7. Nepal Arrival and Flood Risk Reduction project

Between my last few days in Bangladesh and my first few days in Nepal, I flew on 5 different direct flights in 7 days.  While this causes me to cringe somewhat with the environmental impacts that I contribute to by doing that, it has permitted me to experience first-hand the nature of the projects we are supporting in those countries and speak directly (through interpreters) with the families and communities that these projects are actually all about.

When you think of Nepal, what images come to mind? I've always thought the Himalayas and Mount Everest, Yoga, peace and tranquility? This is my first time here and while my mental images are certainly part of the Nepalese experience, it is in reality a very complex society with numerous ethnicities that has experienced civil war and insurgencies for decades. It also consists of non-mountainous hot plains to the south-east which are extremely flood prone during the monsoon season, with a massive flood in 2016 resulting in shocking loss of life and property. Combine this with the devastating earthquake that hit the country in 2015, killing over 8 thousand people (even though it occurred at midday on Saturday) and that has seen the country in a process of rebuilding and recovery that will take many years and that is leaving many vulnerable families behind.  Indeed Nepal is the 8^th most vulnerable country to natural disasters in the world.

On my first day at the Habitat for Humanity (HFH) Nepal office, I was welcomed by an illustrious group of professionals with a wide array of disciplinary expertise, delivering a program in many geographical areas of the country, in the west, in the centre and to the east.  While HFH Australia’s support makes up only a fraction of the work being done in the country, they have been gracious in providing me with some understanding of their overall work, their changing political context and their plans for the future.

The same afternoon I was whisked away to fly to the south-east of Nepal where I spent the afternoon, completely inappropriately dressed, with a community who are being re-housed to build safer and more resilient shelter.  They gathered together to express their concerns about the coming monsoon and their eagerness to move into the new housing before it hits as their temporary houses will become flooded.

We also visited the community where HFH Australia had supported HFH Nepal in flood response in a rural community affected by the massive 2016 floods.  Temporary shelter was provided but families have been developing the housing to be more permanent fixtures.  This local woman has been so affected and pleased by the change she has seen in the community’s housing and progress that she named her son, with whom she was pregnant during the floods, as ‘Bikash', which translates as ’Development’ in English!

These kids really know how to have a good time!