Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA)
S.W. Nepal Pvt. Ltd. (Scott Wilson Nepal/SWN), carried out 22 VCA events in all the wards of Bhotekoshi Gaunpalika, Barhabise Nagarpalika of Sindhupalchok and Bigu Gaunpalika of Dolakha district under the Pratibaddha[1] project. The events were conducted in November and December 2021. The aim of conducting this assessment is to collect the historical timeline of different disasters, disaster prioritization, information on most vulnerable groups and the capacity/resiliency of each ward and its people to face future disasters. The information collected during VCA will be analyzed in the Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan (DPRP) of Palika.
People in Need along with its consortium partners Community Self Reliance Centre (CSRC), National Society for Earthquake Technology – Nepal (NSET), Scott Wilson Nepal (SWN), Durham University, and Northumbria University is implementing Pratibaddha: Risk-Informed Landslide Management in Nepal’s Hill Areas Project in Bhotekoshi Gaupalika and Barhabise Nagarpalika of Sindhupalchok and Bigu Gaupalika and Tamakoshi Gaupalika of Dolakha districts. The project is carried out with humanitarian funding from European Union.
[1] The project Pratibaddha stands for the official name of “Risk-Informed Landslide management in Nepal’s Hill Areas”

Ward office staffs, Health Post staff and local people of ward 2, Bhotekoshi Gaunpalika are preparing their wards’ vulnerability map. The map includes vulnerable settlements from different disasters, schools, roads, public buildings, settlements, temples, monasteries, open spaces and other buildings where people can stay post-disaster period.

Figure 2: Local people of ward 7, Barhabise along with Pratibaddha team members having discussions on different disasters and the vulnerability of the community.

Mr. Santosh Panthee, a Pratibaddha team member facilitating discussion on prioritization of different disasters based on their risk with local people of ward 4 of Bigu Gaupalika.

Listi-01, Bhotekoshi Gaupalika

Bulung-03, Bigu Gaupalika
Photos Source: Anish Khanal / Scott Wilson Nepal