Why Nepal’s infrastructure keeps losing to the river

The Bhotekoshi flood invites a turning point for resilient infrastructure and eco-friendly development.

On August 26, a catastrophic flood in the Bhotekoshi (Trishuli) River caused unprecedented devastation to riverbank settlements, hydropower projects and the highway network. Triggered by a glacier-avalanche blockage on the Tibetan side of China, the sudden surge instantly destroyed the Timure customs office, security checkpoints, Timure Bazaar, Syabrubesi and Trishuli Bazaar. The disaster has left at least 289 dead, hundreds missing, thousands homeless, and has destroyed approximately 40 kilometres of roads, 19 motorable bridges, 45 suspension bridges, and numerous hydropower plants. Rupturing the Trishuli Basin—the backbone of Nepal's energy sector and the primary trade corridor connecting Kathmandu with Nuwakot, Rasuwa and China—has triggered a severe crisis for national security and economic stability.