Process In Nepal Research Articles

Environmental study delays in Nepal: A comparison with India and Bangladesh and policy recommendations

This research examines the environmental approval process in Nepal and compares it with those in India and Bangladesh, focusing on the time taken to complete the assessment of environmental study reports. The study conducts three levels of analysis. First, the policy review outlines all relevant environmental policies and laws, highlighting key provisions related to approval timelines. While not every step of the environmental study process has a mandated time frame, the legal time limits for report forwarding and approval are explicitly defined. Second, statistical analysis reveals a significant discrepancy between the statutory and actual approval times. While the legal mandate is just 35 days for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), assessing a report actually takes 339 days on average. The trend line reveals that the average time taken is decreasing. However, it is still much higher than India’s average EIA approval time of 64 days. Third, through a comparative analysis of eighteen different components of the environmental assessment process, this paper identifies the possible factors contributing to the delays, such as ambiguous jurisdiction, lack of nodal agency, lack of integrated guidelines, high centralization, and no use of e-governance. This paper also compares the thresholds that trigger the environmental study across eight sectors for three countries and finds that Nepal’s thresholds are narrower than India’s and comparable to Bangladesh’s. Recommendations made include clarifying jurisdictional roles, developing integrated guidelines, establishing specialized nodal agencies, and implementing digital systems. Overall, this research attempts to address flaws in Nepal’s environmental assessment system, offering solutions for efficient environmental regulation and improving the business environment in Nepal.

Changing Caste Relations in Mudkhu Bhanjyang: An Anthropological Overview

This article attempts to analyze the changing caste relations in recent years in Mudkhu of Tarkeshwor Municipality of Kathmandu. Nepal has been declared a Federal Democratic Republic State; the political transformations have been made. Through a transformative process in Nepal, many existing social norms and patterns have been changed and some others have been reformed. With changing conditions of social structure and cultural practices, the Nepali caste system is also being changed. The rigidity of the caste system is changing. Due to various reasons and efforts flexibility is being taken place against caste-based discrimination in society. In recent decades, the structure and the functioning of the caste system and its economic and social aspects have greatly changed. There is an increase in class consciousness and a decrease in caste consciousness. It is, perhaps, because of the educational system, modernization, changing livelihood strategies etc.

Ultraleftism to Missary of Commoners: Case of Victims of Sexual Violence During Insurgency

A decade-long armed conflict resulted in the prevalence of survivors of sexual violence in Nepal. The survivors include those who sustained physical and/or mental harm and social distress due to sexual violence or having such family members. The insurgency launched by the then CPN (Maoist) in 1996 was an act of ultra-leftism. The victims of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) are being deprived of justice even after a decade and a half without realization of the agreed transitional justice process as per the Comprehension Peace Accord (CPA). Despite the examples of good practices that exist globally, the CRSV survivors in Nepal have not been acknowledged adequately as a crucial facet of the conflict resolution processes neither in any peace dialogue nor in the CPA and peace-building initiatives pursued afterward. Findings concluded that the conflict resolution processes so far do not mean anything to them as they have neither been part of nor benefited from the claimed ‘peace-building initiatives’in Nepal. This article has revealed that the situation is worrying sum as leaving the survivors behind does not simply lead to failure of the conflict resolution process in Nepal. In explaining PMPD Bhandari states that the communist party can resolve any problem with the help of people amidst the political and organizational works without imposing the security forces. Therefore, while illustrating the severity of incidents and concerns of CRSV survivors, the article has drawn the attention of all stakeholders to ensure the effective participation of the CRSV survivors’ and integrate their issues and concerns into peace-building processes.

The Transitional Justice Process of Nepal: National and International Dimensions

Transitional justice is an evolving discipline for academics and researchers. It is the full range of processes and mechanisms associated with a society’s attempt to come to terms with a legacy of large-scale past abuses, to ensure accountability, serve justice and achieve reconciliation. The transitional justice process of Nepal aims to address the humanitarian consequences of the non-international armed conflict that Nepal went through from 1996 to 2006. International law-human rights and humanitarian law-governs the transitional justice process together with domestic laws. The transitional justice process in Nepal is an issue of concern to the international community as well. It is now an element of Nepal’s diplomatic intervention in various platforms and fora. Nepal is struggling to find an appropriate modality of transitional justice. This article has been prepared primarily based on desk research-consulting relevant publications, websites, positions of the stakeholders-and diplomatic representations of the Government of Nepal. It updates the readers on Nepal’s initiative on transitional justice and argues that it falls within the wider scope of Nepal’s foreign policy.

