INVESTING IN FUTURE GENERATION : THE SCHOOL EARTHQUAKE SAFETY PROGRAM OF NEPAL

An improvised vulnerability assessment of about 1100 buildings of public schools in Kathmandu Valley, undertaken by the Kathmandu Valley Earthquake Risk Management Project (KVERMP), revealed that none of the surveyed school buildings complied with the requirements of the prevailing seismic code of Nepal. The school buildings have a variety of problems in terms of structural design, materials quality, poor construction methods, and also those due to old age. Opinions differed in terms of the possibility of improving seismic safety in public schools of Nepal: many opted for demolition and new construction. The National Society for Earthquake Technology – Nepal opted for a comprehensive strategy that incorporated concepts of a) incremental safety, b) seismic retrofitting using locally available materials and skills, c) community participation in safety improvement of public schools, d) capacity building, and e) awareness raising. Accordingly, NSET started in 1999 the School Earthquake Safety Program (SESP), which demonstrated the technical, social and cultural feasibility of structural intervention in existing public buildings for improving seismic performance. Since then, SESP has grown much in concept and contents, and is generally regarded as one of the most successful earthquake risk reduction programs of Asia.