Addressing the question of how to ensure a quick and effective response to the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, this paper makes a stand for a locally-owned response and greater investment in disaster risk reduction and disaster management policies. It calls on the humanitarian sector to apply the lessons learnt in previous emergencies - e.g. the 2010 Haiti earthquake and 2013 typhoon Haiyan - and give local civil society organisations and government structures a central role in relief and recovery. The paper argues that international agencies can contribute best to an effective response in Nepal when shifting their own role towards a supportive one and strengthening partnerships and the role of local NGOs in the disaster response.
