Nepal Earthquake 2015-Shelter Cluster Nepal Position Paper-Housing and Settlements Recovery: The need for a support approach Version 1-June 2015

This document was prepared to consolidate discussions to date among shelter and housing actors, on emerging issues, shared concerns and priorities for recovery and reconstruction. It is intended to inform humanitarian shelter programming, early recovery initiatives and contribute to the longer process of planning for and supporting reconstruction and rehabilitation.

The 2015 Nepal earthquake has impacted the housing and human settlements sectors the most, revealing several vulnerabilities in the building stock. Rehabilitation and reconstruction will bring new challenges but also opportunities to address shortcomings, to increase skills, introduce improvements and contribute to greater household and community resilience.

The housing sector is not only the largest, but also among the earliest to start recovery activities as people take initiative to salvage materials, start repairs and new construction as soon as they have the means to do so. Rebuilding 600,000 destroyed and 250,000 damaged houses across a wide geography will involve a massive recovery effort, requiring policies and systems to achieve scale in social mobilisation, training, information, financing, materials and quality assurance.