The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Central Nepal on 25 April 2015 and the more than 300 aftershocks that followed, including one of 7.3 magnitude on 12 May, had a devastating impact. Around 9,000 people in Nepal, India, China, and Bangladesh lost their lives and even more were injured. It has been estimated that 2.8 million people have been displaced by the earthquake and Nepal has incurred economic losses amounting to USD 10 billion.

Damage to infrastructure has also been severe with about 491,620 buildings fully damaged, 269,653 buildings partially destroyed, and 7,532 schools and 1,100 health facilities damaged   (ICIMOD Infographics- ‘Nepal Earthquake 2015’). Given the extent of the damage caused by the earthquake, it is clear that Nepal has a lot to repair and rebuild. Never before has the demand for bricks and other building materials reached such a high level. However, the existing brick kilns have been severely damaged. This combination of extreme circumstances raises a big question: How will the country meet the demand for bricks and other building materials and what are the opportunities to improve brick kilns in Nepal.

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