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- Strengthening Resilient and Green Education: Equipment Handover for Safer, Sustainable Schools in Kirtipur and Lalitpur
- Climate Change and Environmental Awareness Campaign held in Mahalaxmi Municipality
- Resource-person development program held focused on comprehensive school safety (CSS) including climate change and green school concepts
- International Symposium on Earthquake Risk Reduction in Himalayan Region held in Kathmandu
- Nepal commemorates 27th Earthquake Safety Day with the slogan: "Lessons from the Past Earthquakes: Resilient Structures and Better Preparedness!"
- USAID supports education system restoration in Jajarkot and Rukum West
- Symposium on “Lumbini’s Path to Disaster Resilience and Tomorrow’s Rapti” concludes with “Rapti Declaration 2024”
- Geospatial Information Management Workshop is underway at NSET
- Co-Creation Workshop on Update of Comprehensive School Safety Master Plan and Green School Guidelines held
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National Earthquake Safety Day National Meeting
Honorable Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Bamdev Gautam who leads the 17th Earthquake Safety Day Main Committee inaugurated the 17th National Earthquake Safety Day National Meeting by freeing the colorful balloons into the sky amidst a huge public gathering at Kirtipur Football Ground today.
Addressing the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Gautam emphasized that Nepal stands as one of the most earthquake vulnerable countries in the world hence the immediate urgency of reducing risks and also enhance preparedness at personal, family and community level. Honorable Mr. Gautam also pointed out the probability of unimaginable extent of loss when a massive earthquake strikes the country. Earthquake awareness is important but the implementation at personal level as well as realizing the urgency to act upon are even more important, he said.
On the occasion, Honorable Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD) Mr. Prakash Man Singh in his address simply put that the earthquake does not kill people but the poor infrastructures do. Honorable Mr. Singh highlighted that the disaster risk reduction efforts are required at every level starting from policy making at the top to the building code implementation at the local levels.
Honorable Minister Dr. Narayan Khadka, Ministry of Urban Development was very straight forward in his acknowledgement of the fact that people today are living in fear of loss due to uncertain but inevitable risk of earthquake. Honorable Mr. Khadka stressed the need of public preparedness, effective building code implementation for new constructions and retrofitting of existing infrastructures. Mr. Jamie Mc Goldbrick, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations, laid out specific earthquake risks faced by the country today. To overcome the risk, Mr. Goldbrick asked for earthquake preparedness to be perceived as personal responsibility, daily priority and long term commitment across the board. He also emphasized that although the government alone can do very little but it definitely can lead effectively to involve private sectors and not confine the movement into mere one day commitment.
Mr. Amod Mani Dixit, General Secretary and Executive Director, National Society for Earthquake Technology-Nepal (NSET) and also Member Secretary, 17th Earthquake Safety Day Committee stated that the day like this should encourage us to take an oath to spread the words of earthquake risk reduction, awareness raising and enhance preparedness for the safety of people, community, businesses and the nation as a whole.
Begun with the national anthem, one minute of silence was held to honor the departed souls from the past earthquake events. Mr. Dinesh Prasad Thani Coordinator, Chief and Executive Officer, Kirtipur Municipality and also Coordinator of Management Sub-Committee of 17th Earthquake Safety Day delivered welcome note.
In his remarks, Mr. Shambhu KC, Director General, DUDBC and also Coordinator of Publicity Sub-Committee, 17th Earthquake Safety Day thanked all the participants of the day and expected future cooperation on earthquake/disaster risk reduction issues at all levels. From the Chair, Mr. Surya Silwal, Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs requested creative cooperation and active support from all the stakeholders including government, businesses as well as communities throughout the country.
NATIONWIDE EARTHQUAKE SAFETY DRILL (Drop, Cover & Hold On)
Remembering the day from the Great Earthquake of 1934 and in an effort to penetrate the length and breadth of the country with a message to perform earthquake safe behavior, a Nationwide Earthquake Response Drill (Drop, Cover & Hold On) was observed at 2:24 PM for a minute. All the dignitaries including the mass in the audience performed the drill with minimal inconvenience. Meanwhile, an earthquake notification, one minute long siren was aired from various radio stations alerting the entire country to perform “Drop, Cover & Hold On” which has been worldwide accepted as immediate safe behavior to follow in the event of an earthquake. Following the earthquake drill, to demonstrate national solidarity on earthquake preparedness, the entire participants reiterated their commitment for personal/family/community safety as well as earthquake safe construction practices henceforth.
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