Nepal to Reinstall Early-Warning System After Deadly Floods

Nepal will rebuild an early-warning network near its border with China after floods killed at least 1,225 people across the two countries and left thousands missing.

The first equipment will go to Timure, a highland border settlement in Rasuwa district, one of the most sensitive areas along Nepal’s border with China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority plans to install cameras, seismic sensors and a VSAT satellite connection at one site before expanding the system elsewhere. Officials surveyed possible locations by helicopter.

The VSAT link is intended to keep monitoring stations connected even when mobile networks fail. The system could help authorities identify new hazards and issue warnings to downstream communities several minutes before floods occur. Officials said that brief warning could still help reduce losses.

A government source said the terrain had changed after the recent large-scale flash floods, creating the possibility of further landslides. China said it had shared images of affected areas, satellite and hydrological data, and early warnings about natural dams upstream.

As of the evening of Sept. 2, Nepal had recorded at least 1,204 deaths and 4,216 missing people. Chinese state media reported 21 deaths and 541 missing in Tibet, bringing the combined toll to 1,225 dead and 4,757 missing.

“

The terrain has changed after the recent large-scale flash floods, so further landslides may occur.