SONEUK Reflects on the 2015 Nepal Earthquake and Future Preparedness

London- On 26th May 2025, SONEUK hosted a panel discussion titled “Lessons Learned from the 2015 Nepal Earthquake.” The devastating earthquake of 2015 claimed the lives of approximately 8,956 people, injured over 21,000, and left hundreds of thousands homeless within moments of its occurrence.

Opening the session, SONEUK Chairperson Er Subodh Timilsina highlighted the purpose of the discussion: to reflect on the destruction and devastation caused by the earthquake and to summarise actions that could be taken to minimise the impact of a similar disaster should it occur again, particularly with a different epicentre. The session also aimed to assess the country’s readiness in the event of another earthquake.

The programme was moderated by Er Ghanshyam Paudyal, a Chartered Structural Engineer with over 30 years of experience and past Chairperson of SONEUK. Among the distinguished panellists was Dr Rishi Parajuli, Lecturer in Structural Engineering at Kingston University London, who presented a paper titled “Pre and Post Scenario of the Gorkha Earthquake 2015: Lessons Learned and the Way Forward.”

Dr Binod Lal Amatya, a Chartered Civil Engineer with extensive expertise in geotechnical engineering and risk assessment, then presented on “The Impact of the 2015 Earthquake in Kathmandu Valley: Ground Engineering Perspectives and the Way Forward.” Following him, Dr Rohit Adhikari, Senior Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire, delivered his paper on “Seismic Safety of Residential and School Buildings in Nepal: Lessons Learned from the 2015 Earthquake and the Way Forward.”

After the presentations, a Q&A session allowed experts to raise pertinent questions and concerns regarding the potential threat of future earthquakes. The session was concluded by the session moderator, Er Ghanshyam Paudyal, who summarised the discussions and handed over the findings to the Chairperson.

In his closing remarks, Chairperson Er Subodh Timilsina thanked the session moderator, all the presenters, and the attendees for their active engagement and insightful suggestions.

The resolutions drawn during the programme were thought-provoking and are expected to be reviewed, further discussed, and, if necessary, raised with the relevant authorities.

The event, which lasted for two and a half hours, was organised in South London and attended by over 55 professional engineers and development enthusiasts.