Nepal’s rich cultural heritage is woven into the fabric of everyday life. From the temples and palaces in Patan Durbar Square to the small alcoves holding devotional statues nested on busy streets all over Kathmandu, Nepal’s unique architectural and cultural heritage is recognised worldwide. This remarkable heritage is not only part of what makes Nepal a popular travel destination, but also something that needs to be properly protected, maintained and preserved, so that future generations can enjoy it as much as we do today.
US support
For over two decades the United States has actively supported efforts to preserve cultural heritage sites across Nepal by restoring and reinforcing them, and in the process, mitigating the impact of potential natural disasters and contributing to the tourism potential as well as the sustainment of livelihoods based in traditional crafts such as stone carving and wood working. The United States Government’s Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) has already invested over $2.2 million in 19 different projects. These efforts include seismic strengthening of major cultural heritage sites throughout Nepal, including sections of the Patan Royal Palace which survived the 2015 earthquakes largely intact. This strengthening proved effective, and presents a way forward for better protection of Nepal’s cultural heritage sites.
The United States Embassy is pleased to have forged a unique partnership with Miyamoto Global Disaster Relief—a US-based nonprofit organisation, to implement our latest Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation project. The $700,000
grant will repair the Gaddi Baithak in Kathmandu Durbar Square and improve the palace’s structural safety and resilience to earthquakes. The Gaddi Baithak is a location of cultural significance for Nepalis
and a symbol of Nepal to the world. I am proud that we will be a part of its restoration and hope that it serves as a symbol of our commitment to continue cultural preservation in Nepal.
As the earthquake damage to historic monuments in Nepal demonstrated, cultural heritage needs a place within every nation’s and every community’s integrated emergency preparedness and response plans, where it is often overlooked. Over the past several decades, communities and governments worldwide made progress in developing preparedness and response plans for public health and safety emergencies and myriad natural disasters, including earthquakes. Historic buildings and other types of cultural heritage are the backdrops of our lives and tell the story of where we come from. They must be a part of the plan.
Traditional techniques
Architects, engineers, and seismologists are looking directly into the damaged and ruined historic buildings in order to understand why certain buildings survived the earthquakes and others collapsed. In their search for answers, they have made important discoveries and expanded our knowledge of the structural strengths and limitations of traditional Newari and other architecture indigenous to the
