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Restoring Cultural Heritage after the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake
A significant milestone was commemorated – ten years since the devastating 2015 Gorkha Earthquake. ‘A Decade of Rehabilitation: Reflecting on the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake’, brought together key institutions dedicated to cultural heritage reconstruction. Organized on 25 April 2025, by the Department of Archaeology, with support from UNESCO, Bhaktapur Municipality, and the Oriental Cultural Heritage Sites Protection Alliance (OCHSPA), the programme was held in close collaboration with Changunarayan Municipality, Lalitpur, and Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
Honorable Badri Prasad Pandey, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, inaugurated the event at Bhaktapur Durbar Square, with special remarks from mayors and deputy mayors from Kathmandu Valley and a member of parliament. During the inauguration, guests unanimously reaffirmed their commitment to building more resilient communities by placing cultural heritage at the heart of development and fulfilling their duties and roles as duty bearers.
Following the inauguration, the programme continued to explore, with in-depth sessions involving how municipal officials from the Kathmandu Valley support to strengthen and drive recovery efforts, including enhancing disaster preparedness for cultural heritage sites, improving information management, supporting systematic research, promoting traditional materials and craftsmanship, and strengthening first responder training.
The 2015 earthquake inflicted significant damage on our cultural heritage, but its gradual restoration is rebuilding our hope and confidence in our ability to overcome this challenge. Recognizing Nepal's vulnerability to earthquakes more than many other nations, I appeal to all levels of government to prioritize proactive disaster preparedness to minimize future losses.
During his opening remarks, Honorable Badri Prasad Pandey, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, emphasised the great potential of Nepal’s cultural and natural heritage.
The commemoration also provided an opportunity for the third meeting of the International Scientific Committee for the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Property. The meeting featured presentations on progress, key learnings, and recommendations highlighting successful restoration efforts, challenges faced, and strategic directions for future heritage preservation initiatives. Site managers, along with national and international heritage experts shared insights on a wide range of topics, from initial emergency response and reconstruction to disaster risk reduction of cultural heritage, community resilience and roles, rescue archaeology, post-earthquake recovery status, and integrated management frameworks for the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site.
Heritage preservation is our shared responsibility. Today's dignified gathering is also a collective pledge to preserve the glorious history of our heritage and to pass it on to future generations.
Following the discussions from the two-day event and the International Scientific Committee for the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Property recommendations, a capacity-building workshop on the historic urban landscape approach and conservation management planning in the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site will be held on 27 and 28 April 2025.
The commemoration also provided an opportunity for the third meeting of the International Scientific Committee for the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Property.
Today marks an important milestone in our collective journey of recovery but also highlights the strength and resilience of Nepalese in the face of severe challenges. Amid devastation, communities displayed remarkable resilience, uniting to rescue and restore.
Jaco du Toit, UNESCO Representative to Nepal, praised the efforts of the Government of Nepal, who led recovery efforts through strategic initiatives, achieving significant progress in restoring and rehabilitating damaged cultural heritage.
Sustaining the momentum, this series of activities calls for continued collaborative action to preserve the Kathmandu Valley's cultural heritage through the diligent implementation of the International Scientific Committee for the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Property recommendations. In line with the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, UNESCO’s enduring support to the Government of Nepal and to local governments in strengthening the capacity of key stakeholders involved in cultural preservation remains central to these efforts.
