LocationsAuthor: Sudhir Kumar, Disaster Risk Management Specialist, UNDP Nepal
5 reasons why cash for work is vital for post-disaster recovery
March 27, 2025
UNDP Nepal Resident Representative, Kyoko Yokosuka engages with beneficiaries of the cash for work program.
In the aftermath of a humanitarian crisis, such as a natural disaster, conflict, or pandemic, the immediate focus is on providing life-saving relief to those affected. However, as the crisis subsides, it is essential to transition from relief to long-term recovery and development. This is where early recovery comes in – a critical phase that bridges the gap between humanitarian response and sustainable development. Early recovery is a proactive approach that empowers communities to rebuild, fosters resilience, and addresses underlying issues that contributed to the crisis. As chair of Global Cluster for Early Recovery, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) leads global efforts in early recovery, and works at both the national and sub-national levels.
Severe floods hit parts of Nepal on 27th and 28th September 2024 floods causing a trail of destruction and damage across many districts. The continuous rains led to flooding, landslides, and road blockages, disrupting transportation, livelihoods, and public safety. Kavre and Lalitpur were two of the most affected districts. As part of the recovery response, UNDP Nepal initiated efforts to support the rebuilding of affected communities, helping to mitigate the crisis and pave the way for resilient rebuilding.
“I can return to my house, be with my community, and revive my livelihood with the cash I received for my 10 days of debris removal work.”- Phulmaya Tamang, Beneficiary, Cash for Work
Phulmaya, a resident of Bethanchowk Rural Municipality, Nepal, shared her experience during an interaction on cash-for-work (CfW) interventions following the September 2024 floods. Similar stories echo across the five municipalities where UNDP implemented CfW interventions, engaging flood-affected communities. The ethos of early recovery—such as stalling further economic decline and creating an enabling environment for long-term post-disaster recovery and reconstruction—was evident in individuals like Phulmaya, who engaged in CfW initiatives. Broader community-level impacts were visible in Namobuddha Municipality, another flood-affected area, where community members came together to restore one of their irrigation ponds through CfW.
Phulmaya shares how her house was covered in debris and how her recovery is progressing.
Five key reasons emerged from the retrospection and reflection on the individual and community-level CfW interventions by UNDP in the flood-affected areas:
1. Targeted approach leading to effectiveness: The September 2024 floods affected everyone, but their impact varied among communities. The engagement of municipalities, wards, local non-governmental organizations, and communities in selecting beneficiaries and activities ensured that pressing needs were prioritized. In Namobuddha Municipality, a tightly knit group of 30 households in the Lama locality is fully dependent on agricultural farms. The floods destroyed their irrigation pond and partially washed away their agricultural land. The restoration of the irrigation pond through the CfW approach revived their agriculture, and the cash received from their work ensured a continued cash flow in their households, helping meet additional needs. The revival of their agriculture has facilitated the long-term recovery of their livelihoods.
Community members observe the restored community pond in Namobuddha Municipality after the 2024 landslides.
2. Upscaled and efficient: The CfW program acted as a catalyst, with some communities and municipalities contributing resources—cash, labor, and equipment—to scale up activities. In Kyonjosom Rural Municipality, a local organization was engaged to clear flood debris from agricultural fields at three sites. The community, including the local organization, cleared more debris than was required, as per the contract, as there was an additional need. The community contributed additional labor and machinery. Similar cases occurred in other communities, where the municipality used its heavy machinery to facilitate the CfW activities.
Bhardeu Village, nestled in Kyonjosom Rural Municipality of Lalitpur district, with debris-clearing work ongoing in the foreground.
3. Strengthens local economy: The cash injection helped strengthen the local economy, which could have faced a cash crunch in the aftermath of the disaster, contributing to the creation of a virtuous cycle. Like others, Chandra Bahadur Tamang’s house was covered by flood debris in Ward 4 of Bethanchowk Municipality. The CfW program helped clear the debris and enabled him to return to his house. His windows and doors require minor repairs, and he plans to engage a local carpenter and blacksmith for the work, using the cash he received from his CfW engagement. Engaging local workers ensures that the cash remains within the community, benefiting the local economy.
Chandra Bahadur Tamang looks over his house after UNDP's debris clearance.
4. Hope and emotional healing: Disasters like floods and earthquakes leave behind heaps of debris and damaged structures, triggering a sense of hopelessness in the affected community. Support for the community can rekindle hope and promote emotional healing. A case in point is Ram Bahadur Khadka from Ward 4 of Bethanchowk Rural Municipality, whose house and adjacent agricultural fields were covered in flood debris. His annual profit from agricultural production was approximately NPR 95,000 (USD 720). The CfW intervention helped clear his house debris and provided approximately NPR 9,000 (USD 70) for his work. However, it will cost him about NPR 100,000 (USD 760) to clear debris from his agricultural field, which is equivalent to the profit he would generate from the land when conditions improve. Though the cash he received is only a fraction of the total debris removal cost, it gave Ram Bahadur much-needed hope and impetus. He is now working on burrowing additional funds from friends and relatives.
Dhan Kumari Khadka and her husband, Ram Khadka, share how the 2024 floods impacted them and how their recovery journey is progressing.
5. Peripheral benefits supporting long-term recovery: The CfW program, when applied to the productive sector—even at a small scale—can contribute to long-term recovery at the community level. Narayanthan in Bethanchowk Rural Municipality, located close to Kathmandu at an altitude of 3,000 meters, is known for trekking and camping. Some community members work as trekking guides. The floods damaged the trekking trail, leading to a 50 percent reduction in tourists. The same trail also serves as a route to access farmland and grassland for fodder. The CfW program helped restore the trekking trail, injecting cash into the local community. Long-term benefits include the recovery of the trekking trail and improved access to farmland.
Community members clear debris from a trekking trail in Bethanchowk.
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