Promoting Urban Farming for Creating Sustainable Cities in Nepal

This paper responds to the research question, “can urban farming in Nepal help create sustainable cities?” Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, urban residents have begun to realize that food transported from long distances is not always reliable. Urban farming can help produce fresh food locally and help urban residents become self-reliant by engaging in healthy eating habits and practicing sustainable agricultural techniques in food-desert areas, while creating a positive impact on the environment through regenerative agricultural methods. In doing so, urban farms can help the growers save on food expenditures and even earn some additional income, while also improving air quality and minimizing the effects of urban heat islands. This practice also helps reduce greenhouse gases through plant carbon use efficiency (CUE), as vegetation carbon dynamics (VCD) can be adjusted while supporting the circular economy. As urban lands command higher prices than agricultural land, urban farming usually happens on residential yards, roofs, balconies, community gardens, and dedicated areas in public parks. Rainwater harvesting and redirecting can help irrigate urban farms, which can be part of rain gardens. The national census of 2021 identified that 66% of Nepal’s population lives in urban areas. However, the World Bank (2018) showed that only 21 of Nepal’s population was projected to live in urban areas in 2021. It is not debatable that the urbanization process in Nepal is on the rise. Thus, urban agriculture can play an important role in supplementing residents’ food needs. Many cities in Nepal have already successfully adapted to urban farming wherein residents grow food on their building sites, balconies, and rooftop, often growing plants in pots, vases, and other types of containers. The UN-Habitat, with the support of the European Union and local agencies, published a rooftop farming training manual (2014), showing the feasibility of urban farming in Nepal. This paper discusses how public-private partnership (PPP) can promote urban agriculture and make the process more effective and attractive to urban-farming households. It also analyzes how a PPP approach also facilitates the use of better technology, advisory support, and use of research extension activities. This paper draws on a literature review, uses remote-sensing imagery data and data from National Census Nepal 2021, and the authors’ professional experiences related to best practices in the areas to analyze the benefits and challenges related to urban farming both in Nepal and Arizona, USA. The paper provides recommendations for Nepali cities to maximize the benefit provided by urban farming. It is expected to be useful to Nepali policymakers, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations which promote sustainability, and organic farming with a sustainable supply chain.

Fulbright Project Experience in Nepal: Promoting Effective Teaching Practices and Active Learning for Student Success and Faculty Development

This presentation outlines my project experience as a Fulbright Teaching/Research Scholar in the Institute of Engineering- Tribhuvan University, Nepal. My project and the institutional collaboration in Nepal were mainly related to sharing tools and techniques on effective teaching practices, and active learning, with a focus on training effective teaching practices and exploring their impacts on the teaching and learning process in Nepal. University educators of Nepal were hosted with interactive presentations and workshops on these topics. In addition to these presentations and workshops, great experience of mentoring teaching faculty, co-advising research projects/thesis works and attending education forums were also gained. Faculty survey outcomes reveal the importance of workshops for faculty development and student success. Project experience including its challenges, and opportunities will be discussed in this presentation.
 This project was funded by the U.S. State Department- Fulbright program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, hosted by the Institute of Engineering (IOE), Tribhuvan University, and was supported by West Virginia University, West Virginia University Institute of Technology and the United States Educational Foundation (USEF), Nepal.

The Maoist Insurgency and Peace Process in Nepal

The Nepalese civil war, or People’s War, was the result of stalled peace negotiations between the democratic government and the paramilitary wing of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). Nepal's first decade of democracy is considered turbulent due to frequent government changes, internal party battles and corruption. Politics continued to be dominated by the Brahmin and Chhetri castes with an underrepresentation of ethnic minorities and women. Nepal Communist Party Maoist said that the insurgency began to fight against the 250 years long monarchy, deeply rooted economic & social discrimination & prejudices, Feudal system and against all kinds of injustices & inequalities prevalent in the society.

