Amina Maharjan, Ph.D.Livelihood Specialist (Migration), International Center for Integrated Montain Development (ICIMOD)

Rescue, relief and recovery post Gorkha earthquake in

Nepal – the role of migration

Migration Trend in Nepal

19931994 199519961997 19981999 20002001 2002200320042005 2006 2007200820092010 2011201220130

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

36052159

415818

527814

Year

Source: Department of Foreign Employment, 2014

Migration Trend in Nepal

Source: Department of Foreign Employment, 2014

Remittance Trend in Nepal

2003/04

2004/05

2005/06

2006/07

2007/08

2008/09

2009/10

2010/11

2011/12

2012/13

2013/14

2014/15

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Amount (in NRs. Billion) Remittance/GDP in %

Year

Am

ount

(in

NR

s. B

illio

n)

Rem

ittan

ce/G

DP

in %

Note – Figures for 2014/15 include for the first 8 months onlySource: (MoF, 2015)

Methodology

Focused Group Discussion

Interveiw with key stakeholders

Interview with people

Damage cause by the earthquake

District Death Injured

Destroyed Infrastructure

Total houses (Census

2011)

Private houses

Govt. buildings Health

facility schools

Sindhupalchowk 3557 1,569 60,042 66636 747 97 546

Nuwakot 1109 1,050 55,456 79762 29 99 485

Q1. Impact on rescue & relief measuresImpact on rescue measures

• Negative impact on the speed and efficiency of rescue.• Migrant households more vulnerable vis-à-vis non migrant

households.• Rescue impacted by proportion of trapped people in

community, organizational capacity and isolation of households.

• Social network (formed by migration) was helpful in rescue efforts.

• Rescue of household assets most affected by lack of youth.• Desperation leads to breaking of gender taboos

Q1. Impact on rescue & relief measuresImpact on relief measures

- Access to government relief support: difficulties faced due to lack of documents.

- Access to other support: difficulties faced as they have not sufficient members to carry stuff.

+ Social network: a lifeline for access to relief

+ The stronger and wider the network, quicker and better access to relief support.

QQ2. Thoughts, plans and strategies in rebuilding of assets and livelihoods?

Voices from the field “those households who have businesses,

remittances, salaries jobs would rebuild their house in a couple of years but those

without income source other than farming will have

no option but to either migrate themselves or wait

for their children”

QQ2. Thoughts, plans and strategies in rebuilding of assets and livelihoods?

“How long can you live in the temporary shed? One has to build at least a small house. You do not save enough here to finance building a new house. So now I have no option but to go back again.”

QQ2. Thoughts, plans and strategies in rebuilding of assets and livelihoods?

Migrant households:• Households with multiple

remittance sources and overseas migrants with good income have positive outlook

• Overseas migrants with low wages and India migrants not so positive

• Returnees planning to leave again

• Older migrants in dilemma

Non-migrant Households:• Households with limited

land holding, limited off farm income and daily wage laborers not very positive.

• Many households thinking of migration.

Q3. Labour demand for recovery and utilization of social remittances?

• Labour shortage reported immediately after the earthquake.

• Rise in demand for skilled construction sector labour.

• Opens up new opportunity for skilled returnees and seasonal migrants to India.

Conclusion

• DRR plans need to consider the skewed population dynamics.

• Awareness on the need to leave documents home.

• Easy transfer of remittances.

• System to collect data on acquired skills of returnees.

• Promoting low cost migration options.

• Skill development for women

Supported by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) and Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC)

Thank you