Record Rainfall Kills 170 in Nepal: Haphazard Development Increases Climate Risks, Experts Warn

At least 170 people have died and 42 still missing in widespread floods and landslides in Nepal after multiple districts received record-breaking rain in the 24 hours to Saturday morning.  Kathmandu recorded the most intense rainfall in more than half a century as data recorded by multiple stations in the capital city has been found to be the highest in the last 54 years. Kathmandu recorded 240 mm of rain in 24 hours leading up to Saturday morning, with some areas reporting up to 322 mm, according to Reuters.

Several roads have been blocked or flooded as rivers like the Bagmati overflowed, with water levels rising above danger marks. Landslides have blocked around eight roads. Footage showed police rescuers in knee-high boots using picks and shovels to clear mud and recover 16 bodies from two buses swept away by a massive landslide on a major route into Kathmandu.

The Kathmandu Post reported that the Meteorological Forecasting Division had warned relevant agencies about upcoming weather changes and disaster risks in advance, yet authorities failed to prevent widespread damage and loss of life. Officials remain uncertain about the total death toll and the extent of property damage, the report added. 

A Shifting Monsoon 

Nepal is highly vulnerable to the climate crisis, experiencing more frequent extreme weather events in the past decade. Its maximum temperature is rising at 0.056°C per year, faster than the global average of 0.03°C. The monsoon season, delivering 80% of Nepal’s annual rainfall, is also shifting, with earlier starts and delayed withdrawals in recent years. Data from Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology shows a shift in monsoon patterns, with monsoon withdrawal delayed from September to October since 2013. 

What are the climate experts saying?

Weather officials in Kathmandu linked the rainstorms to a low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal affecting parts of India near Nepal. Monsoon-related floods and landslides are common in South Asia, but experts warn that climate change is increasing their frequency and intensity.

Climate Centre science lead Liz Stephens said, “While it’s difficult to draw firm conclusions from records which only began in 1970, this rainfall is a huge increase on the previous record, and the IPCC has indicated with ‘high confidence’ that Nepal will see further increases in heavy rainfall as a result of climate change. These floods are further evidence of the help that countries like Nepal need to adapt to a climate very different to what they saw in the past.”

Climate scientists at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) warned that haphazard development increases climate change risks in Nepal noting unprecedented flooding in Kathmandu. ICIMOD urged the government and city planners to prioritize investment in both “grey” (engineered) and “green” (nature-based) infrastructure, including stormwater and sewage systems. ICIMOD attributed worsening flooding to poor drainage caused by unplanned settlements, urbanization, construction on floodplains, lack of water retention areas, and encroachment on the Bagmati River.

References:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-30/nepal-closes-schools-flooding-landslides-deaths-kill-151/104411594

Nepal floods follow most intense rainfall for more than half a century

Incessant rainfall and landslides cause havoc in Nepal; 170 dead, 68 missing

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/nepal-closes-schools-after-heavy-rains-kill-100-2024-09-29/#:~:text=Some%20parts%20of%20the%20capital,weather%20forecaster%20in%20the%20capital.

https://kathmandupost.com/climate-environment/2024/09/30/monsoon-patterns-have-shifted-authorities-mindset-has-not

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264418002_Recent_Trends_in_the_Onset_and_Withdrawal_of_Summer_Monsoon_over_Nepal

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/nepal-floods-112-dead-64-missing-as-intense-downpour-continues-101727582999006.html

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-30/nepal-closes-schools-flooding-landslides-deaths-kill-151/104411594

Banner image: NDRRMA on X (Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority – official twitter account)