Five years after the Nepal earthquake many buildings still lie in ruins. But homeowners and conservationists are working to overcome bureaucratic hurdles to rebuild and preserve the area’s unique heritage, says resident photographer and journalist Pete Pattisson
As Nepal struggles to get to grips with Covid-19, the country has yet to recover from the 2015 earthquake, which killed almost 9,000 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless. Many of the densely packed low-rise buildings, like these in the historic heart of Kathmandu, were badly damaged
A building stands untouched since the earthquake. The government’s response to the disaster was widely viewed as too slow, politicised and bureaucratic; criticisms some say also characterise its reaction to the pandemic. Rebuilding has frequently been held up by family disputes over division of the land
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Building plots shrink as they are divided among family members, resulting in buildings with very narrow footprints which may be more vulnerable to future earthquakes
A woman performs ‘puja’ or worship at a shrine outside her home. Metal or wooden props to support buildings are commonplace, and were in widespread use even before the earthquake 
Metal or wooden poles prop up buildings damaged by the earthquake. When the tremors struck, scores of ancient temples and buildings in the historic heart of Kathmandu were destroyed in seconds -
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A scrap collector passes a ruined building. New buildings around Durbar Square must be built in the traditional Newari style, including the distinctive decorative wooden windows, which adds to construction costs -
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A modern block is squeezed between traditional homes. Planning rules are inadequately enforced so some new buildings are out of keeping with their historic surroundings -
Small Buddhist stupas are surrounded by new apartment blocks. Reconstruction of heritage sites and private homes has been hampered by a lack of money, family feuds, bureaucratic hurdles and political gridlock -
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A performance during the Indra Jatra festival draws a huge crowd near Durbar Square. The festival, one of the largest in Kathmandu, celebrates the god Indra -
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narrow streets during the Seto Machindranath festival -
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An unruly jumble of electricity cables mirrors the chaos of Kathmandu’s streets below
The narrow streets in the heart of the city were not designed for Kathmandu’s soaring population. Negotiating the traffic requires patience and courage – and it helps to have a sense of humour 
As damaged buildings have been demolished, the city’s children enjoy temporary new play spaces 
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A woman carries a sack through a narrow market street in Kathmandu -
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Peaceful courtyards lie hidden down narrow alleyways off the chaotic streets of Kathmandu. Conservation activists are fighting a vigorous and effective campaign to preserve the best of the district’s heritage
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A child glimpsed running into the street in Kathmandu. Those who love the city say it retains a charm and deep cultural roots that no earthquake can shake -
