Before flood catastrophe, Nepal asked China for early warnings

Three months prior to a devastating flood that claimed hundreds of lives, Nepal and China convened in Kathmandu to discuss the risk of such disasters. The meeting, held on May 27, brought together 10 officials from Nepal and around a dozen from China, including representatives from the Tibet region where the disaster occurred. The participants emphasized the need for joint risk-reduction measures, such as inventories of glacial lakes and hazard mapping.

However, two Nepali officials expressed dissatisfaction with the information shared by China regarding glacier risks and water levels after the meeting, warning that insufficient data sharing could hinder their ability to anticipate and prepare for major disasters. While no officials or experts blamed either side for the natural disaster, which will cost an estimated tenth of Nepal's annual economic output to recover from, Nepal remains committed to strengthening cooperation with China.

China, however, stated that it did not have the mandate to sign an agreement to meet Nepal's requests for broader cooperation in monitoring glaciers, requesting further discussions instead. The Chinese embassy claimed that both countries had made "substantial progress" at the May meeting on promoting cross-border disaster information sharing, despite reports from Nepali officials that data sharing was lacking.

The disaster, sparked by the collapse of a glacier in a poorly-monitored area, highlights the importance of early-warning systems, as it took around 26 minutes for the torrent to reach Nepal after the initial flood in Tibet.