Nepal floods and landslides have claimed nearly 200 lives over the weekend. What's going on there?

Nepal, which has been experiencing more frequent instances of extreme weather in recent times, became the victim of intense floods and landslides once again over the weekend. An estimated 192 people have lost their lives, nearly 100 are injured and at least 30 individuals remain missing.

Sources suggest that a low pressure system over the Bay of Bengal and the unusual positioning of the monsoon trough triggered exceptionally heavy rains across Nepal on Friday. Large swathes of eastern and central Nepal witnessed incessant downpours, resulting in overflowing of the Bagmati — Kathmandu’s main river.

One of the hardest-hit areas has been the Koshi River basin, with its flooding impacting several districts like Sunsari, Saptari and Udayapur. Other rivers like Gandaki and Karnali also caused widespread flooding, with damage concentrated in Banke, Bardiya and Dang districts. The low-lying Terai plains in southern Nepal also faced severe flooding due to the accumulation of rainwater from higher elevations, especially in Morang, Jhapa and Rautahat districts.

Reports indicate that the floods have damaged at least 322 houses and 16 bridges across Nepal. Many claimed that they have never seen such a devastating flood and inundation in the Kathmandu Valley in 40-45 years. But flooding was hardly the only side effect of the intense rains.

Hilly areas, which are aplenty in Nepal, witnessed landslides. Areas like Sindhupalchok, Dolakha, and Lamjung experienced significant landslides that blocked highways and cut off access to remote villages. In Gorkha and Rasuwa, landslides destroyed homes and caused fatalities, with dozens feared trapped under debris.

While thousands remain stranded in various parts of Nepal due to road disruption, as many as 4,000 people affected by flood and inundation have been rescued by the Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force personnel, Ministry of Home Affairs spokesperson Rishiram Pokharel said.

Health experts are warning of the outbreak of water-borne diseases, including cholera, as sanitation facilities have been compromised in many flood-affected areas. Hospitals in Nepalgunj and other cities are already overwhelmed with injured people and mobile health units have been deployed to provide medical aid in more remote locations.

Experts have pointed out that climate change is intensifying the frequency of such extreme weather events. Nepal's fragile ecosystem, combined with poor infrastructure, makes the country highly vulnerable to floods and landslides. In the aftermath, rebuilding will require extensive resources, and long-term solutions are being discussed, such as the construction of river embankments, improving disaster preparedness, and better flood forecasting systems.

For now, despite the forecast for rain to continue in Nepal until Tuesday, there have been signs of some easing since Sunday.