How many floods will it take for Nepal to act?

Disaster risk reduction is rarely a priority until a disaster strikes close to home. Yet even the destruction caused by the Bhote Koshi flood on July 8, 2025 , was not enough to spur the state into taking meaningful action to reduce future risks. Thirteen months later, disaster struck the same corridor on a much larger scale.

On August 26, 2026, an ice avalanche triggered a massive flood that swept through the Bhote Koshi–Trishuli corridor . More than 1,400 people were killed, more than 5,000 were reported missing, and approximately 7,570 homes were damaged or destroyed. Roads and hydropower projects also suffered severe damage.