This year’s monsoon, which arrived a week later than usual, has swept across Nepal with new vigour. In response, authorities have activated rapid response and rescue operations, preparing for the worst.
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To this end, highly vulnerable and inaccessible areas have been identified, and 54 temporary monsoon response bases established. Permanent disaster management units are already operational in 16 high-risk locations. Security personnel have been placed on standby, helicopters and rescue equipment are ready, and emergency engineering assets are deployed near vulnerable highway segments.
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Such mobilisation of resources is promising. It indicates significant improvement in the country’s disaster response capabilities, including timely weather forecasting, early warning systems that reach local populations, and better coordination among agencies.
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During the previous monsoon, under the KP Oli-led government, when disaster struck, many were left to fend for themselves. However, after his government fell and Sushila Karki took the lead following the Gen Z protests, timely information and the closure of dangerous highways significantly reduced potential losses. Still, true preparedness means ensuring resilient infrastructure, sustained investment in disaster risk reduction and stabilising fragile slopes long before the monsoon clouds gather.