Localizing Seismic Resilience: An ultimate Journey across Bureaucratic Ambiguities

Abstract

Tearfund Nepal designed and piloted an integrated and comprehensive capacity development package for safer housing construction to address the National Building Code (NBC) implementation gaps at local level in a more pragmatic and collaborative way.

Through a genuine localized approach and excellent demonstration of the outcome, the approach not only demonstrated its excellence, but also persuaded the government to adopt the whole approach. The whole process was an illustration of the struggles of humanitarian leadership in engaging with authorities to explore possible alternative approaches in localizing pre-existing building standards more efficiently and effectively. This has also outlined an innovative advocacy approach in wisely handling policy level strategic ambiguities in the middle of a disaster response.