Sajag-Nepal

Nearly 1 billion people live in mountain landscapes worldwide. For many residents of these regions, living with the impacts of multiple hazards in mountainous regions, such as monsoon rainfall, earthquakes and landsliding, is a day-to-day reality. The impacts of these hazards are often exaggerated by systemic risks resulting from socio-political concerns, including fragmented government, rapid population change, and global geopolitical interests. As a result, these hazards have recurring and disproportionate impacts on some of the most vulnerable members of society.

In the Sajag-Nepal project, led by Professor Alex Densmore, we examine how to use local knowledge and new interdisciplinary science to inform better decision making and reduce the impacts of multi-hazards in mountain countries. We focus on Nepal, which experiences a range of hazards resulting from earthquakes and monsoon rainfall. Nepal is also undergoing complex social, political, and economic changes as it moves to a federal system of government. Our project is grounded within long-term community-based work with rural residents in Nepal, and reflects their articulations of the need to make better decisions to reduce the risks that they face. It also builds on experience of assessing and planning for earthquake and landslide risk with the Government of Nepal, the United Nations and other humanitarian organisations, and householders themselves.

The project recently co-produced some BBC media action videos: Adapting to landslides and floods in Nepal. You can find the project's YouTube channel here: Sajag-Nepal - YouTube.

Staff links

Prof. Nick Rosser https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/n-j-rosser/

Prof. Alex Densmore https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/a-l-densmore/

Dr. Mark Kincey https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/m-e-kincey/

Professor Marcus Power https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/marcus-power/ 

Photo: Marcus Power

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