Finance Minister calls for realistic Bhotekoshi damage assessment
Summary
Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle has asked officials to make the Bhotekoshi flood damage assessment more realistic so the government can plan reconstruction and rehabilitation accurately. The National Planning Commission and the World Bank are preparing separate initial assessments that will be combined into a joint report soon.
Key Points
- Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle directed the National Planning Commission and the World Bank’s representative in Nepal to make the Bhotekoshi flood damage assessment more realistic.
- The government is reviewing separate initial assessments: the NPC’s Rapid Disaster Needs Assessment and the World Bank’s Global Rapid Damage Estimation.
- Damage has been categorized across social, productive, infrastructure and intersectoral sectors, including roads, bridges, hydropower, agriculture and debris management.
- The government plans to use the joint RDNA report to guide relief, investment mobilization, reconstruction and restoration work.
