Strengthening Sub-national Disaster Preparedness for Effective Response

March 27, 2023

Mr. Anil Pokhrel, Chief Executive Officer at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority addressing the workshop in Karnali Province. Photo credit: Dilli Upadhaya, UNDP/SUPER

Three Provincial Humanitarian Coordination and Contingency Planning Workshops were organized by the Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpaschim Province governments, in their respective provinces, on 22, 24 and 26 February 2023. These workshops sought to enhance disaster preparedness and response at the province level, and were led by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Law and Cooperative in Lumbini Province, the of Internal Affairs and Law (MoIAL) in Karnali Province, and MoIAL in Sudurpaschim Province. These workshops were technically supported by the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office Humanitarian Country Team (HCT). 

In the workshops, key stakeholders from national, provincial, and local governments, security personnel, UN agencies, and civil society bodies participated to discuss and collaborate on the development of an inclusive and unified disaster preparedness and response plan, leading to the creation of an Earthquake Contingency Plan. Addressing the event, Mr. Anil Pokhrel, Chief Executive Officer at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said, “It is great to be here to discuss how all of us can work collectively – the federal government, the provincial government, the local government, private sector, United Nations and development partners in order to better prepare the province against any future disasters to focus on humanitarian action.”

Representatives from cluster leads and co-leads and stakeholders presenting at the workshop in Sudurpaschim Province. Photo credit: Pragati Bhattarai, UNDP/SUPER

This exercise has reinvigorated the provincial humanitarian coordination/emergency response preparedness process with the overarching goal of improved provincial emergency response coordination in the event of a disaster, including an earthquake. The workshop findings will guide the crafting of a provincial Cluster Contingency Plan and the Provincial Earthquake Response Framework, whilst keeping gender and inclusion considerations at the centre of the framework to leave no one behind.

Representatives from cluster leads and co-leads and stakeholders presenting at the workshop in Sudurpaschim Province. Photo credit: Pragati Bhattarai, UNDP/SUPER