Amina Maharjan, Livelihood Specialist and reseracher at HI-AWARE, presents on the impacts that migration has on rescue and relief for communities in Sindhupalchowk and Nuwakot districts in Nepal.

1. 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

2. Migration Trend in Nepal
3605 2159
415818
527814
0
100000
200000
300000
400000
500000
600000
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Year
Source: Department of Foreign Employment, 2014

3. Migration Trend in Nepal
Source: Department of Foreign Employment, 2014

4. Remittance Trend in Nepal
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Remittance/GDPin%
Amount(inNRs.Billion)
Year
Amount (in NRs. Billion) Remittance/GDP in %
Note – Figures for 2014/15 include for the first 8 months only
Source: (MoF, 2015)

5. Methodology
Focused Group
Discussion
Interveiw with key
stakeholders
Interview with
people

6. 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

7. Q1. Impact on rescue & relief measures
Impact 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

8. Q1. Impact on rescue & relief measures
Impact 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.

9. Q2. 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”

10. Q2. 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.”

11. Q2. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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

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