The Position of Marginalized Groups in the Elite Captured Local Level Planning Process in Nepal

The participatory planning and budgeting process at the local level encourages citizens to participate in the selection, implementation, and management of development plans. Over the last few decades, the elite captured planning process in Nepal is criticized for being unfair to the marginalised groups. This paper, through a critical qualitative assessment of the local level planning process, explored the role of political actors and the marginalised communities in the local level decisions. It adapted the Weberian idea of power networks where elites can implement their will, even against the will of others. It revealed that the influence of traditional political elites - i.e., Panchas – has shifted to the newly elected or selected political elites, the neo-elites, represented by the local leaders including elected Mayors, with some exceptions. The neo-elite control in the local planning process is as strong as it was in the past despite there being progressive provisions in the constitution, laws and systems. The distribution of plans among influential leaders, bhagbanda, is widely practised at the local level. As a result of these progressive provisions and the follow-up of the seven-step planning process, the neo-elites started consulting with the representatives of the marginalised communities in planning-related decisions. It is recommended that the political parties re-orient the neo-elites to be pro-people. Neo-elites who are inclusive, and follow the progressive laws and the formal systems of the nation, are to be prioritized.

Sustainable Political Leadership Based on System Thinking in Rural Development Practices of Nepal

The sustainable political leadership based on system thinking is a highly qualified skillful political leadership on sustainable development administration on rural development practices of Nepal. This paper analyses the quality of sustainable political leadership based on system thinking in overall sustainable rural development application and process in Nepal and its empiricisms. It also presents the national and international context of leadership, system thinking and sustainable development and their contemporary debates and issues. Methodologically it is an empirical literature review on sustainable development, system thinking and leadership for Rural Development and its practices in Nepal. In conclusion, in Nepal social inclusion, justice, and equity; economic and ecological balance and good governance in a basket of rural development is essential phenomena for sustainable political leadership based on system thinking. The real practices of the ideas of social inclusion, justice, equity; economic and ecological balance and good governance to increase productivity of sustainable political leadership is to be more important. However, these types of practices on sustainable political leadership based on system thinking are insignificant, qualities and practices both are low. The national and international importance and urgency of sustainable political leadership based on system thinking are increasing to maintain sustainability governance from local to global level.

Translating evidence into policy: opinions and insights of Health Researchers and Policymakers in Nepal

BackgroundThe Evidence-Based Policymaking (EBP) process in Nepal is rife with poor practices where often policymakers are portrayed as perpetrators for such practices. However, we need to think of the EBP as a two-sided coin where both research pull and research push play equally significant roles. This study aimed to assess the perception of Nepalese health policymakers and researchers on EBP and identify appropriate mechanisms to integrate evidence into policies.MethodsFollowing the constructivist philosophical paradigm, qualitative research design was used in the study with the grounded theory approach. Purposive sampling was performed, and the 12 in-depth interviews were conducted, where number of interviews was finalized using saturation theory. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated to English, coded line by line, and then developed into themes. Thematic analysis technique was used to manually analyze the data.ResultsStudy participants highlighted that evidence is being utilized during policy formulation but not in the amount it should be, with a preference for anecdotal evidence further reducing the chance. Apart from these barriers, poor credibility of information obtained, poorly targeted dissemination, inadequate policy-based researches, and policymakers and researchers operating within the spheres of their own with a feeble link to channel the flow of information between them were identified by participants. On the other hand, the publication of one-pager research brief, conduction of nationally representative surveys especially quantitative studies, the practice of cost-effectiveness study, and policymaker’s involvement during the research were some facilitators identified.ConclusionsMoreover, the study accentuates that better communication strategies such as the establishment of formal forums with policymakers and researchers, better-targeted dissemination, and identification of priority areas have wide potential to promote a unified front of health policymakers and researchers for EBP.

Employer Engagement in Curriculum Making Process in Nepal: Meaningful or Cosmetic?

The engagement of employers in the education system is interpreted on the assumption that it enables a student to enhance the knowledge according to the market demand. This helps to furnish students with skills and knowledge directly relevant to generating employment, familiarize the workplace environment, and reduce the constraints in transitioning from learning to work. The partaking of employers in curriculum preparation not only supports to increase the involvement of employers but also helps to prepare the market-based curriculum. More so, stakeholder participation in TVET curriculum preparation is crucial. However, employer engagement in the curriculum making process, in general, has been a neglected agenda. Against this backdrop, we examined the level of employer engagement in TVET curriculum making process in Nepal. We interviewed 79 individual national employers asking their level of participation in curriculum making process. Among the participants, four were further interacted to understand the reason for minimum participation. The employers, on the one hand, shared that their participation is just for participation to fulfil the requirement provisioned by law. On the other hand, they also said their inputs rarely incorporated in the process even if they had involved in the curriculum design phase. In this sense, the participation of the employer in the curriculum-making process has become cosmetic in practice rather than desired and meaningful.

