Climate-friendly homes and resilient livelihoods, for people and planet.

The Challenge

Lack of safe housing. Polluting fired bricks.

Nepal is one of the most disaster prone countries in the world, but poor families cannot afford disaster resilient homes, most of which are built with bricks. The fired brick industry is responsible for 37% of CO2 emissions from combustion in Nepal, dangerous air pollution and poor working conditions.

Nearly 2.8 billion people globally lack access to adequate shelter.

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Fired bricks account for 37% of CO2 emissions in Nepal.

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Our mission is to replace fired bricks with climate-friendly eco-bricks.

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Our Solution

Local entrepreneurs building safe homes

We train local entrepreneurs to make climate-friendly eco-bricks, build safe, affordable homes, and create jobs in low-income communities.

Recruit

Build up Nepal recruits local entrepreneurs

Invest

Entrepreneurs invest in low-cost machine

Train

Entrepreneurs are trained to make eco-bricks

Build

Entrepreneurs build safer, cheaper, greener homes and schools

The Results

Local entrepreneurs create jobs

Low-income clients access a safe home

Our Impact

The Technology

Eco-friendly bricks

We are on a mission to replace polluting fired bricks with eco-friendly ones, and to make safe housing affordable for poor communities. Our interlocking Compressed Stabilised Earth Block (CSEB) Eco-Bricks are made off-grid with local materials and minimal cement.

Our Work in Action

Building better for people & planet.

In 2015, a massive earthquake hit Nepal, claiming thousands of lives and destroying over 800,000 homes. Build up Nepal was founded to help poor communities rebuild sustainably. It has grown into a nationwide movement that reimagines construction as a force for climate action, opportunity, and a better future for all. We are the proud winner of the 2026 Zayed Sustainability Prize for Climate Action - watch our work in action in this short film.

Our Impact

Building a sustainable future

We are proud of our entrepreneurs, who create job opportunities and support marginalised communities in remote parts of Nepal. They are contributing to a greener and safer world.

200

Entrepreneurs

Over 50% of entrepreneurs are from disadvantaged groups. (CERAD, 2023)

12 143

Safe houses

All our structures withstood the 2023 earthquake in west Nepal, and saved lives.

1 943

Jobs

73% of jobs in production and construction are held by those from disadvantaged groups. (CERAD, 2023)

122 989

Tonnes of CO2 emissions saved

By replacing coal-fired bricks with our eco-bricks, we cut CO2 emissions by 75%. (Max Fordham, 2021)

More impact data

“I believe in the potential of interlocking eco-brick technology and I’m committed to proving its worth.”

Basanta Pandeya Kapilvastu, Entrepreneur

“I'm becoming financially stable and creating jobs in the village. My goal is to build 1,000 houses.”

Nar Bahadur Bharati, Entrepreneur

2023 Earthquake in West Nepal

Building Back Better

Get in touch to build back better, together.

All our structures withstood the earthquake and saved lives

We will rebuild 10,000 disaster resilient homes for poor families

Looking Ahead

2030 Targets

We urgently need to get more people in safe homes, and transition away from carbon-intensive building materials, to an affordable, eco-friendly alternative.

100,000

Safe homes built

1,000

enterprises started

9,000

green jobs created

Replace 10% of Nepal’s fired bricks, save 1 million+ tonnes CO2 emissions and become the leading solution for low-cost housing in South Asia.

Featured in Media

The Climate Tribe: ‘Rebuilding Nepal, Eco-Brick by Eco-Brick’

The Earthshot Prize

Build up Nepal is extremely proud to be a 2024 Earthshot Prize Finalist in the Fix Our Climate category. Watch this stunning short film that captures the spirit of our work.

September 12, 2024