Opinion | What it means to live with the disaster paradox
Summary
Recurring floods and landslides in Nepal are permanently destroying farmland, pushing farming families into poverty, migration, and food insecurity. The piece argues that disaster recovery must prioritize reclaiming damaged agricultural land, not just counting crop losses and infrastructure damage.
Key Points
- Repeated floods and landslides are causing permanent farmland loss across Nepal, not just crop damage and asset loss.
- The article says this overlooked land loss is driving livelihood collapse, displacement, migration, and deeper inequality.
- Nepal’s rising food imports and dependence on remittances are linked to shrinking agricultural productivity and disaster-driven labour outflow.
- The author argues that restoring damaged farmland should become a core state priority in disaster recovery.