Inclusion of the poor and vulnerable: Learning from post-earthquake housing reconstruction in Nepal

The poor and vulnerable people are the most affected in any disaster and find recovery extremely challenging. After the 2015 Nepal earthquake, the need for inclusive and targeted policy provisions and socio-technical facilitation was well identified. Nepal's post-earthquake housing reconstruction is world's largest owner driven reconstruction program under which nearly 700,000 houses are being constructed. This paper examines policies, and implementation mechanisms for ensuring social inclusion in this post-earthquake housing reconstruction process in Nepal, specifically examining provisions and delivery mechanisms for finance, land, design and technology for addressing recovery needs of the most vulnerable houseowners in terms of achievements, effectiveness, and challenges of implementation. The paper uses mixed methodology and is informed by the primary survey data of 26,912 houseowners in eight municipalities of the Gorkha district and overall reconstruction data from National Reconstruction Authority and other relevant sources of the Government of Nepal. Data is analysed and interpreted to gain insights on the specific issues of the poor and vulnerable. Top-up grant assistance and subsidized loan scheme have not yet benefited the vulnerable households despite the policy provisions. At the same time, housing reconstruction process in Nepal has helped a significant number of landless households get ownership of homestead land, which is a remarkable achievement. Shift in building typologies needs to be deliberated in context of affordability, sustainability and disaster risk reduction in the future. While policy provisions are the first step for the inclusion of the vulnerable, the desired outcome is difficult and challenging to achieve without enabling environment for their own agency and targeted socio-technical facilitation. Experience of post disaster housing reconstruction in Nepal strengthens our understanding of ‘owner driven reconstruction’ to make it more inclusive.

Exploring Teachers’ Experiences on the Nature of Mathematics based on their Curricular and Pedagogical Practices: A Phenomenological Inquiry

The school mathematics curriculum development process in Nepal is still conventional. Contextualized mathematics teaching and learning has not been the priority of school education of Nepal. Majority of the school mathematics teachers in Nepal still conceptualize the mathematics and mathematics curriculum from the conformist approach. Thus, this paper aims to explore mathematics teachers’ experiences on the nature of mathematics focusing on their curricular and pedagogical practices based on the research question how mathematics teachers experience the nature of mathematical knowledge during their curricular and pedagogical practices. Ernest’s and Luitel’s nature of mathematical knowledge has enabled me to evaluate teachers’ experiences towards the nature of mathematical knowledge and Habermas’s theory of knowledge constitutive interest has guided the research for knowledge and implied others’ concept. The study has relied on the phenomenological approach and reflected the experiences of four mathematics teachers. The paper concludes that mathematics curriculum guided by emancipatory interest as well as practical interest promotes counter-hegemonic vision of teaching and learning mathematics and might develop critical consciousness. Critical consciousness embedded mathematics curriculum helps students and teachers to unpack the cultural nature of mathematics education and taken-for-granted assumptions about teaching and learning through critical pedagogy.

Deployment of Hydropower in Nepal: Multiple Stakeholders’ Perspectives

Nepal could rely on its huge renewable energy potentials to meet its energy demand sustainably. Also, renewable energy sources are considered by several national policy makers and international organizations as an engine for socio-economic development of the country, which can provide access to electricity to everybody and stimulate economic activity and economic growth. Several efforts were taken by the national government to stimulate deployment of renewable energy electricity generation capacities. However, the country is still not able to cover its energy needs with renewable energy despite decades of efforts for their deployment. The assumption of this research was that uncertainty in energy policy and planning gaps in Nepal are connected with the dominance of a limited number of discourses and ignorance of other voices which might be helpful. Nowadays, evidence exists that a multi-stakeholder and multi-sector perspective is extremely important for sustainable development. We provide evaluation of various perspectives, including technical, social, economic, environmental, and political. We collect empirical data in frames of a comprehensive stakeholders’ process in Nepal. The stakeholders’ preferences are analyzed through various methods of decision support sciences such as multi criteria decision analysis. To fast track hydropower development, the government has classified them into five categories based on their generation capacity. Assessment of each category and their collective comparison on multiperspectives has never been tried. Hence, such an assessment leading towards their prioritization is the objective of the study. It may help to identify a suitable strategy or policy to maximize national benefits. The study carried within the framework of five alternatives (categories) of hydropower schemes and nine different hydropower perspectives applicable in Nepalese context. The scoring method based is on secondary source evidence is applied for assessment. The study ranks medium schemes (25 to 100 MW) as best in Nepalese context.

