Nepal

The Himalayan nation is providing 40 megawatts of electricity to Bangladesh via India, replacing two damaged power plants with energy generated by other hydroelectric facilities. Meanwhile, an international fund for climate-related loss and damage has allocated US$ 20 million for reconstruction, a figure that falls well short of the estimated US$ 4.7 billion required.

In recent days, fresh flooding in Solo Khumbu – the gateway to Everest – has highlighted the instability of the mountain environment. Celebrations of Nepal’s most important religious festival have been subdued amongst families, partly due to the ongoing transport problems.

The account of Sister Lenita D’Souza, an Indian doctor with the Sisters of Maria Bambina, who has been on the front line alongside a driver and three nurses in helping the victims of the disaster that struck a month ago. ‘If we don’t get the children back to school, we will soon lose an entire generation. We must rebuild not only homes but also lives.’

Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah addressed the General Assembly on the tragedy of the 26 August floods, which left over 1,400 dead and thousands missing. He proposed a climate resilience mechanism for the Himalayas involving India and China, and called on the international community to reassess its priorities: “We are being hit by a climate emergency that we did not cause and by wars that we did not start.”

With the Bothekoshi Valley impassable, the only open trade route with China now runs through the Korala Pass at an altitude of 4,650 metres. Beijing is pushing for major infrastructure projects there as well. Until now, Kathmandu has preserved the environment and identity of the plateau, a region some identify with the mythical Shangri-La.

Damage to infrastructure and the disruption of links with Tibet come on top of the heavy reliance on remittances from the more than 2.6 million Nepalis living abroad. A still-fragile economy and youth unemployment exceeding 20 per cent are fuelling an exodus of young people that has been strongly encouraged in recent years.

Many of the victims of the Himalayan catastrophe are Hindu. Professor Chinmay Pandya spoke to AsiaNews about the relief efforts of Gayatri Pariwar, a social organisation that brings together 150 million Hindus. For him, “Relief work therefore becomes a bridge between inner awakening and social responsibility.”

Hydropower plants, where workers were trapped, are not only meant to meet local energy needs but also serve for exports. The goal is to boost production capacity to 28.5 GW by 2035, up from the 4 GW generated by the existing 189 plants. Finding suitable places for solar power remains a challenge.

A year ago today, Gen Z-led demonstrations paved the way for a profound change in Nepali politics, culminating in the arrival of Balendra Shah to power. But 12 months later, many of the demands for transparency, the fight against corruption, and institutional renewal remain unfulfilled.

The account of Bhim Chand, a tour operator who has been at the forefront of efforts to protect the Himalayas for years: “We avoided the valley floor to reach the disaster area: in the narrow valley, there was no chance of escape. These glaciers, the planet’s water reserve, are collapsing due to warming caused by human activity.”

With roads washed away in the Rasuwa and Nuwakot gorges, the sky is the only viable route for rescue and aid. With more than 4,000 people missing and several communities isolated, 30 military and private aircraft are flying over a rugged valley with no ground control or landmarks to rescue survivors and deliver aid to villages.

As victims are counted and efforts are underway to save hydroelectric plant workers in Nepal, questions are mounting about the sustainability of the development model adopted in recent years in the shadow of the Himalayas. For its part, the Nepali government is demanding “climate compensation”.