Nepal Flood Disaster Sparks Claims That China Is to Blame, Putting Belt and Road Projects Under Fire

More than 1,000 people had died and over 3,900 were missing in Nepal by Sept. 1 after catastrophic flooding and landslides struck the border with Tibet. The disaster has now placed China’s sweeping infrastructure drive in the Himalayas, including projects linked to the Belt and Road Initiative, back under intense scrutiny.

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There is no evidence showing that Chinese infrastructure directly caused this disaster, and of course it cannot be said that the related projects triggered the event.

Floodwaters and mudslides appeared along the Nepal-Tibet frontier on Aug. 26, swallowing roads and bridges and striking the gates of a border crossing. Geological experts linked the disaster to a sudden glacier collapse after days of rain. Chinese officials warned that other unstable glaciers remained at risk of collapse and urged residents in high-altitude areas to prepare for evacuation.

The contrasting casualty figures have fueled suspicion. Nepal reported more than 1,000 deaths and over 3,900 missing people, while Chinese authorities had reported 16 deaths and 546 missing in Tibet by the weekend. Critics questioned whether the Chinese figures reflected the full scale of the disaster. The report also said Chinese authorities blocked journalists from entering some affected areas and censored flood footage online. China’s cybersecurity authorities announced administrative penalties against 10 people accused of spreading online rumors and false information, including people who questioned the official death toll.

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Human intervention in a highly unstable and sensitive geographic environment.

As attention turned to the disaster, Tibetan activists, journalists and other observers also questioned the consequences of China’s large-scale development in the region. There is no conclusive evidence that any Chinese infrastructure project directly triggered the glacier collapse, but critics warn that major construction can damage an already unstable ecosystem. Projects cited include the Medog Hydropower Station in Tibet, which China describes as potentially one of the world’s largest hydropower facilities, and infrastructure in Nepal associated with the Belt and Road Initiative.

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Ideological bias

Concerns over Chinese dams in Tibet have also persisted in India, where some observers fear they could become “water bombs” in a conflict. News18 journalist Rahul Shivshankar said there was “no evidence showing that Chinese infrastructure directly caused this disaster,” but described large-scale construction in the region as “human intervention in a highly unstable and sensitive geographic environment.” China’s embassy in Argentina and Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun rejected what they called ideological and malicious speculation, saying China had released information openly, transparently and promptly and opposing the politicization of a natural disaster.

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Open, transparent and timely