Disaster Management Reference Handbook - Nepal (October 2020) Format EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Nepal’s geography, geological position, and the impact of climate change are the primary causes of disasters in the country. Rapid, unplanned urbanization and environmental degradation has further intensified the disaster risk in Nepal.1 As a result, Nepal is one of the most disasterprone countries in South Asia with earthquakes, frequent flooding, landslides and multiple hazards and disasters striking every year.2 In 2015, two powerful earthquakes hit Nepal, killing almost 9,000 people, injuring 22,000 others, and displacing hundreds of thousands more. Damages and losses are estimated at US$7 billion.3 The recent publication by the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) listed Nepal as one of the top 10 countries in the world in terms of disaster-related mortality. Nepal has been ranked at twentieth position among the countries in the world with regard to people affected by floods every year. Overall, floods and landslides make up almost 75% of disasters in Nepal, further creating a strong need for disaster management.4