From Policies to Practice: Governance Gaps in Climate and Disaster Reduction in Nepal’s Riverine Communities

Abstract

Background: Riverine communities in Nepal face escalating climate-induced disasters, yet governance gaps between national policies and local implementation remain poorly understood. This study examines how climate change and disaster risk reduction policies are translated into practice in the Kamala River Basin.

Objectives: We investigate (1) how riverine communities perceive and operationalize climate and DRR policies, and (2) the key disconnects between policy assumptions and local realities and what governance reforms are needed to bridge this gap.  

Methods: Employing a mixed-methods approach in two municipalities (Siraha and Dudhauli) of the Kamala River Basin (2024-2025), we collected household surveys (n=408), key informant interviews (n=21), focus group discussions (n=2), and conducted policy document analysis to explore social, economic, institutional, environmental, and infrastructural dynamics.

Findings: Policy awareness among communities is critically low: >70% of respondents are unaware of formal disaster response procedures, and <90% lacking knowledge of local disaster management plans. Municipal disaster budgets constitute only 0.01% of total expenditure, overwhelmingly directed to post-disaster relief rather than preparedness. Institutional coordination between the Ministry of Forests and Environment and Ministry of Home Affairs remains fragmented, with limited formal joint planning mechanisms. While national policies emphasize climate-resilient development and decentralization, implementation reveals weak localization, project-based donor-dependent financing, and exclusion of marginalized groups from planning processes.

Conclusion: Policy coherence at national level does not translate to community resilience without accompanying reforms in institutional coordination, financial decentralization, and participatory governance. Addressing governance gaps requires: (1) mandatory joint planning across vertical and horizontal institutions of governments, (2) predictable climate finance mechanisms ensuring 80% local reach as mandated, and (3) legally binding requirements for marginalized group participation in disaster planning.