Aid and Recovery in Post-Earthquake Nepal: Qualitative Field Monitoring November 2019
The Independent Impacts and Recovery Monitoring (IRM) project is a longitudinal mixed-methods study that was initiated immediately after the April-May 2015 earthquakes in Nepal to systematically monitor patterns of recovery and evolving needs over the longer term. This report, produced by Democracy Resource Center Nepal and The Asia Foundation, shares findings and analysis from the fifth round of qualitative monitoring conducted in November 2019, in four earthquake-affected districts. The findings presented in this report focus on housing recovery—including individuals or groups that have fallen behind in order to inform the remaining recovery efforts, continue to make disaster response effective and accountable, and feed into preparedness planning for future disasters.
This research observed much progress in reconstruction, with many new houses rebuilt, while progress in retrofitting remained slow. Progress differed between districts, municipalities, and settlements for multiple reasons, including geography and accessibility, the need for housing, access to markets, the costs of rebuilding, and access to assistance and financial resources. Generally, progress was faster in rural areas than in urban ones.
