Nepal and China Discussed Disaster Risks Three Months Before Deadly Floods

Nepalese and Chinese officials discussed how to monitor and prepare for floods, severe weather and glacier-related hazards just three months before a catastrophic surge of water, mud and rock struck a Himalayan valley on their border.

About 10 officials from each country attended the May 27 meeting in Kathmandu, including representatives from Tibet, where the disaster occurred. They agreed to pursue joint risk-reduction measures such as monitoring glacial lakes and mapping dangerous areas.

The meeting did not provide Nepal with all the early-warning information its officials wanted. Two Nepalese officials told Reuters they had hoped for more detail from their Chinese counterparts on glacier hazards and water-level monitoring. They feared that limited data sharing could reduce their ability to predict disasters and prepare for them.

“What we actually wanted from them, and still want, is to know a little earlier if there are early movements of glaciers and early movements around that area,” said Sauhardra Joshi, a hydrologist with Nepal’s flood forecasting service and a participant in the meeting.

The latest official figures cited put the death toll at 788, with at least 2,742 people injured. Nepalese authorities previously listed 2,498 people as missing and 7,514 as rescued. Chinese authorities said 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries were missing on the Tibetan side of the border crossing, while 16 people had died in Tibet.

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What we actually wanted from them, and still want, is to know a little earlier if there are early movements of glaciers and early movements around that area.