Nepal Earthquake a Reminder of the Critical Role of Planning Enforcement

Tanvi Misra introduces an article about the devastation in Kathmandu, Nepal, by sharing images and eyewitness reports that describe the rubble that has become of the city that existed prior to the April 25, 2015 earthquake.

The earthquake was inevitable, writes Misra, but "haphazard urbanization around the Kathmandu Valley amplified the fatal force of the disaster." A 2013 World Bank report proved prescient on the risk facing Kathmandu, notes Misra, predicting that uplanned development had led to "uncontrolled sprawl; irregular, substandard, and inaccessible housing development; loss of open space, and decreased livability" that left the city of Kathmandu one of the "most earthquake-vulnerable cities in the world."

Misra goes on to note the lesson for other cities, including New Delhi in India, could face an even greater loss of life for similar reasons in the likely event of an earthquake of similar size.