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“...and long-lasting, to be cherished by Nepalese citizens and international visitors alike as was before the earthquake, for years to come. Further, tourism during the reconstruction period would continue to benefit local businesses such as hotels, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, and crafts stores.
The PDNA addresses loss to intangible heritage and recovery strategies in the forms of support for documentation and revitalization of culture traditions and crafts, particularly by working with youth and local communities.
One objective of this report is to provide a preliminary description of the damage and losses caused by the 2015 earthquake to Nepal's heritage structures. In view that tourism is a key economic driver for the nation's GDP, restoration of Nepal's renowned heritage is given special focus. This report provides an initial assessment of short, medium, and long-term intervention needs, adopting a "building back better" approach.
Pre-Disaster Context and Baseline
The Ministry of Culture...”
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“...created and published by the DoA. Most available records are in Nepali language and compiled in loose documents that are spread across various locations.
Carl Pruscha's "Kathmandu Valley, The Preservation of Physical Environment and Cultural Heritage: A Protective Inventory", published in 1975, is the most comprehensive record available to date and continues to serve as the prime source of information on the valley's built heritage. The two volumes provide location drawings and photographic documentation of over 800 buildings and sites in the valley that are of heritage value. This data is important for future restoration work.
Records of heritage structures in Nepal's districts are relatively scarce with the exception of data for major sites such as Lo Mantang, Gorkha, Panauti, and Nuwakot. According to undocumented sources within the DoA, there are approximately 1000 sites in the districts outside of the Valley that are classified in three categories of national, regional and local importance...”
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“...photographs to support their remarks. The compilation of a consolidated digital database consisting of systematic description of damage and photographic documentation is still pending.
Several UNESCO teams, including volunteers, conducted independent surveys of historic sites in the Kathmandu Valley. UNESCO contracted Kathmandu Living Labs, a private company based in Kathmandu that makes databases and mapping information available online through its open-source software. The initiative involves training volunteers with backgrounds in architecture, engineering, and art history to collect condition reports of monuments and historic houses in cultural sites quickly and easily using their smartphones. Data collected includes information about the site, type of structure, level of damage, photographs, GPS coordinates, and local contact information. The purpose of this documentation is to start an interactive map and database for the benefit of the Department of Archaeology, researchers, the general public...”
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“...for the event of another disaster it is important to complete this task as soon as possible.
Given the large amount of research and data input necessary the DoA might request the Ministry of Culture to authorize the hiring of additional staff and/or external experts and provide required funding support for the same. A clearly laid-out database program needs to collate baseline information of each site: i.e., exact location details including GPS data; photographic documentation; historic information; a brief description of damage suffered (if any); and a detailed needs assessment to support restoration planning. This database should be linked to other sources of information such as the DoA's own hand-written archive, Pruscha's 1975 inventory, and the "Living Apps" online database.
Creation of a comprehensive digital inventory of all museum collections
Most inventory records of Kathmandu's museums are handwritten, possibly incomplete and difficult to access. Only the Patan Museum publishes...”
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“...comprehensive documentation of all affected 694 historic structures with detailed information regarding the type and degree of damage. The master plan needs to state a clear sequence of and a rationale for implementation. Restoration activities should be distributed between all districts, cities, and sites as evenly as possible. In general, priority should be given to repair and restore damaged structures before tackling ground-up reconstructions. Attention needs to be given not only to sites on the World Heritage list but to other smaller and significant monuments as well.
Detailed project proposals, customized to the requirement of each building, need to address structural and seismic retrofitting solutions. Based on the analysis of how past restorations performed and how the particular building withstood the earthquake, DoA should seek the advice of international experts to develop methods for new earthquake resilient construction. The project plan should include detailed documentation of each...”
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“...assistance (working capital restoration)
Assessment Methodology
The methodology used for assessing the impact of the earthquake on the sector and developing recommendations included:
• The establishment of a baseline based on documentation and secondary data obtained from the Ministry of Industry (Mol), and Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS) and the private sector stakeholders (CNI, FNCCI, FNCSI, local Chambers of Commerce and Industries and local officials).
• The calculation of post-earthquake damage and loss data based on the baselines provide from different sources, including Mol, MoCS, various Departments, Central Bureau of Statistics, NPC, and others.
• A survey of four industrial estates located at Balaju, Patan, Bhaktapur and Hetauda were carried out to assess damage to structures and plants.
• Field visits to selected districts to validate quantitative data provided by sector stakeholders and to gather additional qualitative data: field visits were conducted in Makwanpur, Chitwan...”
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“...areas, minimizing disruptions in the availability of payment services. However, damage to the physical infrastructure of banks in the affected areas has been high, with 408 branches and 652 ATMs owned by Class A, B and C BFIs damaged, with the cost of damage estimated at about NPR 864 million. Despite this, most depositors have regained access to their accounts, which has been key in maintaining public confidence in the banking system. Outside the most heavily affected areas, payment systems were quickly resumed, remittances could again be received (and are reported to have increased significantly), and domestic and international trade flows were restored. NRB has also moved quickly to relax restrictions on the ability of BFIs to open new service points and to reduce documentation requirements for earthquake victims.
The restoration of services has been a remarkable achievement, given the serious physical damage to the NRB's headquarters (including its main cash distribution facilities) and...”
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“...affected districts records and files have suffered varying degrees of damages and loss.
The National Women's Commission and the National Dalit Commission structures have suffered damages. To ensure that these national GoN institutions are able to perform their essential work protecting some of the most vulnerable populations, their buildings should be assessed and supported.
The Nepal Police are also reporting significant damage to police stations and posts in various locations (16 different districts). A total of 92 police facilities have suffered some level of damage. It is not clear how many of these installations are rented and how many are actually owned by the Nepal Police. Even without static facilities police continue to provide law and order, and where needed, the Armed Police Force have deployed troops in tents.
The Nepal Bar Association (NBA) plays an integral role in ensuring access to justice along with the Ministry of Law and Justice. In a large number of districts, the Supreme...”
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“...groups.
Record Management
Short Term
The assessment of the damage to the records is being carried out by the assessment teams that the Ministry of General Administration has sent out. It is not yet clear the number of records that have been destroyed. With 178 VDCs fully destroyed, it is assumed that the number of VDCs lacking records will be higher than this. However, these are vital for the re-issuing of identity documents and the Government will reinstate those using consultations within the local community through the VDC Secretary. An urgent guideline should be shared with the districts on how to issue earthquake victim ID cards, re-issue citizenship documents, and re-establish vital events records and social security beneficiaries. This guideline should include using the ward citizen forums to assist in confirming the identity of individuals; additional temporary staff to assess land documents and provide new documentation; and working with the district technical officer as the ar...”
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