Why Political Appointments to Truth Commissions Cause Difficulties for these Institutions: Using the Crisis in the Transitional Justice Process in Nepal to Understand How Matters of Legitimacy and Credibility Undermine Such Commissions

Abstract Over five decades and with dozens of examples of truth commissions to look back on, an undeniable aspect of their legacy is that the world has become far more focused on dealing with the past and uncovering the truth about past atrocities. While there is typically a focus in the literature on the more widely publicized and famous truth commissions, scores of other processes have taken place, especially since the 1990s. Post-conflict or divided societies have designed institutions in ways that achieve specific objectives but at the same time conform to international standards, creating a reputation of being both democratic and accountable. Using the prism of Nepal, this article examines why the process to establish transitional justice mechanisms, and specifically truth commissions, needs to be legitimate and credible for them to be effective and be impactful. It specifically examines issues relating to appointments to such institutions and why such appointments need to be done independently and not overtly politically. It scrutinizes why appointment mechanisms and processes are so important to enhancing the legitimacy and independence of such bodies. The case of Nepal is used as an example to extrapolate conclusions about the problems that affected its processes, and the various crises that have emerged in those processes. The article argues that commissioners ought to be chosen on the basis of their impartiality, moral integrity, and known commitment to human rights and disclosure of the truth. This is essential to ensure that the process is seen to be independent and credible.

Evaluation of Emergency Medical Team Coordination Following the 2015 Nepal Earthquake.

After the Nepal earthquake in 2015, for the first time, the Emergency Medical Team Coordination Cell (EMTCC) was activated. This study aims to evaluate the emergency medical team (EMT) coordination in the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake in 2015. This is a retrospective study that (a) describes the coordination process in Nepal, and (b) reviews and analyzes the EMT database in Nepal to classify the EMTs based on the World Health Organization (WHO) EMT classification, an online survey for EMT coordination, and the Geographic Information System-analyzed EMT distribution. We recorded 150 EMTs, which included 29 Type 1-Mobile, 71 Type 1-Fixed, 22 Type 2, 1 Type 3, and 27 specialist cell recorded EMTs including the military team. The EMTs were allocated based on the number of casualties in that area. The Type 1 EMTs were deployed around Type 2 EMTs. The EMT Classification is useful for the effective posting of EMTs. However, the method of onsite multi registration has room for improvement. The WHO should provide an opportunity for EMTCC training for better coordination of disasters.

Development Policy Process in Nepal: A Critical Analysis

The article analyzes the development policy, agenda sources, policy formation, implementation, and evaluation process of Nepal. The description of policy agendas, role of the National Planning Commission (PSC) as development policy agency, trend of planned development approach in Nepal its review target achievements and discussion of identified problems of development plans are also the contents of the article. It further explains the explored problems and ideas to solve them in a complete development policy process Nepal. The article examines the level of social justice analyzing whole development policy process of Nepal along with the interpretation of policy agency through the lance of power sharing based on thematic analysis of data. The article has concluded that the current development policy process is centralized, top-down and elite dominated in a old tendency which is not compatible process to federal structure of Nepal. The reformation of this old tendency through inclusive, bottom-up approach and deconstruction of centralization with insurance of multi-dimensional meaningful participation and ownership development to the concerned stakeholders in all levels is the way of solution. The reformation is necessary in both policy agency institutional structure and policy process of development, such as:, agenda setting, situation analysis, alternative selection, policy adoption, and implementation with due monitoring and evaluation process for the bright future of Nepali peoples.

