Living with disasters: emerging of an ‘awaken’ generation of youth post 2015 earthquake in Kathmandu Valley
Abstract as pdf
Corresponding Author:
Shobhit Shakya
Tallinn University of Technology, Ragnar Nurkse Department of Innovation and Governance Estonia
shobhit.shakya@taltech.ee
Author(s):
As devastating natural disasters may be to life and the economy, it also represents nodes on the historical timeline significant in many ways. Natural disasters are war-like scenarios that often usher in economic progress and opportunities to achieve the political upper hand. The Earthquake of 2015 had a similar in Nepal with the political deadlock being broken and eventually, the Communist left being able to form the first two-thirds majority government in decades. On the ground level, things remained as broken as it was with failure towards any significant achievement in terms of long-term relief for the affected, implementation of changes and building in preparedness. But a realization was attained of the dire situation brought in by the worsening decay of the quality of life within the urban centre of Kathmandu valley. The rapid urbanization, the disappearance of green or open spaces, degradation of the environment, lack of integrity and incompetence of the government was all evident. An ‘awaken’ generation of youth thus emerged out of the ruins of despair left behind by the earthquake. A wave of activism was witnessed, which can be argued to have grown out of the remains of the old institutional blueprint of community participation; one that saw citizens as active agents in the governance of a settlement. It can be analysed that the emphasis of the activist movement is in continued resilience towards facing disasters, whether it be natural or those man-made.
Rethinking disasters and social change: Beyond hope and despair