HOUSING SITUATION IN NEPAL

BUILDING ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH

SUBMITTED BY- SUBMITTED TO-

UMA PAUDEL AR. MUKUNDA SHYAM RANJIT

CRN-074/B.ARCH/36

DATE2079-01-14
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 2
HOUSING........................................................................................................................................ 2
DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSING IN NEPAL AND HOUSING STANDARDS .................................... 2
1. Detached housing ....................................................................................................................... 2
2. Semi-detached housing .............................................................................................................. 2
3. Terraced housing (row housing) ................................................................................................. 2
4. Apartment .................................................................................................................................... 2
small apartment ............................................................................................................................... 3
low-rise apartment ........................................................................................................................... 3
mid-rise apartment .......................................................................................................................... 3
Apartment over commercial ............................................................................................................ 3
high-rise apartment ......................................................................................................................... 4
STANDARDS OF HOUSING .................................................................................................................. 4
HOUSING AND HEALTH........................................................................................................................ 5
HOUSING CONDITION .......................................................................................................................... 6
RURAL HOUSING .................................................................................................................................. 6
NEWARI HOUSE ............................................................................................................................ 8
TAMANG HOUSE ........................................................................................................................... 9
RECOMMENDED STANDARDS FOR RURAL HOUSING ARE AS FOLLOWS: ........................ 10
Urban Settlement .......................................................................................................................... 10
HOUSING POLICY TIME LINE 1980 TO 2010 .................................................................................... 12
NATIONAL SHELTER POLICY (1996) ......................................................................................... 12
PLANNING REGULATION ........................................................................................................... 12
Housing production target in 1996 Shelter Policy ......................................................................... 13
BAMBOO HOUSING ............................................................................................................................. 13
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INTRODUCTION

HOUSING
Housing “Housing” in the modern concept includes not only the ‘physical infrastructure’ but also the
immediate surroundings and the related community services and facilities. It has become part of the
concept of “human settlement”, which is defined as “all places in which a group of people reside and
pursue their life goals; the size of the settlement may vary from a single family to millions of people”.

Healthy Housing a Stable Home is at the center of our lives and our happiness.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSING IN NEPAL AND HOUSING

STANDARDS
1. Detached housing
2. Semidetached housing
3. Terraced housing (row housing)
4. Apartments

1. Detached housing
• It is a free-standing residential building.
• Generally found in less dense urban areas the suburbs of cities, and rural areas.
• Surrounded by a garden.
• Garages can also be found on most lots.

2. Semi-detached housing
• They consist of pairs of houses built side by side as units.
• They share a party (common) wall.
• Usually each house's layout is a mirror image of its twin.
• This type of housing is a half-way state between terraced and detached houses.

3. Terraced housing (row housing)

• A row of identical or mirror-image houses.

• They share side walls.
• The first and last of these houses is called an end terrace.

4. Apartment

There are many sub-types of apartments depending upon the number dwelling units & floors.
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They are as follows:

small apartment
• Such apartments consists of 4-16 units/building.
• It is of 2-3 floors and can have interior or exterior entry.

low-rise apartment

• Also known as tuck-under apartment, garden apartment or

podium apartment.
• Such apartments consists of 12-40 units/building.
• it is of 3-4 floors.
• it has interior entry

mid-rise apartment
• Such apartments consists of 60-240 units/building.
• It is of 5-8 floors.
• It has interior entry with net site density of 26-148 units/acre.
Apartment over commercial • vertical mixed use building.
• Such apartments consists of 25-100 units/building.
• It is of 3-5 floors.
• It has interior or extrior entry with net site density of 26-84
units/acre.

Apartment over commercial

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high-rise apartment

o Can also be called as elevator apartment,slab block apartment or point tower.

o Such apartments consists of 60-300 units/building.
o It is of 8+ floors.
o It has interior entry with net site density of 60-300 units/acre.

STANDARDS OF HOUSING
The following standards of housing are considered to be a minimum requirement in Nepal:

SITE

o It should be elevated from its surrounding.

o It should be away from breeding places of arthropods and insects.
o It should be in pleasing environment.
o The subsoil water should be below 3m.

MATERIALS

There should be provision of adequate quality building materials.

SPACE

• There should be an open space all around the house which is called “set back”.
• There should be proper ventilation and lightening.
• In rural area only 1/3 of the land should be utilized and in urban areas 2/3 for construction.
• Light  Day light should be visible in excess of 1% over half the floor area.
• There should be provision of adequate light to all rooms.
• The study and kitchen rooms can be often be managed by light sources.

Ventilation

There should be adequate cross ventilation in each room.

Windows and doors

• Ratio of doors and windows should be 1/7 of the floor area and never less than 1/10
• Waste disposal facilities
• Waste material should be removed from the dwelling at least daily and disposed of in a
sanitary manner.  The sewage should be collected and disposed of in a sanitary manner.

