+ BACKGROUND, CHALLENGES AND OBJECTIVES
+ Background
Bungamati is a small town of approximately 4000 people, located in the Katmandu Valley, part of Lalitpur Metropolitan City. The town is famous for its built heritage including renowned shrines, intangible heritage such as local festivities and socio-cultural activities, and its handicraft-based economy tightly knitted with agriculture.
However, the heritage settlements are under a threat as the agriculture and skill-based society is changing towards a service and business-based economy. The effects of urbanization are gradually moving into the agricultural land and replacing their products and services. These changes are deteriorating the values of Bungamati's tangible and intangible heritage.
To make matters worse, Bungamati was one of the 52 traditional settlements in the Kathmandu Valley damaged heavily during the 2015 Earthquake. When the magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit, approximately 65% of the houses, 563 out of the total 856, collapsed within Bungamati's core. Moreover, the remaining buildings were too damaged to be safely used again. Unfortunately, major temples and shrines including Machhendranath, Hyagriv Bhairav and Manakamana temple were also lost in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Photo 1. Bungamati’s location within the Kathmandu Valley
+ Challenges
There were several points that the Bungamati community stressed when it came to preserving the heritage. It was important for Bungamati residents to have a living heritage instead of becoming 'another museum'. They also emphasized that displacements and gentrification should not happen under the name of heritage conservation and that the preservation of intangible heritage is as important as the preservation of tangible heritage. Additionally, they highlighted the opportunities created by the collaborative efforts from the local community, the private sector, and the local government
Bungamati faced numerous challenges when it came to reviving the traditional settlements. A looming issue was the question of land, involving the division of property – fragmentation disputes, issues of land tenure and ownerships, differential economic status of property holders, and unplanned development of expansion areas. There were also questions to be answered on architecture, engineering, urban layout, society and culture, and economy.
Photo 2. Devastating aftermath of a fallen temple in Bungamati after the 2015 earthquake
+ ACTIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION
+ Actions
After the destructive natural disaster, local leaders and youths were at the forefront of the disaster response. They formed the 'Temporary Shelter and Relief Distribution Committee' to properly distribute the support. The committee was later reformed as Bungamati Area Reconstruction and Development Council to coordinate and lead the long-term reconstruction works in Bungamati.
- Community
To mobilize the community, 13 tole level community groups who conducted a series of meetings and community activities were formed. Cluster mapping was also conducted with the participation of local residents. This active involvement of the residents helped achieve local needs and expectations.
+ OUTCOMES AND IMPACTS
+ Sustainability
The project emphasized the tight link between tourism and heritage. The economic sustainability from tourism is closely correlated with the livelihood of the population, while the tangible and intangible heritage is associated with the culture.
[1] Sustainability
The heritage settlement recovery plan actions included improving infrastructures, adding amenities for tourists, rehabilitating heritage buildings, coutryards, shrines, and thematic promotion of various settlement points.
[2] Livelihood enhancement
The livelihood enhancement involved the preparation of torism promotion plan, skills training of youth and women, entrepreneurship development of SMEs (Small, and Medium Enterprises), and linking Bungamati with the larger tourism market.
[3] Sustainable tourism promotion
The potential area for tourism entrepreneurs' development lies in various areas such as livestock, homestay, food and beverage industries, heritage tourism, and handicraft industries.
BeforeAfter
Photos. The handicraft industry of Bungamati include weaving and knitting, wood carving, and metal carving
Photos. The promotion of intangible heritage includes ROPAIN the rice plantation, heritage walks, and the Mataya festival.
+ REPLICABILITY AND SCALABILITY
Bugamati started to plan providing future assistance to ten additional heritage settlements in Chandragiri Municipality, Kirtipur Municipality, Mahalaxmi Municipality, Godawari Municipality.