week 16, The most dangerous disasters in Nepal
Earthquakes: The Silent Time Bomb
Nepal is located on the active boundary line between the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates and is hence very sensitive to strong earthquakes. The most recent and destructive one is the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale. The disaster resulted in almost 9,000 deaths, over 22,000 injuries, and extensive damage to homes, historical monuments, roads, and schools. Thousands were rendered homeless, and economic losses were estimated at more than $10 billion USD. In spite of this horrible experience, earthquake-resistant infrastructure is still lacking in many areas in Nepal, and countless numbers of structures remain unsafe. To avoid loss of life in earthquakes in the future, strict building regulations must be enforced through an urgent need to retrofit old structures and hold regular earthquake mock drills in schools and among surrounding communities. Increasing people's awareness and training citizens on earthquake response is also likely to minimize panic and casualties.
Landslide: The Deadly Menace During Monsoon
Another significant threat to Nepal is landslides, especially during monsoons. The steep hills and deforested slopes in Nepal and haphazard road construction render it highly vulnerable to landslides induced by excessive rainfall. Dozens lose their lives and lose their homes every year due to landslides, which also disconnect villages from essential services. In 2020 alone, landslides in Sindhupalchok and Myagdi districts killed more than 60 people within a span of a few weeks. Rainfall is becoming more severe and erratic due to climate change and leading to more frequent occurrences of such disasters. To avoid landslides, Nepal should invest in slope stabilization methods including tree planting, retaining walls, and proper drainage while planning roads. Awareness among communities about safe construction in hills and deploying early warning mechanisms can also play an important role in minimizing death and injury.
Floods: An Ongoing Threat in the Terai
Floods is yet another pervasive and fatal calamity in Nepal, specifically in the Terai region—the flat part in the south of the country. Monsoonal rains, overflowing rivers and glacial melting from the Himalayas lead to floods every year that destroy crops, uproot families and result in heavy economic losses. In 2017 alone, one of its worse floods in living memory impacted over 1.7 million people, killed over 160 and left major sections of the country underwater. As global warming raises its head, floods have also been becoming more frequent and severe in intensity. Nepal needs to strengthen embankments over rivers, build flood-proof infrastructure and implement better disaster response mechanisms in flood-vulnerable areas. Governments and disaster management organizations must team up with meteorologists to issue timely flood alarms, so people can evacuate in advance. Encouraging people to build raised dwellings, rain harvesting structures and climate-resilient agricultural initiatives also enable communities to cope with altered patterns in floods.
Other Hazards: GLOFs and Drought
Apart from the above major threats, Nepal is also threatened by glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), which result when glacially formed lakes suddenly break their boundaries. Such events displace millions of cubic meters of water within a matter of minutes and wipe out anything in their path. As global warming speeds up melting in Himalayan glaciers, numbers and sizes of glacial lakes increase, increasing chances of GLOFs. At the same time, drought is emerging as an increasing concern in places like Terai and mid-hills as irregular rainfall and inadequate water management have contributed to crop failures, water shortage and food insecurity. In order to tackle all these concerns, Nepal must invest in glacial lake observation, establish early warning mechanisms and advance community-based water conservation initiatives including rainwater harvesting and drought tolerance cultivars.
What Can Be Done: Prevention and Preparedness, Preventing all natural disasters might be impossible, but minimizing their destruction through planning and preparedness is very possible. The Government of Nepal, assisted by bodies like the United Nations, World Bank, and USAID, has achieved some progress in disaster risk reduction through the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). There is an urgent need for more work at the local level. People need to be empowered through information about disasters and their consequences through school and awareness programs in schools and through drills and training in their local areas. School curriculums need to incorporate disaster risk management as part of it. Local governments need training to prepare and implement Local Disaster Risk Management Plans (LDRMPs). Investment in infrastructure resilience, health services during emergencies, and logistics networks is also critical to minimize losses when disasters do happen. Finally, youth and community volunteers must be mobilized in awareness-raising, rescue training, and conservation efforts to cope with disasters and achieve resilience.
Nepal's geography is unique in making it one of the most resilient as well as disaster-vulnerable countries globally. Earthquakes, landslides, floods, and various types of hazards still threaten people's lives, infrastructure, and growth. Poverty alleviation must be pursued while learning from previous disasters and focusing on risk reduction and preparedness and sustainable growth. These hazards' influence on Nepal can be counteracted and a more resilient future developed through right policies, people's participation, and international collaboration.
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