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Announcement of Essay Competition Results and Essay Presentation Program

The virtual event titled "Announcement of Essay Competition Results and Essay Presentation" was held on December 24, 2020, organized by DPNet-Nepal. The essay competition, centered around "Disaster Risk Governance" in Nepal, was organized by the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) to commemorate IDDRR 2020. The competition welcomed participation from university students pursuing Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Mr. Surya Bahadur Thapa, Chairperson and Member Secretary of NPDRR, presided over the virtual program. Mr. Anil Pokhrel, Executive Chief of National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority and Chairperson of NPDRR, graced the event as the Chief Guest. A total of 16 essays were submitted for the competition, which were evaluated by a committee comprising Mr. Murari Binod Pokhrel, Dr. Raju Thapa, and Ms. Luna Khadka, who hold positions as Life Member, General Secretary, and Program Coordinator of DPNet-Nepal, respectively. The winners of the competition, ranking from 1st to 5th place, will receive certificates and cash prizes of NPR. 15,000, 12,000, 9,000, 6,000, and 3,000, respectively. The IDDRR 2020 events were supported by NDRRMA, DCA, Practical Action, Tayar Nepal, NRCS/IFRC.

Mr. Surya Bahadur Thapa commenced the program by highlighting its objectives and extending a warm welcome to all participants. He provided a brief introduction to DPNet-Nepal and the essay competition. He expressed gratitude to the evaluation committee for their dedicated efforts and emphasized the importance of collaborative work in addressing cold waves and other hazards.

On behalf of the evaluation team, Mr. Murari Binod Pokhrel shared insights into the selection criteria and evaluation process. He acknowledged the difficulty of writing and submitting an essay within a limited time and word count, appreciating the work of all participants. The winners of the program were announced, with Mr. Ritesh Panthi from National Law College Lalitpur securing the first position, followed by Mr. Prakash Bhandari from Birendra Multiple Campus, Chitwan in the second position. Mr. Sabin Koirala from the University of Hiroshima, Japan claimed the third position, while Mr. Prajwal Thapa from the Institute of Engineering, Pulchowk Campus secured the fourth position. Ms. Sajana Sunar from the Central Campus of Humanities and Sociology, Mid-Western University secured the fifth position. Each winner had the opportunity to present their essay during the program.

Mr. Anil Pokhrel congratulated the winners and highlighted the significance of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) in organizing the annual IDDRR event. He noted that the competition and the essays presented demonstrated the students' interest in disaster risk governance, underscoring the effectiveness of such programs in raising awareness among students. He suggested extending the competition to the school level and emphasized the need to publish the essays for documentation in the public domain. He called for continued collaboration in organizing similar interaction programs and events throughout the year, not limited to IDDRR.

Dr. Meen Paudel Chhetri, former Chairperson of DPNet-Nepal, commended the relevance and contextual nature of the presented essays. She expressed her belief that these essays could serve as valuable reference material and congratulated all the winners, wishing them success in their future endeavors.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Surya Bahadur Thapa concluded the program by urging stakeholders and participants to contribute creative and innovative ideas for future initiatives that engage students in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) in Nepal. He expressed gratitude to the competitors and congratulated the winners for their active participation in the essay competition. Additionally, he extended his thanks to the Atullya foundation for their valuable technical support in organizing the successful virtual program.