Nepal Faces Escalating Natural Disasters Amidst Climate Change and Budgetary Gaps

Kathmandu. Due to Nepal's specific geographical location, weak mountainous terrain, and the extreme impact of climate change, the country has been going through a very challenging and destructive phase in terms of natural disasters for the past four years. During this period, the country has faced not only seasonal fluctuations but also historically large floods, landslides, earthquakes, and glacial lake outburst floods.

From the incident where the BP Highway was devastated by a destructive flood in the Roshi River in central Nepal to the example of minimal human casualties in Dodhara-Chandani due to an early warning system despite excessive rainfall, these events clearly show the importance of preparedness and structural strengthening. However, stakeholders say that climate-induced disaster risk reduction is still not adequately prioritized in national policy and budget formulation processes.