Nepal floods: Aerial views reveal massive destruction in Nuwakot

Three months before a devastating flood struck a Himalayan valley, straddling the China-Nepal border and claiming hundreds of lives, officials from both nations gathered in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, to address the risks of such disasters. The May 27 meeting, attended by 10 Nepali experts and about 12 Chinese officials, including representatives from Tibet, aimed to enhance cooperation in monitoring and responding to floods, weather, and glacier-related hazards.

Both sides called for joint risk-reduction measures, such as inventories of glacial lakes and hazard mapping, but the Nepali participants expressed dissatisfaction with the information shared by China regarding glacier risks and water levels. Hydrologist Sauhardra Joshi lamented that early movements of glaciers and movements around the affected area were not communicated in a timely manner.

China, however, maintains that its data-sharing has been timely, despite the fact that they did not have the mandate to sign an agreement to meet Nepal's requests for more information sharing. The Chinese embassy in Nepal stated that Beijing and Kathmandu had maintained close contact on the issue and made substantial progress at the May meeting on promoting cross-border disaster information sharing.

Despite some Nepali social media users criticizing China for failing to provide adequate warning, the Chinese embassy defended their actions, stating that Chinese and international experts faced significant challenges monitoring hazards in the remote Himalayan region.