NCC launches disaster risk reduction handbook, proposes temporary shelters

KATHMANDU: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has launched an awareness and collaboration drive for disaster risk reduction with the release of a Disaster Risk Reduction Aid Handbook.

Prepared under the leadership of the NCC, the handbook covers pre‑preparedness, response planning, rescue management and the construction of temporary shelters to mitigate damage from earthquakes, floods, landslides and soil erosion. It was produced in collaboration with Nepal Emergency Shelter and Disaster Prevention Education Aid (Nepa), the Institute of Crisis Management Studies, and the Event and Venue Association Nepal.

The booklet contains practical guidance on precautions to take before a disaster, measures to adopt during an event and steps for post‑disaster rehabilitation, the NCC said in a press statement.

The chamber has also advanced a proposal to build temporary shelters in partnership with local party palaces and private structures, citing a lack of immediate safe shelter during disasters. The initiative is intended to provide timely safe spaces for disaster‑affected citizens.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, NCC President Kamlesh Kumar Agrawal said the collective responsibility of the state, private sector and community is essential for building a safe future. Agrawal said the NCC is taking initiatives by prioritising disaster risk reduction as part of its social responsibility.

“Developing countries like Nepal are suffering the most from the adverse effects of climate change,” he said, and urged plans and programmes centred on the communities and people most affected by disasters. He warned against false and misleading information that spreads during disasters and severely impacts rescue and relief efforts.

The NCC said it will continue such initiatives to advance the private sector’s role in public safety, connecting business activity to the protection of society and citizens rather than limiting its focus to economic pursuits.