Opinion | With climate risks looming, are we ready to face the new disaster together?
Summary
Nepal’s deadly flash floods and past climate-linked disasters are a warning that the region needs real-time data sharing and coordinated early-warning systems across Nepal, China and India. The writer argues that condolences and emergency relief are not enough without formal cross-border cooperation and preparedness.
Key Points
- The article links the recent Nepal-Tibet border flash floods to a decade of recurring climate-related disasters in Nepal, including the 2017 monsoon floods, the Rasuwagadhi flood, Melamchi, and the dengue outbreak.
- It calls for institutionalised real-time meteorological data-sharing and joint early-warning mechanisms among Nepal, China and India to reduce loss of life and infrastructure damage.
- The piece says Nepal should negotiate from the position of a custodian of the 'Third Pole' and the 'Water Tower of Asia,' not only as a victim seeking aid.
- It argues that regional cooperation is a moral and practical necessity because disasters in Nepal have consequences across borders, including in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and China.
