The Government of Japan is extending financial assistance of US dollars 442,839 equivalent to approximately 50.36 million Nepali rupees, to SHAPLA NEER - Citizens’ Committee in Japan for Overseas Support - under the Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects Schemes. Shapla Neer, an international NGO based in Japan, will work with a Nepali partner NGO, Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN), to implement the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Strengthening Project in Chitwan District.

According to a press release issued by Embassy of Japan, a grant contract relating to this project was signed and exchanged on 5th February 2020 between Ambassador of Japan to Nepal Masamichi Saigo and Hiromi Katsui, Country Representative, Shapla Neer Nepal Office at the Embassy of Japan in Nepal.

The grant assistance will be used to strengthen community resilience to disasters in Madi Municipality, one of the flood prone areas, located in Chitwan District.

The project will work in close coordination with local government, stakeholders, and communities and undertake different activities including supports for capacity development of local government and communities, and establishment and maintenance of disaster reduction infrastructures.

The project plans to develop capacity of local bodies such as the Local Disasster Management Committees (LDMCs), Ward Disaster Management Committees (WDMCs) and Community Disaster Management Committees (CDMCs) on disaster risk reduction and facilitate the cooperation between these committees and other stakeholders.

It will also support the establishment and maintenance of infrastructure such as river widening, gabions and embankments as well as retention walls and drainage systems. The communities will maintain these structures in cooperation with the local government.

The Embassy of Japan in Nepal expects this project will contribute to improve DRR in the local communities in Chitwan District and will also be good practice for DRR in other districts in Nepal. This project will also contribute to the cordial friendship between the peoples of Japan and Nepal.