Kathmandu – Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that Nepal can build a safer future if the nation prioritizes disaster-resilient infrastructure and long-term preparedness.

Speaking at a memorial event at Dharahara on Friday to mark the 10th anniversary of the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake, PM Oli highlighted that earthquake-prone countries around the world have managed to minimize casualties by adopting resilient construction standards.

“Earthquakes happen around the world—not just in Nepal. But in many places, such disasters pass without major damage because infrastructure there is built to withstand them,” Oli said. “Instead of rebuilding homes after they collapse and kill people, we must ensure they don’t collapse in the first place. That’s the path to a safe Nepal.”

The Prime Minister urged the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) to strengthen proactive planning and preparedness measures. He noted that Nepal, while free from oceanic disasters such as tsunamis or hurricanes, faces growing threats from glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and other climate-related hazards.

“We must also focus on mitigating risks from glacial lakes, like those in Thame. Even if a glacial burst occurs, settlements downstream should be safeguarded from destruction,” he said, stressing the importance of climate-adaptive infrastructure and community-level disaster planning.

The remarks come amid rising concern over urban vulnerability, particularly due to rapid and unplanned urbanization in the Kathmandu Valley. Experts have warned that without strong building codes and risk-reduction strategies, Nepal’s cities remain highly exposed to earthquakes and climate disasters.

The 2015 Gorkha Earthquake, which killed nearly 9,000 people and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes, remains a stark reminder of Nepal’s seismic risks. Ten years on, reconstruction progress has been significant, but disaster experts say long-term resilience requires stronger policies, enforcement of safety standards, and climate adaptation.

Internal Links

• 2015 Gorkha Earthquake: A Decade of Lessons for Nepal

• Urban Planning and Disaster Preparedness in Kathmandu Valley

• UNDRR – Disaster Risk Reduction Framework

• World Bank: Building Resilience in Nepal

• IPCC Report on Climate Change Risks