Working Paper

Nepal is a seismically active country that has experienced several devastating earthquakes in its history. The most recent ones were the 2015 Gorkha earthquake and the 2021 Jajarkot earthquake, which caused significant damage and loss of life. One of the main factors that contributed to the high vulnerability of residential buildings in Nepal was the lack of proper seismic design and construction practices. Therefore, it is essential to conduct a pre-earthquake vulnerability assessment of residential buildings in Nepal to identify the most vulnerable structures and to propose mitigation measures to reduce the risk of future earthquakes.

This working paper will presents a methodology for conducting a pre-earthquake vulnerability assessment of residential buildings in Nepal, based on the following steps: (1) selection of representative building typologies, (2) collection of relevant data on structural characteristics, materials, and occupancy, (3) development of fragility curves for each building typology, (4) estimation of seismic hazard at different locations in Nepal, and (5) calculation of expected damage and loss for each building typology under different earthquake scenarios.

The results of this study can provide useful information for decision-makers, engineers, and homeowners to improve the seismic resilience of residential buildings in Nepal.