Disaster emergency preparedness and response

Lack of high-tech equipment and effective search and rescue constrains Nepal’s disaster response.

Nepal experiences recurring flood hazards, primarily during the monsoon season, accounting for 10 percent of the total disasters. Flood frequency and severity have increased with erratic and unpredictable rainfall and heightened climate variability. For instance, in 2014, Western Nepal experienced its worst flood event, claiming 222 lives and destroying infrastructure and property. Similarly, the country experienced floods in 35 districts affecting over a million people in 2017, inundating 80 percent of land in Terai. The recent September floods took more than 200 lives, destroying homes, infrastructure and farmlands across the country.