innovation in action
Over the last 10 years the United Nations Country Team has built a unique research partnership with a consortium of universities to provide new forms of evidence to guide disaster risk governance. This consortium, called Sajag-Nepal, includes organisations in Nepal, the UK, Canada, and New Zealand. Working together, the consortium and the Resident Coordinator's Office have pioneered a new approach to understanding hazards, enabling risk-informed contingency planning for both the annual monsoon and for infrequent large earthquakes.
For earthquakes, the Resident Coordinator's Office worked with researchers to develop an ensemble of possible impacts in a future earthquake, irrespective of where that earthquake occurs. This ensemble now forms the basis of both how UN agencies and NGOs plan for disasters and how provincial governments plan for disasters. For the monsoon, Sajag-Nepal researchers are using data on past monsoon impacts recorded in the government's portal to anticipate the possible pattern of impacts in the next monsoon, helping the humanitarian agencies and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) to develop a more informed preparedness plan.
The research has also developed a novel way of anticipating landslide impacts during the monsoon using 14-day rainfall forecasts. The Resident Coordinator's Office is exploring the use of this approach a tool to activate early preventive measures—like evacuations or resource pre-positioning—before disasters strike. In landslide-prone regions, the project also involves local communities in mapping how people navigate their surroundings and how landslide risks fluctuate daily or seasonally. This collaborative effort aims to produce detailed risk maps that reflect the real-world dangers faced by these communities.
A foundation for inclusive resilience
Nepal’s journey toward resilience is a testament to the power of uniting local action with global expertise. From empowering communities through decentralized governance to pioneering data-driven disaster planning, the United Nations—under the Resident Coordinator’s leadership—has helped forge a model where preparedness saves lives and safeguards futures. The UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2023–2027) underscores this commitment, prioritizing climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and inclusive policies that leave no one behind.
Looking ahead, Nepal’s challenges are formidable—accelerating climate impacts, urbanization pressures, and the ever-present threat of seismic activity demand sustained innovation. Yet the progress achieved offers a blueprint: by deepening partnerships, scaling anticipatory actions, and investing in community-led solutions, Nepal can turn vulnerability into enduring resilience.
This article originally appeared on undrr.org, read it here.
