Through the Sudridh-Nepal Urban Resilience Project (Sudridh-NURP), ICF's disaster management and urban development experts are helping to build resilience to economic, environmental, and public health shocks.
The Problem: Nepal is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world and is vulnerable to climate change and natural hazards. It is also experiencing rapid and unplanned urban development. Poor infrastructure, inadequate services and a lack of safe drinking water add to the risks. Women and children are particularly vulnerable. Most recently, the country has faced the challenges of Covid-19.
The Approach: ICF is helping Nepal’s largest urban centers outside Kathmandu Valley to build capacity and design disaster-resilient urban buildings, infrastructure, and services. ICF's approach centers around developing principles of accountable, inclusive, and participatory urban governance, relevant to each location. There is a focus on gender equality and applying the idea of 'leave no one behind'. ICF delivers this through ‘learning by doing’, practically demonstrating the benefits of formal administration systems.
The Outcome: To date, more than 60 policies, acts and laws have been revised to enhance resilience. ICF's adaptability during the pandemic has built trust locally, establishing it as a reliable and proactive long-term partner. Recent work has included introducing medium term expenditure frameworks to help municipalities to manage public spending more effectively. Other support includes developing municipal asset operation and management plans to enhance service delivery, and building understanding of risk and inclusion-sensitive land use plans. Most recently, NURP has run sessions exploring opportunities for renewable energy uptake across Nepal.
