Climate change is causing glaciers to melt.
\nGlacial lakes are expanding.
\nWeather patterns are changing.
\nThe direct impact of these changes has now begun to affect our lives. The devastating flood in the Bhotekoshi River is one of the most frightening examples of this reality. The flood, triggered by the outburst of a glacial lake formed after a landslide in the mountains, not only caused massive loss of lives and property but also pushed hundreds of families into grief, uncertainty and suffering.<\/p>\n
The disaster has also raised a serious question: Is Nepal now capable of dealing with disasters of this scale?<\/p>\n
The difficulties and delays encountered in rescuing people trapped inside tunnels of hydropower projects under construction along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers exposed a vulnerable aspect of Nepal\u2019s disaster-management capacity. Rescuing people trapped inside tunnels is very different from responding to ordinary disasters and involves complex technical challenges. It requires specialized equipment, skilled technical personnel and rescue mechanisms that can be mobilized immediately.<\/p>\n
Another painful challenge after the disaster has been the management of unidentified bodies. For families waiting anxiously without knowing what has happened to their loved ones, the discovery of a body can become a moment of both hope and unbearable pain. When the identity of a deceased person cannot be established, even the final rites may have to be performed without the presence of the family, making the situation even more heartbreaking. The pain of death itself is unbearable; not being able to confirm the final condition of a loved one adds another deep wound to the suffering of families.<\/p>\n
I extend my heartfelt tribute to all those who lost their lives in this disaster and my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. It is difficult to put into words the pain of families who continue to wait day and night in the hope that their missing loved ones will return. The state must understand their waiting, tears and hope not merely as statistics, but as a matter of human suffering and dignity.<\/p>\n
The difficulties witnessed during search and rescue operations have also highlighted the lack of necessary technology, specialized personnel, rescue equipment and effective early-warning systems. While seeking assistance from friendly countries such as China, India, the United States and Japan during a major humanitarian crisis is understandable, it cannot be considered a long-term solution.<\/p>\n
As a Himalayan country increasingly exposed to the risks of climate change, Nepal can no longer afford to treat disasters as mere accidents of nature. The state must make long-term investments in the scientific monitoring of glacial lakes and glaciers, reliable early-warning systems, skilled technical human resources, advanced rescue mechanisms, and scientific management of vulnerable settlements and infrastructure.<\/p>\n
The Bhotekoshi flood has reminded us not only of the power of nature but also of the weaknesses in our preparedness. Disasters may not always be preventable, but the human losses they cause can certainly be reduced. For that, instead of rushing to rescue people only after a disaster strikes, we must build mechanisms that identify risks in advance and protect citizens\u2019 lives before disaster occurs.<\/p>\n
The homes swept away, bridges destroyed and infrastructure damaged today can be rebuilt. But the lives lost cannot be brought back. Therefore, the Bhotekoshi tragedy must not be forgotten as merely another devastating event. It should become the starting point for decisive changes in Nepal\u2019s disaster-management system.<\/p>\n
The question now is not only, \u201cWhen will the next disaster strike?\u201d but also, \u201cHow prepared will we be before it does?\u201d<\/p>\n
With respect for those who lost their lives, solidarity with the families of the missing, and responsibility toward future generations, our resolve must be one:<\/p>\n
May such a disaster never happen again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Climate change is causing glaciers to melt. Glacial lakes are expanding. Weather patterns are changing. The direct impact of these changes has now begun to affect our lives. The devastating flood in the Bhotekoshi River is one of the most frightening examples of this reality. The flood, triggered by the outburst of a glacial lake […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":53,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/en.samatakhabar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/rk.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.samatakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.samatakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.samatakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.samatakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.samatakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=52"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/en.samatakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55,"href":"https:\/\/en.samatakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52\/revisions\/55"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.samatakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/53"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.samatakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=52"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.samatakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=52"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.samatakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=52"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}