Pregnant women and new mothers who feel totally powerless are taking their own lives in increasing numbers in Nepal. More mental health training for local midwives is needed.
Reconstruction progress in Nepal has been painfully slow. Building code compliance and better urban planning are a must – but inequitable access to resources undermines recovery.
Remote mountain regions are closer to the climate problem than we think, particularly in the context of safeguarding essential ecosystem services such as safe and adequate water.
New research shows the earthquake that struck central Nepal in April this year was only a partial rupture of the fault line, meaning another strong quake could be due in future.
While some operators have prematurely suggested it’s safe for tourists to return, Nepal’s recovery from the earthquake has barely begun. In the longer term, though, tourism will be vital to this process.
Politics in Nepal will hinder relief and recovery efforts following the earthquake and its aftershocks. But look at it the other way around. Could the disaster help to resolve political problems?
Following the earthquake in 2010, people flocked to Haiti to “rescue” orphaned and lost children. The problem that has since emerged is that many of the “orphans” placed in orphanages and sent for adoption, were not orphaned at all.
The massive temblor not only resulted in thousands of deaths, it also caused economic damage that will likely equal more than half of Nepal’s entire GDP.
Heather Hindman, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts
The relationship between Nepal and the international development industry has long been difficult. But the work of Nepalese youth groups gives grounds for hope.