More than 200 dead: What caused the devastating floods in Nepal? | Environmental News

The Nepalese capital Kathmandu was inundated by floods last week after record-breaking rains caused the Bagmati River to burst its banks.

More than 200 people were killed and thousands of homes damaged in the Kathmandu Valley’s worst floods and landslides in years.

So what caused the floods and landslides? Was it climate change or uncontrolled urban encroachment on the river that flows through the Kathmandu Valley? We speak to experts to understand the deadly floods in the Himalayan region.

How much did it rain in Kathmandu?

The Kathmandu Valley recorded about 240 mm (9.4 inches) of rain from Thursday to Sunday – the worst flooding since 2002, according to a monitoring station at Kathmandu airport.

Rainfall amounts of up to 322.2 mm (12.7 inches) were reported in some parts of Kathmandu.

The heavy downpour was mainly observed in Kathmandu and the surrounding regions.

The popular tourist destination Pokhara, more than 200 kilometers from Kathmandu, was also hit by floods.

How many people died in the Nepal flood?

On Wednesday morning, the Nepalese police headquarters reported that the death toll from the floods and resulting landslides had risen to 228.

According to local news agency The Kathmandu Post, at least 21 more people are missing and 142 injured.

What is the status of flood restoration efforts in Nepal?

Rescue work by police, paramilitary forces and the army intensified on Monday.

The Nepalese army reported that more than 4,000 people were rescued using helicopters, zip lines and rafts.

However, damaged infrastructure and blocked roads are making rescue operations difficult, local media reported.

Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli called an emergency meeting after returning from the United Nations General Assembly session in New York on Monday. He was criticized for not canceling his trip after the disaster.

What Caused the Worst Floods in Years?

The last time a major flood was reported in Nepal was in 2002. Relief Web quoted the country’s interior ministry as saying that 198 people were killed and 105 injured.

Nepal-based think tank International Center for Integrated Mountain Development said the flooding was worsened by unplanned urban encroachments around the Bagmati River.

Pawan Bhattarai, assistant professor in the civil engineering department at Tribhuvan University, said man-made factors contributed to the severity of the floods caused by record rainfall.

“Natural floods become a major disaster due to lack of preparedness or early warning, unscientific land use practices and haphazard development activities, among others,” Bhattarai said.

City planner Neeraj Dangol said several factors were responsible for the recent disaster.

He says the Bagmati River has been narrowed by haphazard planning and urban development that took place after a drastic population boom in Kathmandu in the early 1990s.

“Over the last 40 to 50 years, houses and roads have been built on land that used to be part of the river system,” Dangol explained.

He added that before the chaotic development, the soil was porous, absorbent agricultural land. Now the concrete material of streets and sidewalks ensures that water flows away and “puts additional strain on drainage.”

Urban development has also led to deforestation. Forested land helps hold water and also prevents runoff. Therefore, deforestation makes the country more vulnerable to flooding.

He added that the drainage system has not been modernized to accommodate Nepal’s growing population.

Between 1991 and 2001 the population grew from 18 million to 23 million. According to the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics, the population was 29 million in 2021, when the last census was released.

Has climate change made flooding worse?

Experts say climate change has actually led to more frequent and severe floods in Nepal in recent years.

“Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and rainfall patterns are becoming increasingly unpredictable due to climate change,” Bhattarai said.

However, “we cannot blame climate change for hiding our poor management of rivers,” he added.

Who is suffering most from the floods in Nepal?

Communities living in informal squatter settlements on river banks are most affected by flooding, said Dangol, the urban planner. These communities consist of working class families and day laborers.

“Not only are they directly affected by flooding, they are also suffering from loss of belongings, loss of jobs and lack of clean water for many days,” he said.

He added that after floods they had to spend money and energy rebuilding their homes without having a safety net to fall back on.

Local media quoted the Ministry of Urban Development as saying that 10 percent of Nepal’s urban population lives in informal settlements.

According to an August 2023 update from local media, the daily wage is set at 668 Nepalese rupees (US$5) per day.

“In addition, women and children in Nepal are very vulnerable to such extreme weather events,” Bhattarai added.

How can floods be prevented?

Dangol, the city planner, says: “It is better to be prepared than to react after the fact.” [flooding] takes place.”

He added that urban planning needs to be improved in the long term and efforts must be made not to disturb the original course of the river.

The use of porous material in construction and modernization of infrastructure to cope with a growing population are other necessary measures to mitigate future disasters, Dangol said.

Tribhuvan University’s Bhattarai added that water resources projects such as hydropower and irrigation systems should be designed to withstand extreme floods and landslides.

In addition, “the dissemination of warning information should be made effective and awareness should be raised about safety measures during floods and other water-related disasters,” he said.

He added that government agencies should work with research institutions to develop research-based solutions to flooding and water problems.

“We should not forget that this is not the first time this has happened. This happens every year, but this time the scale is huge,” Dangol said.