On September 26, the tiny Himalayan region of Nepal was struck by massive floods across the country caused by the torrential rainfall. The rains which caused the floods were as a result of a low-pressure system. The rainfall recorded was the heaviest in the region since 1970. The worst of the flooding took place in central and western Nepal.
The floods most heavily impacted several of eastern Nepal’s districts, especially those districts adjacent to Kathmandu and the Bagmati River. The nearby states of India, such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Assam, and parts of northern Bangladesh were also affected. Between September 28 and 29, the Kathmandu Valley received between 240 millimetres and 322.2 millimetres causing flooding in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu.
The government of Nepal reported at least 246 deaths, 183 injuries, 18 missing persons due to severe flooding with many missing in the capital Kathmandu. Tens of thousands of people required rescue and thousands of homes were destroyed and damaged. Thousands of families were also displaced as a result of the flooding. There was also extensive infrastructure damage to bridges, highways, hydropower stations, telecommunication stations, and water and power infrastructure. Poor and vulnerable communities living alongside riverbanks in informal settlements were the worst affected.
It was not simply the heavy rains which caused the flooding in the region. The impact was worsened by the poor infrastructure and settlement planning which included unplanned construction on floodplains. A major part of the damage was caused by landslides, caused by the rain, which buried vehicles and caused several casualties. Three highways and multiple roads which connected the capital Kathmandu to eastern Nepal were taken out by the landslides. According to reports, at least 35 bodies were recovered from the Prithvi Highway from vehicles which had been buried under landslides. The lack of access from places hampered relief efforts and also the transportation of essential goods and services to those affected. There has also been extensive damage to schools which affects thousands of children’s education
The September floods were not the first for Nepal. The annual monsoon season in the region from June caused floods in July, August and September. However, the September floods had the heaviest rainfall and caused the most damage to the country. From the forecasts, it was predicted that the above-normal rainfall across Nepal is primarily influenced by La Niña conditions.
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On the issue of infrastructure, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said that improper investment into Nepal’s infrastructure and poor planning furthered the magnitude of the impact. The centre said the government should have done more to invest in its infrastructure including flood prevention mechanisms. According to the preliminary reports from the United Nations Satellite Centre in which they analysed an area of about 18 000 km², a total of about 300 km² of land appears to be affected by flood waters. This means that around over 100 000 people were exposed or living close to the flooded areas.
There has been a mass mobilisation of humanitarian aid from countries in the region as well as aid agencies to support the country’s ongoing relief efforts. One of the major concerns expressed by UNICEF has been around the outbreak of diseases including cholera and dengue fever and the need to avert those risks especially for the displaced peoples. The relief efforts have been focused on the immediate humanitarian needs as well as the long-term recovery efforts to restore essential services. One of the other long-term efforts is centred around helping Nepal recover from yet another climate-driven crisis and to be better prepared from the other climate crises.
Nepal has been ranked by the World Bank as the fourth most climate-vulnerable country globally. Disasters like the September floods are predicted to become more frequent and intense as the climate crisis escalates and there is an urgent need to address it quickly.
“Nepal needs to call for a climate finance system that addresses the needs of the most vulnerable countries,” Manjeet Dhakal, climate analyst was quoted in the South China Morning Post.
