1. Asiri D Vitharana and Manjula Lankanath, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka.
Confronting the challenges and barriers to community participation in Post Disaster
Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (PDRR) Process : A Study of Kathmandu, Nepal.
Introduction
Disasters are hazardous events, which affect communities in such
adverse ways that essential social structures and functions are
disrupted. In order to mitigate the impact and recover the community
back in to normal life style, post disaster rehabilitation and
reconstruction (PDRR) should be successfully implemented. The
recent natural disaster in Nepal has significant impact on the
communities in Nepal, as they are more vulnerable to disasters within
its developing context. The Nepal government has announced to
rebuild all the damaged structures of the individuals, public
institutions, infrastructures and the heritage sites devastated by the
earthquake, yet, the processes used by government and other key
recovery agencies to interact with communities are critical due to lack
of community participation which further has challenge the successful
PDRR process
Hindrances for community mobilizations
Research Question
Methodology
Sampling:
The sample for the self-
completion
questionnaire and semi
structured interviews
were selected by using
purposive sampling
(non- probability
sampling).
Logos
A number of issues limiting active participation of
community in PDRR process were identified.
major barriers to communities' participation
in Katmandu, Nepal:
• the lack of opportunities with proper
PDRR process. PDRR process was not
effective and efficient, as many needs of the
communities were not addressed.
Other challenging factors, which hinders the ability and power of the community
1. Corruption,
2. ack of accountability,
3. the lack of good management from the government,
4. Lack of information,
5. lack of manpower
6. the cast system
7. self oriented community attitude
 respondent indicated that they feel responsibility towards the society, yet there are no much ways
to support or get involved with.
 Most of the community members agreed that communities should come together for the
rehabilitation and reconstruction process and they are willing to be involved in the PDRR process.
possible contributions of community participation for PDRR process :
1. Lobbying: as a means of participating to decision making process and providing and accessing information
from the community to government and vice versa.
2. Encourage owner driven process in post disaster situation which is known as bottom up process
3. Improve the recognition of community capabilities and needs.
4. Empower local Action and integrate local and community leaders for effective and efficient PDRR
process.
5. Contribute to reduce corruptions (accountability and transparency) and maintain community assets.
Acknowledgement
Thank you to the CPDS Programme, Tribhuwan Univerity and my research supervisor Prof: Hem Subeedi,
my research assistants and all staff members of CPDS Nepal! Thank you University of Ruhuna for the given
opportunity.
What are the challenges and barriers to community participation
in Post Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (PDRR)
Process in Nepal ?
Mixed Design
Study Area:
1. Katmandu district,
Nepal; Basantapur
(ward no 23 and 24) in
Katmandu metropolitan
city
2. Sakhu (ward number 9
and 11), in Sankapur
municipality.
Research
Instruments:
1. Questionnaire
survey (QS),
2. Semi Structure
Interviews (SSI),
3. Non Participant
Observation
(NPO).
67%
33%
0%
Sakhu
47
%
40
%
13
%
Basantapur
56%
37%
7%
Total
Yes
NO
Don't
Know