Mr. Beda Nidhi Khanal (Nepal)

My name is Beda Nidhi Khanal and I am fromNepal. I have earned master’s degrees in
Public Administration and Sociology and am
working as an under-secretary in the Ministry ofHome Affairs in Nepal. I have also worked as
the chief of the National Emergency Operation
Centre at the central level and as a dhief district
officer at the district level as well. In my role atthe national level, I was responsible for disaster
preparedness and response. I worked in theDisaster and Conflict Management Division,
where I contributed significantly to thedevelopment of various legal frameworks, policy instruments, and institutionalarrangements for disaster risk management in Nepal. When working at the district level,
I fully experienced how poorly these policies are implemented in real life on the ground.
Nepal is vulnerable to multiple hazards, which result in a multitude of disasters
throughout the country. These disastrous incidents claim large numbers of lives andcause significant economic loss every year. The nation’s geography, geological position,and impacts of climate change are the primary causes of disasters. Rapid andunplanned urbanization, environmental degradation, variations in nature and type ofdisaster, and an inadequate understanding of disaster risk management have furtherintensified disaster risks in Nepal.
Since the restructuring that was undertaken in 2015, Nepal has started implementing afederal governance system with new constitution. Under this new system, thegovernment has recently endorsed new acts and policies for disaster risk management.
The Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act 2017, the Disaster Risk Reduction
National Policy 2018, and the Disaster Risk Reduction Strategic Action Plan 2018-2030
are key examples of those policies. These policies and plans are being implemented at
the local level throughout the country by all three tiers of government in the newstructure. The applicability of these new policies is being tested and the results are yet
to be calculated.
To address the various perspectives of disaster risk management in Nepal, somepolicies and guidelines are still being developed at different levels. Mitigating gaps,
creating new policy demand, prescribing policy adjustments, or influencing policy
formulation are always challenging tasks. These require extensive experience andknowledge as well as evidence to prove the new need for structural, legal, andinstitutional reforms in the system. Japan has been a model for effective disaster risk
reduction based on modern approaches and methods in all areas of concern. Theknowledge and experience gained and practiced by a developed country like Japan will
benefit Nepal as it seeks to strengthen its disaster risk reduction structures.
I believe ADRC’s Visiting Researcher Program has provided me a good opportunity togain experiences and learn about the best practices of disaster risk management bothat the policy making and implementation levels. This platform is sure to benefit me andmy organization in the days to come. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to thegovernment of Japan, ADRC, and the government of Nepal for their strong support forthis research program.