Nepal shifts to reconstruction after deadly flash floods

Nearly three weeks after deadly flash floods swept through Nepal's Bhotekoshi-Trishuli river corridor near the Chinese border, the Himalayan nation is shifting from search-and-rescue operations to relief and reconstruction efforts.

Authorities in Nepal say at least 1,386 bodies have been recovered across five affected districts, while more than 5,130 people are still missing. The latter figure includes 587 foreign nationals and around 900 workers employed in hydropower tunnels and other energy facilities.

The deluge, which authorities say was triggered by a glacier collapse, devastated communities and swept away more than a dozen hydropower facilities. As search operations continue in submerged tunnels and along muddy riverbanks, families are growing increasingly desperate for news of missing loved ones.

Villages wiped out in minutes

The scale of human loss is particularly stark in the upper river basins, where entire settlements vanished within minutes. In many places, destroyed roads and bridges have cut off access, forcing rescue and relief teams to rely on helicopters to deliver essential supplies.

Niranjan Paudyal, a resident of Sole village in Nepal's Nuwakot District who lost his parents, uncle, aunt and sister in the flash floods, said the flood took away even the chance of burying his family members.

"We spent days searching through debris, hoping for signs of my missing parents and family," he told DW. "Sadly, the disaster left us with no choice but to perform their final rites without their bodies."

Public land in Uttargaya Rural Municipality in Rasuwa District has either been washed away or rendered unsafe.

"There is not even land left after the flood to perform the final rites of those who lost their lives," Chameli Gurung, the municipality's deputy chair, told DW. "Relatives have to travel to Kathmandu's Pashupati Aryaghat to perform the final rites."

In Uttargaya alone, at least 618 houses were swept away or buried and 877 people remain missing. Only 12 bodies have been recovered. Gurung said local authorities are exploring the possibility of leasing private land to accommodate displaced families before winter.

Nepal's communication minister, Bikram Timilsina, told DW that affected people are being resettled close to their original homes by securing nearby public or private land and providing financial assistance based on household size until they can become self-reliant.

A colossal recovery bill

As emergency relief efforts begin to stabilize, Nepal faces a massive financial burden. A preliminary rapid damage and needs assessment (RDNA) puts the total reconstruction requirement at about 723.3 billion Nepalese rupees ($4.78 billion, €4.1 billion), according to local media reports.

The RDNA estimates that nearly two thirds of the funds will go into restoring energy and transport networks and academic facilities.

Hydropower, which supplies almost all of Nepal's electricity, had become a fast-growing source of the country's export revenue. The flood damage has deepened concerns about how Nepal will finance its recovery.

On Monday, neighboring India approved the export of power to Nepal for 18 hours a day until at least December 31, Reuters news agency reported.

"We will try to utilise all of our domestic resources and seek international support to manage the funding gaps," Timilsina, the communication minister, told DW.

Nepal wants to grow resilient

Nepal has formally approached the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)-backed Loss and Damage Fund for assistance. However, the fund, established to help countries deal with the impacts of climate change, has yet to begin distributing its limited resources.

Nepal is seeking to turn reconstruction into part of a broader economic recovery strategy, with an emphasis on climate-resilient infrastructure rather than simply replacing what was destroyed.

"Given our previous experience with post-disaster management, what matters most is how effectively we can use the funds to restore lives and livelihoods and build disaster-resilient infrastructure," Roshee Lamichhane, an associate professor at Kathmandu University, told DW.

Demand for climate justice

Beyond recovery finance, Nepal is making a broader climate justice argument on the international stage.

Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 24, where he is expected to call for global responsibility for mitigating climate impacts.

Despite contributing less than 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Nepal remains highly vulnerable to climate-induced hazards.

"Reconstruction would be used as an opportunity to build climate-resilient infrastructure," Maheshwar Dhakal, who leads the Climate Change Management Division at Nepal's Ministry of Forests and Environment, told DW. "We will develop a guideline with the motto of 'tomorrow for a better future.'"

Climate scientists caution against attributing any single extreme event solely to global warming without detailed studies, but they agree that rising temperatures are accelerating glacial melt across the Himalayas.

Manjeet Dhakal, director of Climate Analytics South Asia, says the scale of the disaster highlights the growing consequences of rising global temperatures and gives Nepal an opportunity to advocate for cuts in global carbon emissions on the international stage.

"How many more disasters should we wait for before there is a global response to address the impacts of climate change?" he asked, adding that developed and advanced countries, alongside other nations, should take greater responsibility.