How can Nepal’s economy rebuild after floods?

Nepal is still reeling from the devastation caused by recent flash floods. More than a thousand people are reported to have lost their lives and thousands more are still missing. The physical impact is extensive with many hydropower stations, providing the country’s main source of energy, either damaged or destroyed. The floods have also severely impacted Nepal’s other major industries including tourism.

The concern now is that the billions of dollars required for Nepal to get back on its feet go way beyond its own resources. And reconstruction will mean elevating those measures required for monitoring and responding to future geological hazards and climate change. But right now, the country’s road to recovery appears long, costly and almost impossible. So just how can Nepal’s economy rebuild after floods?

Contributors:

Dr Neera Shrestha Pradhan, water and disaster risk reduction lead, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Patan, Nepal

Dr Dinesh Paudel, professor of sustainable development, Appalachian State University, North Carolina, USA

Santosh Nepal, researcher in water resources and climate change, International Water Management Institute, Lalitpur, Nepal

Ritu Bharadwaj, director climate resilience, finance and loss & damage, International Institute for Environment and Development, London, UK

(Photo: An aerial view of houses surrounded by mud, rocks and debris following flash floods in Betravati village, Rasuwa, Nepal. Credit: Ritesh Shukla/Stringer/Getty)

Presenter: Charmaine Cozier

Producer: Evie Yabsley and Jill Collins

Researcher: Amelia Cox

Technical producer: Mitch Goodall

Production co-ordinator: Ellie Dover

Production management assistant: Liam Morrey

Editor: Tom Bigwood