Devastating floods ravage Nepal as climate change intensifies monsoon rains

Residents of Nepal's flood-hit capital returned to their mud-caked houses on September 29 to inspect the aftermath of devastating floods that killed at least 170 people across the Himalayan country.

The catastrophic flooding in Nepal has not only claimed lives but also left a trail of destruction in its wake. The capital city, Kathmandu, once a bustling metropolis, now resembles a ghost town with its streets submerged and buildings caked in mud. The sudden deluge has overwhelmed the city's infrastructure, exposing the vulnerabilities of urban planning in the face of extreme weather events. As climate change continues to exacerbate such disasters, the need for resilient city designs and improved disaster preparedness becomes increasingly apparent.

Deadly rain-related floods and landslides are typical throughout South Asia during the monsoon season, which runs from June to September, but researchers fear climate change is increasing their frequency and intensity.

Over the weekend, entire neighborhoods in Kathmandu were submerged, with flash floods recorded in the capital and major damage to roadways linking the city to the rest of Nepal.

Mr Kumar Tamang, who lives in a slum along a riverside, told AFP that he and his family were forced to evacuate after midnight on September 28 when water surged into their shanty.

"This morning, we returned, and everything looks different," the 40-year-old stated.

"We couldn't even open the doors to our house - it was jammed with mud," remarked the man. "Yesterday, we were afraid that the water would kill us, but today, we have no water to clean."

The Nepalese Home Ministry reported that 170 people had been slain across the country, with another 42 still missing. According to ministry spokeswoman Rishi Ram Tiwari, bulldozers are being employed to clean many routes that had become clogged with debris, cutting Kathmandu off from the rest of the country. "More than 3,000 people have been rescued," the politician said.

The scale of the disaster has stretched Nepal's emergency services to their limits. Local authorities, aided by the military and international relief organizations, are working around the clock to reach those still stranded. However, the challenging terrain and continued bad weather are hampering rescue efforts. Satellite imagery reveals the extent of the flooding, with vast swathes of land submerged under muddy water. The economic impact of this disaster is expected to be severe, with damage to infrastructure and agriculture likely to set back Nepal's development by years.

At least 35 people were killed and buried alive when a landslide careened into a roadway south of Kathmandu, according to Nepal Police spokesman Dan Bahadur Karki.

The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said that preliminary data from 14 areas showed record-breaking rainfall in the 24 hours leading up to the morning of September 28.

A station at Kathmandu airport recorded over 240mm of rain, the most since 2002. The Bagmati River and its various tributaries that flow through Kathmandu burst their banks around midnight on September 28, flooding nearby homes and vehicles.

Residents fought through chest-deep water to reach higher land. Ms Bishnu Maya Shrestha, who lived in another inundated section of Kathmandu, said residents had to cut through their roofs to get out. "We jumped from one roof to another to safety and, finally, they came with boats to rescue us," said to Ms. Shrestha.

More than 3,000 security personnel were dispatched to assist in rescue efforts, along with helicopters and motorboats. Rescuers were utilizing rafts to transport people to safety.

Humanitarian organizations are also assisting with search and rescue efforts, as well as offering aid. Mr Jagan Chapagain, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, stated in a post on social networking platform X that staff and volunteers were "distributing non-food items, providing hygiene kits, and establishing evacuation centers."

Domestic flights resumed in and out of Kathmandu on September 29 morning, after inclement weather prompted a complete shutdown beginning the evening of September 27, with more than 150 departures cancelled.

The resumption of flights brings a glimmer of hope for both stranded tourists and the delivery of much-needed aid supplies. However, the situation on the ground remains dire. Health officials are warning of potential disease outbreaks as floodwaters recede, leaving behind contaminated water sources and unsanitary conditions. The government has issued urgent appeals for international assistance, recognizing that the scale of the disaster exceeds the nation's capacity to respond effectively on its own.

The summer monsoon provides South Asia with 70 to 80 percent of its annual rainfall. Monsoon rains from June to September cause significant death and destruction throughout South Asia each year, but the frequency of devastating floods and landslides has increased in recent years. Experts believe climate change has increased their frequency and severity.

A landslide on a road in Chitwan area in July swept two busses carrying 59 people into a river. Three people escaped alive, but authorities were only able to recover 20 remains from the disaster due to surging floodwaters hindering the search. In 2024, more than 260 people died in Nepal due to rain-related calamities.

As Nepal grapples with the immediate aftermath of this disaster, questions are being raised about long-term solutions. Climate scientists are calling for urgent action to mitigate the effects of global warming, warning that such extreme weather events will become more frequent and intense in the future. Meanwhile, urban planners and disaster management experts are advocating for improved early warning systems, better flood defenses, and more robust evacuation procedures. The tragedy in Nepal serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of climate change and the urgent need for global cooperation in addressing this existential threat.