Nepal disaster resilience second DPC with Cat DDO (NDRC): Annex - Climate change technical note

The World Bank's Nepal Disaster Resilience Development Policy Credit (DPC) with Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (Cat DDO) outlines key policy reforms and investment strategies to enhance Nepal's resilience to climate change and disaster risks. Recognizing Nepal's extreme vulnerability due to factors like its mountainous geography, weak infrastructure, and high susceptibility to floods, landslides, and earthquakes, the DPC focuses on strengthening Nepal's institutional and policy framework for climate adaptation and disaster risk management.

Key recommendations are as follow:

• Climate-resilient infrastructure: revising building codes to improve resilience in urban and rural areas, aiming to mitigate risks from earthquakes and floods.
• Decentralized disaster management: strengthening local governments' ability to access and manage disaster funds and ensuring timely disaster response.
• Early warning systems: expanding multi-hazard monitoring and partnerships with telecom providers to improve the coverage and reach of early warning systems.
• Public health adaptation: expanding health surveillance to monitor climate-sensitive diseases, addressing rising threats from vector-borne diseases due to climate change.
• Water management policies: integrating sustainable water management practices to protect against river-induced hazards and supporting data-sharing efforts across government agencies.