Drones take on a new role in Nepal’s disaster response—from delivering food to carrying bodies
Summary
Drones are being used in Nepal’s flood- and landslide-hit areas to deliver food, medicine and emergency supplies, and even to airlift bodies from places rescuers cannot safely reach. The technology, developed locally over the past decade, is also being deployed in Everest operations, tunnel inspections and search-and-rescue efforts.
Key Points
- An AI-enabled drone in Devighat, Nuwakot, helped assess villagers’ needs and deliver emergency supplies after last week’s floods.
- Drone teams airlifted seven bodies from Devighat-3 to Devighat-5 and used drones to inspect flooded tunnels and search for missing people.
- Airlift Technology and other Nepali drone operators say the technology is expanding from Everest logistics to disaster response across Nepal.
- The World Bank says Nepal’s growing drone ecosystem could improve resilience to floods, landslides and other climate-related hazards.
