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🇳🇵 Nepal /Disasters & Emergencies

Met Office predicts monsoon arrival in Nepal within a few days

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Nepal faces increasing disaster risks as the monsoon approaches, with thousands living in areas deemed uninhabitable by experts.
  • Many residents in landslide-prone zones are reluctant to demolish old homes or have not received full reconstruction grants, exacerbating their vulnerability.
  • Climate experts warn that even a below-normal monsoon could bring intense rainfall, flash floods, and landslides, posing significant threats to communities.

As Nepal braces for the monsoon season, a critical concern is the thousands of people still residing in areas officially designated as disaster-prone and uninhabitable. In Lidi village, Sindhupalchok district, where a devastating landslide in 2020 claimed 39 lives, many of the affected families have not received full government reconstruction support. Some residents remain in their old homes, located in zones marked as high-risk, due to incomplete grant installments or a reluctance to demolish existing structures.

Those receiving a full reconstruction grant have also been residing in the villages designated as Red Zone by multiple expert panels. Most families are not getting the final installment of the reconstruction grant, as they are not ready to demolish their old houses in the landslide-prone zones, where they are still residing.

— Narayan ParajuliJugal Rural Municipality disaster focal person, explaining the challenges faced by residents in disaster-prone areas.

This precarious situation is not unique to Lidi. Across the country, communities are living under the constant threat of landslides, flash floods, and glacial lake outburst floods. Despite forecasts of a below-normal monsoon this year, the potential for intense rainfall bursts and rising temperatures heightens the danger. Geologists studying over 300 at-risk settlements have identified a third that require immediate relocation due to severe landslide risks.

Of the over 300 villages, where we have carried out a study, a third of the settlements need to be relocated immediately, as they are at a high risk of landslides.

— Prakash PokhrelGeologist at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, highlighting the urgency of relocating at-risk settlements.

Climate experts, including those from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), caution that a reduced monsoon rainfall does not equate to diminished disaster risks. The Hindu Kush Himalayan region is increasingly vulnerable to unpredictable weather patterns. Short, intense rain showers, coupled with rising temperatures and water stress, could make the monsoon season particularly hazardous for Nepal and surrounding areas.

A below-normal monsoon in parts of the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region is not expected to reduce disaster risks.

— ICIMOD reportInternational Centre for Integrated Mountain Development report on the HKH Monsoon Outlook 2026, warning about persistent disaster risks.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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