Shock Safe Nepal Team Two: Implementation of earthquake safe techniques in rural Nepal

In April and May 2015 two earthquakes devastated Nepal. Thousands died and a manifold of these were left homeless. In order to aid the reconstruction of Nepal, Delft University of Technology initiated a research project called Shock Safe Nepal, in which multiple teams build on each other’s topics in order to help rebuild Nepal in an earthquake safe manner. A first team performed a reconnaissance mission and made a broad problem assessment of the current situation of Nepal. Building upon this work, our team investigated the current situation (February and March 2016) in rural Nepal. What solutions can be integrated in rural Nepal in order to make it earthquake safe? And how can these solutions be made both durable and permanent? In order to leave a lasting impression, not only has the feasibility of the solutions been taken into account, but also the needs and wishes of the local population. To dissipate the solutions into society, a profound understanding of the social and educational network in rural Nepal is highly necessary. Our team has examined the rural area in the development region of Central Nepal with a focus on the Sindhulpalchok, Rasuwa, Kavrepalanchok, Lalitpur, Makwanpur and Dolakha districts. An initial case study has been performed in the village of Ratankot (Sindhupalchok). The technical investigation concentrated on the few buildings that were still standing, the techniques they employed and the damages they sustained. The social investigation included meetings with a number of key people in the village, as well as a survey among the local population and an up-close observation of the rebuilding process. Our findings of this case study have been validated in various other rural villages. The output of our research can be divided in four end-products: A technical damage evaluation, a social and educational representation of Nepal, a future-oriented approach to urban planning in these rural areas, and finally a strategic action-plan on how to integrate shock-safe solutions. The technical damage evaluation expands on the destruction that has directly been done by the earthquake, on what repairs are possible for the buildings and on the essentials a building should include in order to augment the safety of the houses regarding earthquakes. The social and educational representation elaborates on the working and interaction with local communities in rural Nepal. It discusses the best way to approach the local population in order to leave a lasting impression. The urban planning approach describes a long-term view of developing the rural settlements throughout Nepal. The team’s field experience in rural Nepal led to observations on internal strengths and weaknesses which are inherent to rural Nepal. The strategic action plan discusses a short-term, a mid-term, and a long-term strategy, recommended for implementing an earthquake safe environment in rural Nepal. The purpose of this research is to be a logical step in a series of research projects which will contribute to the reconstruction of an earthquake safe environment in Nepal. It can be used as consultation advice, guideline or as a base for in-depth follow up research on one of the included topics.

Subject

Social Assessment
Nepal
Earthquake
Damage Assessment

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Shock Safe Nepal - Report ... am Two.pdf

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