How has the legacy of the Nepalese 1996-2006 People's War and transition to a federalist state shaped contemporary disaster risk governance arrangemen

Nepal is grappling with post-conflict challenges deriving from the 1996-2006 People's War. The slow and uneasy
transition from a centralised autocratic state to a federalised democracy has dominated politics and governance for over
two decades. In this context, disaster risk governance arrangements are being formulated, such as the 2019 National
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. Complicating matters are contradictions within the Constitution over
responsibility for disaster risk at federal, provincial and local levels. Normative approaches to disaster research routinely
circumvent post-conflict governance issues. This thesis will address notable gaps in scholarship to reveal novel insights
into Nepal's contemporary disaster risk governance arrangements. The overarching research question is: How has the
legacy of the Nepalese 1996-2006 People's War and transition to a federalist state shaped contemporary disaster risk
governance arrangements? Sub-questions (a) How was disaster risk managed during the 1996-2006 People's War? (b)
What role did disaster events play in relation to the Maoist insurgency and changing patterns of conflict? (c) How has
Nepal's transition to a federalised state shaped contemporary disaster risk governance arrangements, specifically the
Authority? Situated within geography discipline, this thesis will generate original mixed method analysis, presenting a
unique contribution to scholarship on the intersection of disasters and conflict.