The rain, floods and landslides have continued in Nepal. Heavy rainfall affected several districts on Thursday 14 August (see our original report here), leaving at least 12 dead. Over 50 people have been killed in floods or landslides since then, bringing the death toll to a shocking 65, with 58 people still missing. AP say that the number of missing is even higher at 152.
The flooding continues to affect the 13 districts mentioned in our report yesterday, but has since spread to include a further 9 districts. By far the worst affected area is Surkhet where at least 21 people died when the rivers overflowed. 44 people are still missing after the disaster.
According to the Himalayan Times deaths have also occurred in the districts of Dang, Bardiya, Dhadeldhura, Chitwan, Sindhuli, Makwanpur, Bajura, Bajhang, Dhanusha, Banke, Gorkha, Rukum, Rolpa, Khotang, Nawalparasi and Salyan.
The affected areas are so widespread its difficult to get an exact figure on those displaced by the floods. A rough calculation suggest as many as 14,000 people have been displaced by either floods or landslides in the last 3 days. That figure includes 6,000 people evacuated after river flooding in Banke, and around 6,000 who were displaced after flooding damaged 1,000 houses in Bardiya. Over 2,000 people have been evacuated after the Kamala River overflowed in parts of Siraha.
Massive amounts of monsoon rainfall, deforestation and soil erosion, erosion of river embankments, rivers blocked with silt and debris – all these issues contribute to Nepal’s frequent flood disasters.
Add in the complications of river dams, hydro projects and the effects high rain and rivers levels in Nepal have on flooding in neighbouring India states (see the current situation in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand), Nepal is one of the world’s most significant battle grounds for fighting floods in a warming climate.
