Nepal Earthquake 2015 Building Back Better, Safer and Greener for a More Resilient Nepal

The Nepal earthquake in April 2015 and its aftershocks resulted in huge loss of life, injury, and economic damage. The estimated value of damage and loss was US$7 billion, a large proportion of it housing. Other sectors that require significant reconstruction include agriculture, education, roads, energy, tourism, industry, water and sanitation, and forestry. A rapid environmental assessment of the earthquake identified direct impacts, and also many potential risks to the environment from reconstruction. At the same time there is a great opportunity to build back not only ‘better and safer’ but also greener, ensuring healthy ecosystems for disaster risk reduction and natural resources for resilient livelihoods and economic development.