Stakeholders urge public-private partnerships for post-disaster integrated housing development

KATHMANDU: Stakeholders have emphasised the need to advance integrated housing development through public-private partnerships (PPP) for sustainable post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction.

This consensus was reached during a panel discussion on Saturday at the 9th Nepal Land and Housing and Construction Expo 2026 at Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu. Speakers stated that disaster risk reduction should be integrated with housing and urban development planning. The expo is organised by the Nepal Land and Housing Developers' Association (NLHDA) and the Nepal Land and Housing Developers' Federation (NLHDF), and co-organised by the Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) on the occasion of its 75th diamond jubilee.

During the event, Kathmandu Valley Development Authority (KVDA) Deputy Development Commissioner Prakash Aryal stated that risks must be identified prior to construction to minimise human and physical casualties from disasters. He noted the necessity of making risk communication and preparedness systems effective and linking the building permit system with the overall construction process. Aryal pointed out that a comprehensive integrated policy is required to manage settlement development along river corridors and in risk-prone areas, adding that disaster damage can be reduced by linking hazards, vulnerable populations, and property conditions with housing planning and investment.

Aryal also mentioned that despite the existence of building laws and codes, their effective implementation remains a challenge. Noting that electronic building permit systems are progressing at the local level, he highlighted the need to update building codes on time to account for seismic risks. To prevent natural disasters like the Rasuwa floods, he argued that integrated monitoring, early warning systems, and risk-sensitive planning must be incorporated into the construction system.

NCC Senior Vice President Deepak Kumar Malhotra stated that the housing and real estate sector requires business-friendly policies. He remarked that effective collaboration is essential, as the government formulates policies while the private sector advances investment and development. Malhotra pointed out that practical policy and legal provisions regarding apartment sales to foreigners and ownership transfers of common use areas in joint housing have not yet been fully managed. He suggested that the government and private sector collaborate to construct affordable housing for the middle class and flood victims.

Mentioning that approximately 240 industries are tied to the real estate sector, Malhotra stated that activities in this field positively impact everything from construction materials to the financial sector. He emphasised the need to advance housing development through a PPP model across all seven provinces. "The tendency to view everyone who invests in real estate as a land broker must change," he said, adding, "Since the economy runs on investment, a positive environment must be created for investment in the housing and infrastructure sector."

Architect Nabin Devkota from Society of Nepalese Architects (SONA) stated that implementation and strategic weaknesses, rather than a lack of policies, are the main problems in Nepal's housing and land development. He noted that standards-based housing development is necessary and that conflicts between various regulations are creating problems. Devkota pointed out that building codes lack uniform implementation nationwide, monitoring is weak, and malpractices in engineering approvals must be controlled. He emphasised the need to institutionalise the role of expertise in the building permit process, expressing that local authorities should not view building construction solely as a source of income.

Director of Kathmandu Institute, Architect Biresh Shah, stated that urban development requires the coordination of various subjects, including economics, community, culture, environment, geography, sociology, and architecture, rather than being viewed from a single perspective. He noted that planned urban development practices that began about 60 years ago in Nepal need modernising, warning that viewing only road and physical infrastructure as the basis of urban development could lead to long-term problems. Shah argued that the traditional knowledge and original styles of city development adopted by ancestors should be preserved, noting that foreign experts are attracted to study the 800-year-old practices of Nepali settlements.

Chairperson of the programme, Engineer Deepak Kunwar, President of the NLHDA, stated that settlements in risk-prone areas must be re-evaluated. Citing the increasing risk of glacial lake outbursts and floods, he urged the government to formulate a long-term plan for safe housing. He noted that safe housing development can be achieved by systematically utilising government lands located slightly away from vulnerable zones. He stated the private sector is ready to collaborate with the government on a non-profit basis to construct safe housing, taking into account risks in areas like Rasuwa-Trishuli.

Dr Mandip Subedi of Nepal Geotechnical Society (NGS) stated that priority should be given to the scientific study of soil and geographical conditions in reconstruction. He said the tendency to create standards only after massive loss of life and property must end, with a focus shifting to risk identification before a disaster strikes. He noted that while the hardware of infrastructure construction has succeeded, the inability to link this with software has led to a failure in integrated settlement development.

The programme was facilitated by Architect Pramila Shilpakar on behalf of Khwopa Engineering College (KhEC) and attended by experts and private sector representatives. The expo, operating from 16 to 20 September, features exhibition stalls from various companies and institutions related to housing, land, construction materials, technology, and infrastructure.