{
  "id": 5241246,
  "title": "Trump shut down project to track landslides in Nepal year before deadly floods came: Report",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/trump-shut-down-project-to-track-landslides-in-nepal-year-before",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-03T04:01:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hindustan Times - World News",
    "slug": "hindustan-times-world-news",
    "url": "https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/trump-shut-down-project-to-track-natural-disasters-in-nepal-deadly-floods-came-a-year-later-death-toll-missing-101788399363545.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "An avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border sent a wall of water racing through parts of the country. Over 1,200 people have died, and thousands are still missing.",
  "key_points": [
    "Trump administration shut down Project SERVIR-Hindu Kush Himalaya in August 2024",
    "Project aimed to track landslide risks in Himalayas and improve situational awareness",
    "Funding cut left flood inundation mapping and slope motion detection unfinished"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The shutdown of the US-backed landslide tracking project in Nepal means that critical tools to predict and prepare for extreme rainfall and flood events were not available when needed.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC World",
        "title": "'Nothing but mud and silt' - the village swept away by deadly floods in Nepal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/nothing-but-mud-and-silt-the-village-swept-away-by-deadly-floods-in",
        "published": "2026-09-02T15:16:42.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "RTE News",
        "title": "Nepal to rebuild landslide warning system after floods",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/nepal-to-rebuild-landslide-warning-system-after-floods",
        "published": "2026-09-03T05:48:57.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Vibes",
        "title": "Nepal rejects foreign rescue teams, accepts aid after deadly disaster",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/nepal-rejects-foreign-rescue-teams-accepts-aid-after-deadly-disaster",
        "published": "2026-09-03T06:12:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hankyoreh",
        "title": "[Reportage] ‘Evacuate!’: Missing worker’s warning saved coworkers from Nepal floods",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/reportage-evacuate-missing-workers-warning-saved-coworkers-from-nepal",
        "published": "2026-09-03T06:27:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Mongabay",
        "title": "During Nepal floods, decentralized, community-based warning saved lives",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/during-nepal-floods-decentralized-community-based-warning-saved-lives",
        "published": "2026-09-03T08:16:12.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}