Nepal: Catastrophic Destruction Signals a Climate Crisis in the Himalayan Region

The United Nations has warned that devastating floods in Nepal have destroyed entire areas and that similar disasters could occur in other parts of the Himalayas as a result of climate change. Sara Netzer, Regional Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), which provides services related to infrastructure, procurement, and the management of humanitarian and development projects, told reporters in Geneva after returning from a visit to Nepal that, normally, local communities begin rebuilding their homes and settlements within two to three weeks after a natural disaster. However, this is not possible in Nepal.

In late August, floods and landslides triggered by the sudden collapse of a glacier killed more than 1,200 people.  Several houses were swept away along with their foundations and carried as far as 150 meters. People who have been left homeless are now living in temporary facilities that the Nepalese government calls holding centers. The organization’s team visited some of these centers, where clean water and basic sanitation facilities are urgently needed.  Many displaced people are currently living in school buildings, while authorities want the schools to reopen. Therefore, providing temporary accommodation on an emergency basis is also an urgent need. Many children have lost their parents and are now living in these temporary centers.

She said that prospects for reconstruction in Nepal do not appear particularly encouraging. The river has completely changed its course, making it unclear which locations would be safe for these communities to rebuild and return to. The ground has not yet fully stabilized, so reconstruction cannot currently be considered.  The organization has released funding for engineering assessments, mapping infrastructure-related risks, and analyzing the safety of bridges. Restoring transportation across rivers and streams is an extremely important issue, as only one of the 40 bridges has survived. As a result, several communities have been cut off from one another.

The World Food Programmed (WFP) has been forced to rely on helicopters to deliver life-saving assistance to affected areas. Sara Netzer said that, overall, this is a crisis with an enormous human cost as well as a very heavy toll in terms of infrastructure destruction. She said the scale of the devastation was something she had not witnessed even after Nepal’s devastating earthquake in 2015. People who spoke with the UNOPS team expressed serious concern about reconstruction and the psychological impact resulting from the disaster. They said they had lost everything, including their loved ones, and that many people were still missing.  Sara Netzer said that what is being witnessed in Nepal could also occur in other parts of the Himalayas as a result of climate change. She said that while the crisis is affecting Nepal today, there is a strong possibility that another community or country could face a similar crisis in the coming days.