Case study: A catalyst for strengthening local governance in Nepal

The Municipal Disaster Risk Governance Assessment (MDRGA) Tool empowers municipal authorities to review the current status of disaster risk reduction and management governance, identify and take action on needs and priorities. The tool is a resource developed out of a partnership between IFRC, the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA), as well as through codesign and review by the Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) platform partners and other stakeholders.

This case study outlines the development and endorsement of the MDRGA tool, and presents four ways in which the tool has supported municipalities in strengthening disaster risk governance:

1. Supports a paradigm shift towards proactive risk management before, during and after disasters.
2. Leads to prioritization of DRM in local plans and budgets.
3. Promotes shared responsibility and collective action.
4. Encourages the appointment of DRR focal points and motivates investment in increasing public risk awareness and strengthening community organization.

This work was led by IFRC Disaster Law and supported by the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance.

2025_Nepal_MDRGA_Case study

2025_Nepal_MDRGA_Case study_NEP