Water supply
• Safe,adequate and easily available water should be provided.
• Wall
• There should be strong walls with low heat capacity and weather resistance.
• The walls should be at least 25cm thick brick/stone made with cement, plastered and
coloured.
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Roof and floor

• The height of the roof should not be less than 3m in the absence of air conditioning for
comfort.
• The floor on the house should be at least 11sq.m for occupancy by more than one person and
9sq.m for a single person.
• The floor area should be impermeable , smooth and damp proof.
• Plinth (slab) level should be 50-100 cm from the ground and road levels.

HOUSING AND HEALTH

Housing is part of the total environment of man and being a part, it is to some extent responsible for
the status of man’s health and wellbeing.

EFFECTS OF POOR HOUSING

• Respiratory infections: common cold , tuberculosis, influenza, diphtheria, bronchitis,

measles, whooping cough , etc.
• Skin infections: scabies, ringworm, impetigo, leprosy
• Rat infestation: plague  arthropods: houseflies, mosquitoes, fleas and bugs
• Accidents: a substantial proportion of house accidents are caused by some defect in the
home and its environment.
• Morbidity and mortality: high morbidity and mortality rates are observed where housing
conditions are sub-standard.
• Psychological effects: people living in densely populated urban areas feel a sense of
isolation which may lead to neurosis and behavior disorders.

OVERCROW DING IS A HEALTH PROBLEM IN HUMAN DWELLINGS

POOR HOUSING CONDITION

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Nepal’s Three Different Geographic Regions On the basis of the geographical structure, Nepal can be
divided mainly into three regions:

• The Himalayan region,

• The Middle Hill region and
• The Terai (Plain Land) region.

The highest elevation of Nepal is the summit of Mount Everest at 8848m and the lowest elevation is
60m from the sea level at the Terai.

HOUSING CONDITION

RURAL HOUSING
• Gurung House
• Newari House
• Tamang House

GURUNG HOUSE

The Gurung people, also called Tamu, use to live in the mountains and are the main ethnic group in
the Annapurna’s region. The houses are welcomed by a porch which they call ‘pidi’. The houses have
a robust appearance blending with surrounding.

This house is designed for a better resilience to earthquakes considering the human safety. It includes the provision of horizontal
bands, vertical and corner reinforcements, T-junctions to bind the house as a frame structure.

Plan Section
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Baluwa is Gurung village located in a rural and remote region, in Gorkha district, at 800 m high above
the sea level and 32 km from the Gorkha bazaar.

• There are more than 200 houses and 1500 inhabitants living in this village.
• This house is designed for a better resilience to earthquakes considering the human safety. It
includes the provision of horizontal bands, vertical and corner reinforcements, T-junctions to
bind the house as a frame structure.
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ELEVATION

NEWARI HOUSE
The Newari are the historical inhabitants of the Kathmandu
Valley. They are known for their contributions to art,
sculpture and architecture. Fine brickwork and
woodcarving are the marks of Newar architecture. These
elements are inherent to all their constructions: monastic
courtyards, temples, stupas, palaces, priest houses, or
residential houses. Hereafter are presented two examples
of Newar residential houses, improved with earthquake-
resistant techniques: reinforced concrete columns and
beams to maintain the house structure up, mechanical
connection between walls & wooden slab/roof. It includes
the provision of horizontal bands, vertical and corner
reinforcements, T- junctions to bind the house as a frame
structure. These houses are designed for a better
resilience to earthquakes considering the human safety.
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TAMANG HOUSE
The name Tamang means ‘horse trader’. They are the indigenous inhabitants of the Himalayas
regions. Today, they live at the borders of Nepal and Tibet due to marginalization from Kathmandu,
and are among the hardest groups hit by the 25th of April 2015 earthquake which destroyed the
majority of their houses. Their architecture mixes stone and wood. The typical houses include two
levels: the ground floor & 1st floor for seeds. All the houses are organized around a central wooden
column & a lot of elements follow very specific set of rules. For example ,the staircase has to count 7
steps & the position of has to be opposite to the location of the door.
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RECOMMENDED STANDARDS FOR RURAL HOUSING ARE AS FOLLOWS:

• minimum 2 living rooms

• ample verandah (sit out) space
• built up area of house should not exceed
one third of total land area
• separate kitchen with paved sink or platform
for washing utensils
• tube well or dug well within quarter mile from
house
• cattle shed should be at a minimum distance
of 25 feet from the house
• window area should at least 10% of floor
area
• sanitary latrine should be present
• provision for proper waste disposal

Urban Settlement

Apartment building under construction

Typical residential compound (housing colony)

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Modern city-scape with 4-5 storey buildings

Housing types in urban areas in Nepal by structural quality 1991-2010

Housing types in urban areas in Nepal by structural quality in 2001

Housing types in urban areas by number of storeys

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A typical ‘mixed’ urban neighborhood with Pakki and Kachchi housing

HOUSING POLICY TIME LINE 1980 TO 2010

NATIONAL SHELTER POLICY (1996)

• The main instruments proposed to improve the housing situation were:
• Supply of serviced housing plots through land development program executed by Town
Development Committees and private developers.
• . Promotion of shelter finance,
• Development of construction material and technology
• Building Act (1997) and National Building Code (1996)
• Building Act of Nepal was enforced in 1997, applicable for all municipalities and villages in
Nepal. Building Act has categorized all buildings into four types according to the standards in
the Nepal National Building Code. These are:

