From Centralized to Collaborative Governance: Analyzing the Proposed Institutional Reforms for Nepal’s Building Regulation

https://doi.org/10.46610/JOCCE.2025.v011i03.003

Abstract

The 2015 Gorkha earthquake devastated over 1.8 million structures in Nepal, exposing the profound implementation failures of the National Building Code (NBC) despite its existence since 1994. This paper analyzes institutional reforms proposed in Nepal’s 2022 National Framework, advocating a shift from centralized, ad hoc processes to collaborative governance through a Nepal Building Standards Council (NBSC). Through comparative policy analysis with the U.S. International Code Council (ICC) and India’s Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the paper benchmarks the NBSC against global best practices. The model aligns well with key pillars dedicated to institutional home, participatory processes, and mandated review cycles, but faces implementation risks in political legitimacy, financing, and cultural shifts. Drawing on updates through 2025 (e.g., NBC 105:2020 and NBC 205:2024 revisions), the paper argues that this reform is essential for disaster resilience, offering recommendations for enabling legislation and capacity building. This case study informs regulatory evolution in federalizing nations.