Nepal floods: Government keeping close watch on situation; Amit Shah speaks to CMs of UP, Bihar

Nepal finds itself once again grappling with the devastating impact of natural disasters, this time in the form of flash floods that have claimed lives and left many missing. The relentless rivers, swollen by monsoon rains, have wreaked havoc on settlements, roads, bridges, and hydropower infrastructure in the northern part of the country. Rescue efforts are further complicated by the treacherous mountain terrain, swollen rivers, and damaged roads.

The scale of this disaster has brought to light Nepal's inherent vulnerability to hazards that can rapidly cross geographical boundaries. Authorities have issued warnings to people to avoid the banks of the Bhote Koshi, Trishuli, and Narayani rivers, while helicopters have been deployed to rescue those stranded by floodwaters. The region had experienced a similar tragedy last year when a glacial lake outburst in Tibet claimed at least nine lives and damaged the bridge linking Nepal and China.

Nepal's susceptibility to natural calamities can be attributed to a combination of factors. Located between two tectonic plates, the country is prone to earthquakes, with the Indian and Eurasian plates colliding at a rate of about 5 centimeters per year. This geological pressure is periodically released through seismic activity, often triggering secondary disasters like landslides, avalanches, and blocked rivers.

The Kathmandu Valley's steep and fragile terrain only amplifies the impact of earthquakes, while dense settlements and vulnerable buildings turn seismic events into humanitarian crises.

The country's geography also makes it highly exposed to floods and landslides. Steep slopes and narrow valleys facilitate the rapid downhill movement of water and debris, leaving little time for communities to respond. The Bhote Koshi disaster exemplifies this cascading risk, where an initial earthquake-triggered avalanche or landslide may rapidly evolve into a flood disaster downstream.

Climate change adds another layer of complexity to Nepal's vulnerability. The country is home to thousands of glaciers, and rising temperatures are causing accelerated glacier loss and altering snowmelt and river-flow patterns. The 2015 Gorkha earthquake, which killed nearly 9,000 people and injured over 22,000, serves as a stark reminder of the consequences when Nepal's geological and geographical vulnerabilities collide.

The aftermath of the earthquake unleashed landslides and avalanches, blocking roads and isolating communities, and further exposed the fragility of fragile slopes during the monsoon season.