Trump shut down project to track landslides in Nepal year before deadly floods came: Report

In August 2024, a US-backed programme called Project SERVIR-Hindu Kush Himalaya was abruptly shut down by the Donald Trump administration, according to a CNN report. The project, which aimed to track landslide risks in the Himalayas, was working to improve "landslide situational awareness" linked to extreme rainfall. Birendra Bajracharya, the project's former director, told CNN that the funding cut brought some of the work to an abrupt stop.

The programme had been operational for years, identifying areas vulnerable to landslides and other hazards, as well as developing tools to help authorities understand the impact of extreme rainfall on unstable slopes. However, the sudden halt left flood inundation mapping and slope motion detection for landslide forecasts unfinished.

Nepal has suffered extensive damage from the floods, with a death toll of 1,243 and thousands still missing. Rescue teams continue to search damaged sites, and international assistance has been pledged by several countries and organizations.