ABSTRACT
Earthquakes are an unavoidable part of Kathmandu Valley's future, just as they have been a part of its past. However, a large earthquake near the Kathmandu Valley today would cause significantly greater human loss, physical damage, and economic crisis than caused by past earthquakes. With the valley's burgeoning population of almost 1 1/2 million people, uncontrolled development, and a construction practice that has actually degraded over this century, the valley is becoming increasingly vulnerable to earthquakes with each passing year. Despite this growing risk, there is no organized approach to managing earthquake risk in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal's political, economic, administrative, and cultural capital. This plan begins the process of managing that risk. The purpose of this plan is to assist His Majesty's Government of Nepal, concerned agencies, and the municipalities in Kathmandu Valley to reduce Kathmandu Valley's earthquake risk over time by identifying, coordinating and focusing risk management activities. This document outlines objectives, strategies, and specific initiatives to fulfill this purpose. It also provides background information on Kathmandu Valley's risk from earthquakes, the current status of earthquake risk management in Kathmandu Valley, and the development process of this plan. Some topics discussed in this plan are summarized in: Kathmandu Valley and Earthquakes; Current responsabilities for earthquake risk management in Kathmandu Valley; How the plan was created; Implementation strategy; Initiatives to start now and More endosed initiatives
