Resources

Summary

During the policy dialogue on Market System Resilience organized by DPNet Nepal, Mr. Deepak Aryal, Mercy Corps Nepal presented on MSR from the perspectives of Disaster Risk Management and the interconnectedness of markets with social, cultural, and environmental contexts. He discussed the challenges faced in their practice, including limited risk fragility checks, low financial literacy, discrimination, limited outreach, and weak market linkages. Mr. Aryal presented case studies, highlighting the effectiveness of the nexus approach in integrating disaster risk reduction and market system development. He also mentioned successful interventions in the sugarcane and dairy production sectors.

Later Mr. Cecial Adhikari focused on a case-based intervention called BHAKARI, which aimed to address emergency food needs in vulnerable households along the Karnali River. He highlighted the use of a cash transfer approach, short-term cash and voucher assessments, and longer-term resilience initiatives. The program involved partnerships with 150 merchants and employed market analysis tools to ensure sustainability and resilience.