16 Oct Inclusive Resilience in Action: WHDRRP at the 5th National Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction 2026
“Resilience Starts at Home” — but It Becomes Truly Inclusive When No One Is Left Behind
The Women Humanitarian and Disaster Risk Reduction Platform (WHDRRP) team actively participated in the 5th National Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, held on 13–14 October 2026. As part of the conference, WHDRRP facilitated a dedicated session on “Inclusive Resilience: GEDSI, Psychosocial Wellbeing, and Leaving No One Behind.” Furthermore, the WHDRRP Bagmati Province Coordinator presented on Holding Centre Management from a GEDSI perspective.
Key Highlights of the Session
Resilience begins at home
Panelists emphasized that resilience is not only about safe housing or disaster preparedness, but also about ensuring that every family member has the right to live with dignity and security. True inclusivity requires families to be sensitive, practical, and responsive to the diverse needs of all members, ensuring no one is left behind.
Case discussion – Rasuwa Flood
The panel reflected on the inclusivity challenges during the Rasuwa flood response, highlighting lessons learned and areas for improvement in ensuring equitable support for all affected groups. A practical example was shared: there are toilets for men and women in holding centres in Nuwakot, but for the LGBTQI community, which toilet should they go to? Secondly, a blanket approach for people with disabilities faces life-saving challenges, as they cannot run even if they receive timely notifications of a flood — they would not know where to go, which is uphill and which is downhill. So intersectionality has to be well considered in recovery.
Psychosocial wellbeing
The importance of psychosocial counselling was underscored, with emphasis on confidentiality, accessibility, and the urgent need for such services in disaster contexts.
Voices of senior citizens
Experiences shared by older persons revealed gaps in current support systems and stressed the need for tailored interventions to address their specific vulnerabilities.
Protection Matters
Protection is a shared responsibility that must be integrated into all stages of disaster risk management, including preparedness, early warning, evacuation, holding centre management, relief distribution, recovery and resilience-building. The session highlighted that protection is not the responsibility of the Protection Team alone; it requires recognising and addressing the different risks and barriers faced by women, girls, children, persons with disabilities, older persons, Dalit and other marginalised communities, gender and sexual minorities, and people in geographically isolated areas. Panelists stressed that assistance must protect life, dignity, privacy and physical safety, while ensuring that response activities do not unintentionally increase risks, create dependency or exclude certain groups. The discussion also emphasised safe, confidential and survivor-centred responses, informed consent, appropriate referrals, safeguarding, child safeguarding and the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA). Meaningful participation of affected communities, particularly women, persons with disabilities, older persons and marginalised groups, is essential to ensure that their voices inform risk assessments, preparedness plans, evacuation arrangements, service design, recovery priorities and monitoring systems.
Commitments and Reflections
Each panelist made personal commitments to integrate the principle of “leaving no one behind” into their work.
The session concluded with the moderator’s statement:
“Resilience starts at home. However, resilience at home is not only about having a safe house or preparing for the next disaster. It is about recognising that people experience risks differently because of gender, disability, age, caste, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and location. A resilient society is one where everyone is listened to, every person’s needs and capacities are recognized, and every affected person has a real space to participate in decisions that affect their safety, dignity, and recovery.”
Key Takeaway
Resilience becomes truly inclusive when women, persons with disabilities, gender and sexual minorities, older persons, children, and marginalized communities are not only beneficiaries of assistance, but also leaders and decision-makers. As Nepal moves from emergency response to recovery, it is critical that policies, plans, budgets, and programmes reflect diverse realities, address intersectional inequalities, and invest in resilient livelihoods.
“Resilience starts at home – but it becomes truly inclusive when no one is left behind.”
Storytelling Session
The storytelling session, “Holding Centre (Emergency Shelter) Management through a GEDSI Lens: Reflections from the Rasuwa Flood Response 2026,” presented by the Province Coordinator of WHDRRP Bagmati Province, highlighted critical lessons from the management of temporary holding centres during the Rasuwa floods. Drawing on field observations, the session illustrated how emergency shelters must address not only immediate relief needs but also the protection, privacy, dignity, accessibility and psychosocial well-being of displaced people. Particular attention was given to the challenges faced by pregnant and lactating women, infants, adolescent girls, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, and families experiencing loss and trauma. The discussion highlighted gaps in private sanitation and menstrual hygiene facilities, child safeguarding, disability-inclusive arrangements, safety monitoring, and culturally appropriate psychosocial support. It emphasized that protection, inclusion and meaningful community participation must be integrated from the very beginning of an emergency response, rather than addressed after relief distribution. The key message was that a holding centre should be more than a temporary place to stay; it must provide a safe, accessible, dignified and inclusive environment for everyone affected by a disaster.
Panelist, Facilitator, and Moderator Profiles
Facilitator — Ms. Krishna Karkee
DRRM and CCA Expert; Advisor and Founder Chair, Centre for Disaster Management Studies (CDMS); Founder of WHDRRP. Over two decades of experience in DRR, humanitarian response, and climate action across Nepal, Bangladesh, and Yemen. Finalist for the WIN DRR Excellence Award, Asia-Pacific.
Moderator — Ms. Malati Maskey
GEDSI Lead, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Nepal; Advisor to WHDRRP. Leads protection programming under the Bhotekoshi Flood Response Programme. Expertise in protection mainstreaming, psychosocial wellbeing, and DRR.
Panelist — Ms. Bebi Shah
GEDSI and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Expert with over 23 years of experience in GBV, protection, inclusion, and psychosocial counselling across Nepal.
Panelist — Ms. Julie Gurung
Programme Quality and Innovation Director, Plan International Nepal. Over 20 years in programme strategy, GESI, DRR, climate resilience, and SRHR.
Panelist — Laxmi Ghalan
Co-founder and President, Mitini Nepal. Over two decades of LGBTQI+ rights activism advancing equality, dignity, and social justice.
Panelist — Professor Dr. Mahesh Banskota
Professor, Kathmandu University School of Arts; former Deputy Director General, ICIMOD. Expertise in regional development, environmental management, and public policy.
Panelist — Ms. Meena Poudel
Chairperson and Co-founder, Nepal Disabled Women Association (NDWA). Over 20 years advancing gender equality, disability rights, and disability-inclusive DRR.
Panelist — Deepika Aryal
WHDRRP Bagmati Province Coordinator; Program Coordinator, RAIN Program at CSRC. Working in DRR since 2015 with focus on GEDSI, anticipatory action, and community resilience.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.