Kathmandu Valley Earthquake Risk Management Project (KVERMP) PROJECT OVERVIEW Background Nepal has a long history of destructive earthquakes. With a burgeoning population of almost a million people, uncontrolled development, and building construction techniques which have changed little in the past century, Kathmandu Valley becomes increasingly vulnerable to catastrophic earthquakes with each passing year. The objective of the project is to reduce the earthquake vulnerability of Kathmandu Valley. The project will have four main components: Scenario and Action Plan; School Earthquake Safety; Public Awareness; and Institution Building and Training. The Scenario and Action Plan component will involve putting information on earthquake risk and consequences in a form that is understandable to public officials and citizens, information gathering from operators of critical facilities, presentation of a likely earthquake scenario to public and private decision-makers, and generation of an Action Plan. The School Earthquake Safety component will establish an Advisory Sub-Committee on school safety, design earthquake preparedness curriculum, conduct a participatory evluation of the vulnerability of the Valley's schools, and produce proposals for funding for the retrofit of the most at-risk buildings. The Public Awareness element will combine public outreach in the form of various information pieces and public talks. The highlight will be the establishment and celebration of a first annual Kathmandu Valley Earthquake Awareness day on the anniversary of the devastating earthquake of 1934. Finally, the Institution Building and Training component will seek to build the capacity of NSET and establish an office of Disaster Management in Kathmandu. Objectives The Kathmandu Valley Earthquake Risk Management Project is designed to meet four objectives: Evaluate earthquake, risk and prescribe action plan for managing that risk; Reduce the public school's earthquake vulnerability; Raise awareness of the public, of Nepalese government officials, the international community resident in KV, and of influential organizations abroad of KV's earthquake risk; and Build local institutions that can sustain the work launched in this project. Project Profile Project Title: Kathmandu Valley Earthquake Risk Management Project Project Location: Kathmandu Valley, Nepal Hazard Type: Earthquake Project Management: The National Society for Earthquake Technology-Nepal (NSET-Nepal) and GeoHazards International (GHI) Project Co-Directors: Mr. Amod Dixit, NSET-Nepal; Mr. Brian Tucker, GHI Project Co-Managers: Mr. Mahesh Nakarmi, NSET-Nepal; Ms. Laura Dwelly-Samant, GHI Project Design: Mr. Brian Tucker (GHI); Mr. Amod Dixit (SILT Consultant/NSET); Mr. Madhab Mathema (UNCHS); Dr. Richard Sharpe (Beca Worley) Date of Commencement: September, 1997