Reconstruction assistance in rural Nepal after the 2015 Gorkha Nepal earthquake through Aarma Parmah approach - A case study in Bijulikot, Ramechhap District

Abstract

In the aftermath of the tragic 2015 Gorkha earthquake, the Government of Nepal invited International non-governmental organizations (INGOs) to support with highly needed humanitarian aid. Medair, a Swiss based INGO, arrived soon after, providing emergency relief and staying to aid in the reconstruction of private houses owned by vulnerable people in Ramechhap. Medair covered 1312 households in this region, providing technical assistance, quality assurance, and supporting the community in other ways required to accomplish the project. The Aarma Parmah approach which was already employed by the communities for agriculture was used for reconstruction purposes. The main objective of this paper is to describe how Aarma Parmah, a traditional and indigenous method of labour exchange, was successfully employed in reconstruction and how it was one of the main factors for finalizing the works on time and with a high quality. This research also investigated how Aarma Parmah supported in ensuring that no one was left behind and what were the effects on communal harmony and social cohesion as a result of following the Aarma Parmah approach in reconstruction. Medair, in association with local partner Community Development Society (CDS), designed and implemented the project using Aarma Parmah clusters at the centre. A series of surveys conducted during the project implementation and one additional survey a year after completion assessed the perception and satisfaction of the community regarding Aarma Parmah. The surveys were conducted using KOBO software to register the answer of the interviewees. The most relevant results obtained from the analysis are hereby presented. The project was successfully completed, mainly due to the Aarma Parmah approach which led to improved acceptance by beneficiaries, to overcoming financial obstacles and to reaching all families, effectively leaving no one behind. The knowledge of construction and build back better methodologies will be used to cope with future disasters and will be transferred to future generations.

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