Integrated Design and Planning Strategy for Flood Resilient Housing in Nepal

Climate change and continuous urbanization contributes to an increased urban vulnerability towards flooding. In Nepal, rapidly retreating glaciers, rapid rise in temperature, erratic rainfalls anthropogenic activities have increased the likelihood of floods. In June 2021, Melamchi bazar urban settlement in Nepal got struck by a massive flood where almost 350 houses submerged. The landslide on the upstream part of Melamchi River was reactivated by the prolonged rainfall and caused subsequent flooding which is a typical example of the cascading effect of multiple hazards in the mountains. Similarly, in July 2021, devastating floods affected several European countries causing deaths and widespread damages worth billions of Euros. Flood damage such as in Nepal and in European countries shows the need of adaptation strategies that would contribute in flood resilient housing and also shows the importance of urban planning. Design strategies such as Avoidance, Resistance and Adaptation present structural methods that can significantly reduce the damage. Furthermore, Nature-based solutions in urban areas where combination of Grey, Green and Blue infrastructure are merged to form a Hybrid intervention also presents a promising solution to prevent damage. This conceptual poster presents integrated approaches as framework for building design and planning for flood prone areas of Nepal. It concludes with design recommendations for resilience and scope for further research.

Keywords: flood-resilient planning; urban grey-green-blue space design; design strategies