PLANNING REGULATION
• Town Development Act stipulates the responsibility for Town Development Committees to
formulate a town plan with any or all of the following objectives:
• To undertake the physical redevelopment of towns in an integrated manner
• To rebuild, expand and develop existing towns or build new ones
• To determine land use areas for the purpose of town development and make principle
services and facilities available;
• To take other measures connected with the above tasks
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Housing production target in 1996 Shelter Policy

BAMBOO HOUSING
For Safe and Affordable Housing (In the Context of Gorkha Earthquake in Nepal)
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Bamboo in Nepal

• Available in natural forest and private lands;

• 12 genera and more than 52 species of bamboo occur in Nepal;
• Total coverage of bamboo area is approximately 63,000 hectares;
• 60% of this lies in the natural (government) forest;
• Available in Terai (plain lands) to the high mountains with an altitudinal ranges of 50 meters to
4000 meters;
• Eastern part of Nepal has more varieties of bamboos compared to western part;
• Most of the bamboo species of Nepal have Pachymorph type rhizomes ;
• Estimated annual production of bamboo culms in Nepal is about 3.01 million.

Demand of Safe and Affordable Housing in Nepal

• Estimated demand of new houses are 40,300 every year, half of these demands is in
Kathmandu valley;
• Nepal having the highest urbanization rate 3.79% among the SAARC countries, will have
more demand in future;
• The number of residential houses completely damaged by Gorkha Earthquake and its
aftershocks in 2015 are 602,257 and partially damaged houses are 285,099
• The Government of Nepal had hosted one-day International Conference on Nepal’s
Reconstruction that aimed to bring neighboring countries and development partners together
in a spirit of solidarity and partnership for the reconstruction of the damaged infrastructures
caused by the April/May 2015 earthquakes.
• The mass reconstruction of those infrastructures is about to start;
• Priority has been given on the construction of damaged residential houses in year one and
two
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History of Bamboo Housing in Nepal

• History of bamboo housing in Nepal has been linked to ancient time;

• Bamboo mixed with wood and other materials like adobe, stone has been use in constructing
many houses to build as high as four stories;
• Around 35% of the houses constructed in eastern part of Nepal some twenty to thirty years
ago were made out the bamboo, wood and mud;
• Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) introduced modern bamboo housing in Nepal in
2005;
• A Nepalese NGO, RES Nepal, who is also involved in promotion of Bamboo houses, had
constructed 18 houses under the Bamboo Eco- housing Project in Kanchanpur district of the
Western Terai region in Nepal;
• Commercialization of Bamboo Housing: A company like Himalaya Bamboo is involved in
construction of bamboo houses commercially since last 13 years, has built more than 35
different designs of bamboo houses ;
• Research, design and construction : Organizations such as Abari and Uttra have been
involved in designing and promoting affordable bamboo houses in Nepal since long time.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Bamboo Housing

Advantages:

• Bamboo houses are environment friendly, relatively cheap and affordable.

• Its quality to resist earthquake pressure is very good.
• People prefer bamboo houses in rural areas to avoid both heat and cold where no
electricification;
• It requires minimum technology; are based on existing local technology, doesn't demand
high-tech for construction;
• The construction period of bamboo house takes two to three months, extremely shorter than
concrete, brick/stone masonry house;
• The construction materials are locally available, cheap and processing and production work
consumes less energy compared to other building materials;
• With proper treatment bamboo provides service life of up to 50 years;
• Durability can be increased with careful choice of bamboo species, preservation, and use of
complementary construction materials and replacement of outdated or deteriorated parts in a
regular basis;
• It helps the nations to reduce trade deficit, as raw materials of bamboo houses are almost
locally available;
• Bamboo can be used as a substitute of timber, this will help reducing deforestation.

Disadvantages:

• The first setback of bamboo housing is perception of general people, the people in Nepal
believe that bamboo is a poor men’s timber and living in a bamboo house is a social shame;
• Because of this sigma people’s perception towards the use of bamboo in construction of houses
is limited to a temporary solution;
• Limitation on availability of matured, seasoned and treated bamboo culms for construction of
bamboo houses;
• Lack of availability of trained skill manpower in the domestic( local) market for construction of
engineered bamboo housing;
• Immature modern engineered bamboo housing industries;
• Very limited companies are involved in research, design & construction of bamboo houses;
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• Has not been used much because the durability is always an issue.

Current Activities on Bamboo Research and Development

• The President Chure Tarai, Madesh Conservation Board had signed a MOU with Kathmandu
University that established research and study center for bamboo species under them;
• The University Research & Study Center has planned to plant bamboo species on selected
river corridors of Chure region as a piloting for controlling flood and soil erosion;
• The MOFSC has planned to promote plantation of different type of bamboo species to control
possible landslides caused by recent Gorkha earthquake and its aftershocks in 61 districts of
Nepal including 14 badly affected districts in the fiscal year 2015-16