In the wake of the earthquake April 2015, WCN launched an initiative that facilitated relief for communities affected by Earthquake. Of the fourteen districts affected badly by the earthquake, WCN focused its response to 4 districts (Rawua, Dhading, Kathmandu and Lalitpur) where it was already working on education and natural resource management components. The relief was through the support of working partners, personal contacts of WCN staff and board members from around the globe.

On turning a year of its collaboration with the local communities and school to rebuild better and smarter, WCN has strategized this program to organize, collaborate and network with grass-root community based groups to reduce their vulnerability to natural disaster and climate risks in rural and urban areas through smart nature based solutions. The program promotes risk reduction and resilience building practices, education and outreach on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and develop community action plans in cooperation with local government, duty bearers and offices. Should a natural disaster occur, it also support education and health systems to function at the earliest. The long term vision of the program is to develop resilient communities that are able to reduce the economic, social and cultural impacts from natural disaster.

Nepal is a hotspot for geophysical and climatic hazards. The country is relatively ranked very high in terms of vulnerability to natural calamities. The risk is believed to be increasing very rapidly mainly due to the growth in population, forest degradation and changing climate. Another major factor for the increasing risk is the lack of a favorable policy and legal environment commensurate with the present-day situation, needs, opportunities and resource availability.

Our focus is in Preparedness and Relief. Educating local communities on disaster and its impact and developing action plan is our priority in preparedness. While WCN has developed immediate, mid-term and long-term relief program for disaster prone areas.