LocationsHow a Remote Village in Nepal is Fighting Back Against Landslides
Holding the Ground
April 28, 2025
A house destroyed by a massive landslide in Kispan, Dolakha. For many, this was the moment that shifted the village’s future.
A Night of Fear and a Future in Question
The rain had been falling for hours—heavy and relentless. It wasn’t unusual for this time of year, but for Kamal Raj Khatri, something about this storm felt worse.
Ink 1, ShapeIn Kispan, a village in the foothills of the Himalayas in Dolakha, Nepal, landslides were a growing threat. Every year, heavy monsoons tore away at the slopes, inching closer to homes and farmland. Kamal had seen the damage before, but that night, as he stepped outside with a flashlight, he knew something was wrong.
Then, it happened.
The ground shook. The hillside began to move. A landslide was tearing through the village.
"I called Arjun. We stood there, watching, wondering if we had time to run."
By morning, one house was gone, buried beneath a thick wave of mud and rock. Others were badly damaged—cracked walls, shattered fences, the remains of people’s hard work scattered across the village. It had happened before, but never this bad.
Every season brought another storm, another landslide, another piece of their future gone. The truth was, people weren’t just battling the rain. For years, there had been no clear guidance on how to adapt, no local knowledge on how to face what was coming. Even when ideas did come up, there was rarely any money to try them. And without a plan—something to connect all the pieces—most efforts felt like guesswork. People were doing what they could, but it never felt like enough.
Those who stayed felt like no one was listening.
"We were losing everything, and no one seemed to care."
Community members in Kispan reinforcing hillsides with bamboo crib walls and stone terraces to prevent future landslides.
A Radical Solution: Could This Really Work?
When PEEDA (People, Energy, and Environment Development Association) arrived in Kispan, they weren’t just offering relief. They were introducing an entirely new way of thinking about strengthening resilience and disaster prevention.
PEEDA, supported by the Climate Finance Network’s Grants Initiative with support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), helps communities adapt to climate risks through practical, locally driven solutions. But in Kispan, their ideas were met with scepticism.
They talked about bioengineering—the idea that nature itself could help protect the land. They suggested planting trees with deep roots, using bamboo crib walls to reinforce slopes, and stabilizing the soil in a way that worked with nature, not against it.
To Kamal, it sounded ridiculous.
"How could bamboo stop a landslide? Even concrete walls fail! What difference could some plants make?"
He wasn’t alone in his doubts. Others in the village laughed at the idea. The land was too steep, too unstable, too damaged.
But at that point, what choice did they have?
Women played a leading role in rebuilding efforts—carrying stones, reinforcing walls, and supporting one another with courage and laughter.
Lessons from the Storm
Months passed. The villagers planted trees, built bamboo crib walls, and reinforced the slopes following the new techniques. They watched the seasons change, waiting for the next storm.
Then, in September, it came.
The rain hammered Kispan, just like before. Kamal rushed outside, convinced the bamboo structures would be gone by morning.
But when the skies cleared, he found something unexpected—the crib walls were still standing. The landslide had stopped.
"I was sure it would all be washed away. But it held! I had completely misunderstood!"
For the first time, something had worked.
The villagers planted trees, built bamboo crib walls, and reinforced the slopes following the new techniques. They watched the seasons change, waiting for the next storm.
Fighting Back with Knowledge
For decades, the village had relied on trial and error—some stone walls here, a few planted trees there—but nothing was enough to stop the growing destruction. When PEEDA arrived, they didn’t just bring new techniques; they made sure the knowledge stayed in the hands of the community.
Villagers learned how to build and maintain bamboo crib walls, wattle fences, and slope-stabilizing plantations. The training didn’t just protect homes—it gave people the skills to safeguard their land for the future. What started as a small project became a shared effort, with villagers reinforcing their own slopes and applying what they learned to their surroundings. To spread awareness, PEEDA developed booklets on landslide safety and bioengineering, designed as practical, easy-to-understand guides for local communities. These materials were distributed to residents and local government officials, helping more people recognize the warning signs of landslides and understand how to take preventive action.
According to Biraj Gautam, CEO of PEEDA, this kind of hesitation is common in disaster-prone communities, but taking action is essential:
"Landslides have always been a reality in Nepal, but climate change and unplanned development have made them more frequent and destructive. Communities must take the lead in protecting themselves, using local knowledge and resources. This initiative is about more than just prevention—it’s about empowering people to build resilience for the future."
At the same time, PEEDA worked with local governments to map out the most at-risk areas, ensuring that communities had access to the data they needed to plan ahead.
The initiative received strong support from local government officials, including Bishwas Karki, Chairperson of Gaurishankar Rural Municipality:
"Kispan has faced severe landslides, displacing families and threatening livelihoods. The community’s use of bamboo and local materials to implement bioengineering techniques has been a powerful example of resilience. These solutions are practical, cost-effective, and should be encouraged across the municipality."
This wasn’t just about stopping landslides—it was about giving people the tools to protect what they had before the next disaster struck.
A Future Worth Rebuilding
For Kamal, everything has changed.
"Before, I would have told you this wouldn’t work. Now, I tell everyone—it does."
For his village, the fear of the next monsoon hasn’t disappeared, but something is different now—they have the tools to fight back.
Where once they only saw destruction, they now see roots holding firm, bamboo walls standing strong, and a way forward that doesn’t force them to leave their home.
Kispan’s story isn’t just about engineering. It’s about resilience. It’s about people who refused to let their village disappear.
And it all started with a few bamboo poles and a community that decided to take a chance.
The village of Kispan sits nestled in the Himalayas—a community determined to hold the ground beneath its feet.
What’s Next?
The success of the CFN´s Grants initiative, supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), has sparked interest beyond Kispan.
Building on its success, PEEDA is integrating the lessons learned into new initiatives in Pyuthan district, where communities will be introduced to bioengineering techniques based on these experiences.
At the same time, discussions with the Local Disaster Management Committee (LDMC) and other government officials have shown growing interest in adopting bioengineering techniques as part of future landslide risk reduction efforts.
As climate change worsens, landslides will only increase. But Kispan has proven that disaster doesn’t have to be inevitable.
With the right tools, the right training, and a belief that nature can be part of the solution, communities across Nepal can fight back against the land slipping away beneath their feet.