Jurisprudence of Law and Governance: A Reference of Nepal

Good governance, transparency and fair procurement are the basic features of effective governance system. The word “governance” came from the Latin word ‘Gubernare’, and Greek word ‘Kubernaein’, which means to steer. In fact, it is the operation of various organ of the state effectively and efficiently. It also refers to corporate governance system. Governance is the structures and processes that are designed to ensure organizational goals effectively and efficiently. There various types of governance i.e. public governance vs. private governance, global governance vs. local governance, good governance vs. bad governance, central governance vs. state governance vs. local governance, Plato’s Governance (Aristocratic governance, timocractic governance, plutocratic governance, democratic governance and despot governance), Aristotle’s Governance (aristocratic governance, monarchial governance, polity governance, oligarchy governance, tyranny governance and democratic governance), democratic republic governance vs. People’s Republic governance, centralized governance vs. decentralized governance, participatory governance vs. non participatory governance, and devolved governance vs. federal governance etc. All the jurisprudence from Plato to Postmodern movement focuses on good governance. However, the issues of good governance have been changing over the period of time. As transparency is also the basic part of good government system, it is associated with right to information. In fact, transparency, legitimate procurement, rule of law, separation of power; corruption free society, predictability, and natural justice etc are the basic indicators of good governance system. Government procurement should be free and fair. Impartiality and fair dealing in procurement is also highly expected. Government procurement is made through direct procurement, sealed quotation and tender whereas selling of public goods is made through public auction systems, which are accepted for transparency and good governance. Government has extractive capabilities, regulative capabilities, distributive capabilities, corrective capabilities, special protection capabilities, international capabilities which needs good governance. These capabilities of government shouldn’t be misused. Jurisprudence never thinks that there can be corruption. However, it is the common but prohibited phenomena across the globe. If there are high levels of discretionary power to authority, there can be the chances of higher degree of corruption. So, the discretion to authority is necessary to reduce. For Transparency International, corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. There are different types of corruption i.e. grand corruption, political corruption, corporate corruption, administrative corruption, petty corruption, and systemic corruption etc. Constitution of Nepal, 2072 BS (2015 AD), Good Governance Act, 2064 BS (2008 AD), Local Government Operation Act, 2074 BS (2017) etc. are applicable laws for good governance in Nepal. Article 27 of the Constitution of Nepal, 2072 BS (2015 AD), Right to Information Act, 2064 BS (2007 AD), and Right to Information Rules, 2065 BS (2009 AD) are statutory measures of Nepal for transparency and right to information. Public Procurement Act, 2063 BS (2007 AD) and Public Procurement Rules, 2064 (2008 AD) are the legal measures to regulate and control government procurement process in Nepal. Public Procurement Monitoring Office prepares the standard of procurement and looks at the process of procurement of other public agencies. Nepal Restructuring Authority is working in crucial construction of Nepal which follows procurement law of Nepal. The Prevention of Corruption Act, 2059 (2002 A.D) and Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority Act, 2048 (1991) are the principal legislation in Nepal to curb corruption. Nepal is also the members of UN Convention against Corruption, 2003. Corruptions of public officials are investigated by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA). There is also the National Vigilance Center to look after the incidence of corruption by public authority, which is under Office of the Prime Minister of Nepal. In fact all the legislation and delegated legislation are issued for the purpose of good governance. Specialization in knowledge of human resource is made for good governance. Bad governance and misuse of power are the greatest sins, which are the crimes against general people.

Gender inclusiveness in disaster risk governance for sustainable recovery of 2015 Gorkha Earthquake, Nepal

Disaster impacts vary in two distinct stages including immediate and long-term impacts. The current disaster management practices focus mainly on immediate search and rescue overlooking long-term disaster impacts. This study explores the neglected gender sensitive aspect particularly women's roles and participation during disaster recovery, gaps in gender inclusive disaster risk governance framework, and attempts to highlight the current needs for sustainable recovery of the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake. The study uses a mixed-methods approach and examines the historical Kathmandu city and Sankhu town which were severely affected by the 2015 earthquake. By employing household surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, field observation, and literature review, the study found that understanding of the gender sensitivity in post-disaster recovery was oblivious among the Nepalese community due to lack of knowledge, traditional patriarchal culture, awareness and exposure. Further, the unfavorable political situation, limited capacity and policy implementation failures to gender inclusiveness have been the biggest challenge for post-disaster recovery. The findings have implications for the ongoing recovery process in Nepal and other least developed countries engaged in disaster risk reduction.

Atomised and Subordinated? Unpacking the role of International Involvement in ‘The Local turn’ of Peacebuilding in Nepal and Cambodia

The local turn debate sometimes falls into the trap of romanticising the local, while vilifying international involvement in peacebuilding. Although this post-colonially informed argument makes immediate theoretical sense, there is a dearth of empirically driven comparative research which explores whether, and if so how, an international presence actually influences local peacebuilding efforts. In order to address this research gap, the present article sets out to study the execution of local peacebuilding programmes in two relatively similar cases where one (Nepal) has enjoyed little international peacebuilding presence, while the other (Cambodia) has seen a massive influx of international actors and funding in its peacebuilding endeavour. Our empirical material indicates that international support for the local peacebuilding process in Cambodia has bolstered it, while the locally owned process in Nepal has been far from successful in forging the conditions for sustainable peace. To fathom why these particular outcomes have occurred, however, the full answers are unlikely to be found by merely scrutinising whether the peacebuilding processes have been primarily internationally or locally driven. Instead, we suggest that peacebuilding outcomes are better understood by studying situated practices.