Nepal Landslide Prevention

OVERVIEW

USAID’s Nepal Landslide Prevention works directly with poor and vulnerable farming communities to decrease their risk of landslides and provide alerts when landslides are imminent. This bolsters their ability to prepare for, withstand, and recover from natural hazards. 

HIGHLIGHT

Landslides are common disasters in Nepal, often affecting marginalized communities in rural areas of Nepal. USAID’s Nepal Landslide Prevention activity is not only saving lives, but also demonstrating how low-cost measures build the resiliency of rural communities located in high risk landslide areas. 

USAID Strengthens the Resilience of Farmers: 

USAID increases farmers’ capacity to cope with shocks and stresses posed by natural hazards by diversifying their income stream.  This is done by educating farmers to plant deep-rooted plants, such as fruit trees, bamboo, and tejpatta, to stabilize otherwise loose ground while also providing new streams of income. 

USAID Bolsters Local Government in Mitigating Landslides: 

USAID works with local governments to ensure they play an active role in planning mitigation techniques and continue these approaches into the future. All community-level activities are conducted in partnership with the local government and Local Disaster Management Committees, which contain members of the municipal government and civil society organizations. They help to identify the implementation sites and monitor the project’s progress.  The most vulnerable communities are also identified and targeted with landslide early warning systems.

USAID Supports Indigenous Communities: 

USAID engages local partners in targeted areas, especially indigenous populations that face considerable threats from landslides, to incorporate their traditional practices, technical knowledge, and agricultural know-how throughout the program.  There is a focus on these marginalized groups because they often require much longer to recover from natural hazards due to their higher levels of socioeconomic vulnerability.