This book fills a critical knowledge gap by examining the marginalisation of Indigenous women in Nepal’s local disaster governance and recovery practices. In a world facing increasingly frequent and severe disasters, Nepal – a country severely impacted by the effects of climate change and home to the Indigenous peoples of the Himalayas – offers a particularly compelling site to explore how Indigenous women experience and respond to these events at the local level. Grounded in original research, incorporating field reflections and policy analysis, this book explores how indigeneity, gender, and culture intersect in disaster recovery practices on the ground. It highlights the urgent need for disaster policies and practices to account for the diverse cultural, social, economic, and political factors that shape Indigenous experiences of disaster impacts and recovery.

Ayusha Bajracharya is a development Geographer and Policy Analyst, with expertise in Indigenous knowledge and disaster resilience. She completed her PhD in Indigenous Geography of Disaster from University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), Australia, in 2023. Over the years she has been working on interdisciplinary and empirical projects that address urgent questions pertaining to indigenous knowledge, indigenous business practices for disaster recovery, technology driven disasterrisk reduction and environmental conservation, food security, disaster justice, and climate justice.

Krishna K. Shrestha is a Professor of Global Development at the School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) in Australia. Previously, he was Program Director at the Urban and Regional Planning and Policy at the University of Sydney. Krishna is a development and environmental geographer and public policy analyst. His research interests encompass critical development studies, environmental governance, global Indigenous studies, and the intersection of disaster resilience and environmental justice.