Nepal Enhances Flood Warning Systems Following August Disaster
In response to the devastating floods, Nepal plans to implement early warning systems in six river basins and reduce glacial lake levels.
Kathmandu, October 25 (Daily Kiran) : The Nepalese government is taking significant steps to bolster its disaster management systems following the catastrophic floods that struck in August. Plans are underway to establish flood early warning systems across six major river basins and to lower water levels in four high-risk glacial lakes.
The floods, which occurred on August 26, resulted in approximately 1,500 fatalities, with over 5,000 individuals still unaccounted for. According to the government’s initial Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) report, the disaster inflicted damages estimated at around $1.81 billion.
The Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river basins suffered extensive damage to hydropower projects, solar energy plants, power transmission networks, and transportation infrastructure. The energy sector, particularly hydropower projects, was among the hardest hit.
A government white paper revealed that from 2022 to 2028, a Priority River Basin Flood Risk Management project will implement flood early warning systems in six river basins. This initiative is expected to cost approximately $7.54 million and will cover the Mawa-Ratuwa, Bakraha, Lakhandahi, East Rapti, West Rapti, and Mohana-Khutia river basins.
Additionally, the government announced that from mid-May to mid-October, the primary monsoon season in Nepal, 24-hour flood forecasting and warning services will be made available.
Rising temperatures in the Himalayan region are causing glaciers to melt at an alarming rate, increasing the risk of instability in glacial lakes, avalanches, and devastating floods in lower areas. To address this, the Nepalese government will launch the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) Mitigation Project.
This project aims to reduce water levels in four high-risk lakes: Thulagi, Lower Barun, Lumding Tsho, and Hongu-2. It is slated to run from 2026 to 2033, with an estimated budget of $4.99 million.
Nepal has previously lowered water levels in the Tso Rolpa and Imja lakes to mitigate the risk of floods caused by glacial lake outbursts.
Furthermore, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology plans to enhance the accuracy and reliability of weather and flood forecasts by prioritizing artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and high-performance computing technologies.
