National Disaster Management Strategy (NDMS) 2022 – 2027.

This Disaster Management Strategy (NDMS) is a 5-year nationwide multisectoral document aimed at protecting communities’ lives and property from the impact of disasters and to an effective and efficient disaster risk-sensitive and responsive society for sustainable development. By developing this Strategy, the Government reaffirms its commitment to considering a holistic approach towards disaster risk management and humanitarian services, emphasizing working together with all stakeholders to develop and implement strategic, scientific, and innovative partnerships for community resilience. The Strategy (i) provides indicative actions relevant to sectoral plans, programs, and strategies in addressing key disaster risks, managing the humanitarian response, and implementing recovery measures for a more comprehensive disaster risk reduction culture having the development linkages; (ii) seeks to promote coherence between climate change adaptation, DRR, and sustainable development to prevent the creation of new risks and reduce existing and future risks; (iii) concentrates on multi–hazard, multi–sectoral and whole of society on disaster risk management for achieving resilience for sustainable development at all levels (national to village level).
The document outlines several specific objectives for disaster risk management: (i) enhance understanding of disaster risks; (ii) improve community resilience through disaster prevention, mitigation, and preparedness; (iii) enhance early warning systems for various hazards, prioritizing people's safety; (iv) strengthen disaster response capabilities and relief services; (v) ensure resilient recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts; (vi) increase financial investments and support from the public and private sectors; (vii) enhance governance of disaster risk management across all levels; (viii) integrate the needs of vulnerable groups and cultural diversity into risk management; (ix) implement established regional and international disaster risk management practices; (x) adopt a multi-sectoral approach to address environmental degradation and climate change for improved disaster resilience.
The Policy framework aims to achieve its main goals through various strategies. One key strategy is to improve understanding of disasters, involving assessments, hazard mapping, and a national database of losses. Raising public awareness and education about disaster risks is also important. To enhance disaster prevention and community resilience, the framework suggests integrating risk reduction into development planning and applying both physical and non-physical measures to reduce vulnerability. Community-led initiatives and localized innovations are encouraged. Improving early warning systems is crucial, involving monitoring, forecasting, and providing timely information to stakeholders. Additionally, stakeholders' capacity to understand and respond to early warnings should be enhanced. For recovery and reconstruction, the framework calls for thorough post-disaster assessments to guide planning. Recovery efforts should incorporate risk reduction measures and address underlying vulnerabilities. Supporting livelihoods, services, infrastructure, and the environment is essential, with a focus on sustainability.