Gender-Responsive Disaster Risk Reduction in Nepal: Challenges and Opportunities for Environmental Peacebuilding

Riyaz Karki, Hiroshima University (Nepal)

Nepal’s diverse landscapes from Himalayan peaks to fertile plains face frequent disasters, including earthquakes and floods, which disproportionately affect women due to social and economic barriers. Despite progress in disaster risk reduction (DRR) policy, gender considerations remain peripheral. This study examines the gender responsiveness of Nepal’s DRR policies, the challenges faced by women and how societal norms shape their preparedness, response, and recovery. It explores gendered participation in DRR initiatives, access to resources, and decision-making. Guided by environmental peacebuilding and intersectionality frameworks, the research situates disasters as both risks and opportunities for cooperation, while recognizing overlapping vulnerabilities related to caste, ethnicity, age, disability, and economic status. Based on interviews and focus group discussions in two disaster-prone provinces in Nepal, the study advances the scholarship on environmental peacebuilding by integrating gender considerations. The study concludes by offering practical policy guidance, positioning gender-responsive DRR as vital for fostering resilience, equity, and social harmony in Nepal.