Local Governance, Human Security and Remaking of Society in Nepal

Abstract

The interplay between politics and socioeconomic development is a central concern in comparative politics. This study extends this tradition into the realm of disasters, focusing on local governance in Nepal. The devastating 2015 earthquake led to profound socio economic changes in the affected districts, including physical destruction unleashing complex challenges affecting the society and well being. In the aftermath, Nepal introduced a new constitution and successfully held local, provincial and federal elections, bringing new political leadership to the local level after a two-decade gap. The study primarily revolves around examining local governance approaches in address in ghuman security concerns, assessing the post-disaster governance impact on institutionalizing human security and exploring the way local government initiatives contribute to remaking of society, exploring the multifaceted challenges and opportunities in disaster governance after the seismic event. This dissertation defines the remaking of society as the restoration of the disaster-affected community in a manner that reduces perceived human insecurity, ultimately improving the living conditions of those affected to a level equal to or better than their pre-disaster state. Employing a qualitative research approach, the study utilizes an exploratory and analytical research design. The qualitative technique has allowed the study to explain the comprehensive causes and relations among the human security and remaking of society. This study examines the important theoretical relations based on the elite analysis and new institutional ism, with special focus on the four local governments namely Dhulikhel and Namo buddha Municipalities, and Bhumlu and Roshi Rural Municipalities of Kavrepalanchowk district. The dissertation utilizes both primary and secondary data, and the case studies, interviews and observations for multidimensional analysis. The findings of the study include the mixed yet critical role of elites and institutions in local governance approaches. The arrangement of laws, policies and programs significantly influences the addressing of human security concerns, while coordination and local empowerment remain under-prioritized. The study also reveals that fragmented policy and legal framework at the federal level hampers the institutionalization of human security at the local level. Feeble institutional practices, such as insufficient disaster incident reviews, acking accountability and transparency, inadequate monitoring and evaluation, and ineffective subject committees, further obstruct the institutionalization of human security. Notably, the 2017 local elections marked a turning point in formalizing human security issues, as local levels began adopting similar initiatives in democratic governance, participation, inclusion, transparency and accountability. Despite some progress in areas like private housing recovery, social cohesion and cultural preservation, significant gaps remain in disaster risk reduction, livelihood retrieval and service restoration. The persistence of perceived human insecurities within communities, even years after the earthquake, points to deep-rooted issues hindering societal remaking.The analysis of local government initiatives highlights the complexity of addressing human insecurity, necessitating comprehensive interventions that encompass socioeconomic factors such as livelihood improvement, economic diversification and income generation, along side physical reconstruction. The study emphasizes the importance of a synergistic relationship between proactive elected elites and institutions in aligning local needs with technical expertise for successful post-disaster recovery. Ultimately, the dissertation asserts that successful post-disaster remaking of society depends on robust local disaster governance with a central focus on human security, providing a valuable contribution to the political science discipline for the effective recovery in the face of disasters.