Keywords
Nepal
Earthquake-resistant construction
Traditional building
Community resilience
How to Cite
Abstract
Nepal’s mountainous geography has historically fragmented its communities, giving rise to over a hundred languages and a diversity of vernacular architecture built from locally sourced materials such as timber, stone, bamboo, and earth. These traditional practices, supported by common resources and communal labor systems such as parma, produced earthquake-resistant, culturally authentic housing rooted in this land. Drawing on the author’s experience as founder of ABARI, a social enterprise dedicated to earth and bamboo construction, this essay presents case studies demonstrating that locally sourced, low-carbon materials can meet modern safety standards while restoring natural landscapes and cultural sovereignty.
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