Fostering recovery through stakeholders-community collaboration in post-earthquake recovery in Nepal

The roles of stakeholders from governmental and non-governmental sectors and groups within the communities have been praised as facilitators for effective response and recovery. However, various stakeholders involved in post-2015 Nepal Earthquakes' recovery initiatives reported challenges in understanding the changing community needs and developing trustable relationships with people resulting in low levels of community engagement. This study examines stakeholders' opportunities and challenges when engaging local people in implementing recovery projects with social capital lenses by analysing interactions between multiple stakeholders and disaster-affected communities. The research used a qualitative method, including 23 semi-structured interviews with representatives from government agencies, NGOs, community organisations and volunteers involved in different initiatives toward post-earthquake recovery. The findings from this study present multiple scenarios of community-stakeholders interactions creating opportunities and barriers for people-centred recovery. Even though gender equity remains a contentious issue, acknowledging the nature of stakeholders’ relationships with disaster-affected communities and their roles in promoting community leadership and inclusion creates trustable connections that enable long-term engagement and build resilience beyond disaster recovery. Understanding these complexities is crucial in undertaking community-based disaster management initiatives, promoting long-term community engagement and fostering resilience beyond disaster recovery.