Nepal’s Main Hazards
There are two related natural hazards that are impacting Nepal more so than the rest. These are mass wasting and climate change, the latter specifically related to flooding. Mass wasting, particularly landslides, was the leading cause of death in Nepal in 2025 – 351 people in over 1,000 slides. Combine this with flooding and the cost simply to fix the roads comes out to around 84.5 million US dollars. Not to mention the 12,000+ families that have been affected in the past decade. Additionally, flooding has always been an issue for Nepal and, as the climate changes, it is only becoming more so.
According to an article published by the American Geophysical Union (AGU), “Nepal is one of the most landslide-prone countries in the world.” Having the Himalayas situated above Nepal makes mass wasting incredibly common. The oversteepening of mountain slopes, a lack of adequate drainage, and improper debris management combine to form a deadly combination that is the perfect breeding ground for landslides. Monsoon season is typically the most common time for these to occur as the rain drenches the soil and there aren’t enough drainage mechanisms to divert the runoff.
The most common causes of flooding are rain and snowmelt. Both of these factors are influenced by climate change. Monsoons have become more irregular which makes it difficult for residents to plan ahead for flooding. The shifting of the tropical rain belt upwards will begin to bring more flooding to South Asia. Additionally, as the climate warms, the glaciers in the Himalayas are beginning to melt, leading to flooding. This melting increases the size of glacial lakes which put more pressure on dams and cause a greater volume of flooding when these break, leading to catastrophic glacial lake outburst floods. Interestingly, these GLOFs are commonly caused by landslides. The other side of all this, which seems antithetical, is that both the irregularity of monsoons and glacial melting can contribute to the warming of the area and to droughts.
Mountain regions are much more impacted than other regions by landslides that cause disruption to agriculture and deaths … however these have smaller populations. A research article, published by the AGU, found that approximately 15% of Nepalis live in moderate-high exposure areas, even though these areas make up for about 44% of the land. It would make sense that the communities in and at the base of the Himalayas would be disproportionately affected. In an analysis by the Land journal about the Chure Hills region, researchers found that the Dang and Surkhet districts are very susceptible to landslides. Additionally, another study published in PubMed found that the Nuwakot and Illam districts are two of the most prone districts.
The people of Nepal aren’t well educated on disaster risks and management which means that they do not take these into account when building their homes. Many of the people living in the plains build their houses near to the rivers which makes them vulnerable to flooding. As they build on river banks and as their land management alters the shape of rivers, they are increasing the risk of flooding. The top districts prone to flooding are the Kaski and Dang districts.
Based on this, there is not one specific place that seems safer than another. Generalized flood and landslide maps of Nepal cover the entire country. However, Mustang, the “desert of Nepal,” and Manang receive the least amount of rainfall because they lie north of the Himalayas, which block them from the monsoon winds. Therefore, I would likely choose this region in which to build my house.
According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, there are early warning systems (EWS) in each of the country’s main rivers as well as in those places that are more landslide prone, based on the amount of annual rainfall they get. These systems are essential, but they don’t do much good if there is a lack of communication and community education. There needs to be a better system of communication between local and state governments, as well as a way of reaching the rural towns. Training in schools as well as general education of the citizens is essential. This should explore what to do during flooding and mass wasting events as well as how to prevent them, including water conservation and waste disposal methods. People need to also be aware of how the location of their communities can make them more or less susceptible to these hazards. Health facilities need to be mapped better so that they are available in risk areas. Community rescue teams should be created to ensure that each community has adequate response available. Evacuation plans should be posted so that everyone knows what they are and should be practiced regularly. Evacuation centers should also be put in place so that citizens have somewhere to go in the event of evacuation. Additionally, local authorities need to be trained on the risks near them as well as in how to handle emergencies, as there is a lack of knowledge on this topic. Overall, Nepal’s response tends to be reactive rather than proactive. If they were able to switch this, they could save themselves a lot of money as well as preserve lives and livelihoods.
Very nice final reflection!
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