The late September floods in Nepal claimed the lives of over 240 people, with climate change, driven by human activity, intensifying the disaster by approximately 10%, according to a rapid assessment by leading scientists released on Thursday. To protect its population from future floods, Nepal must strictly limit development in low-lying areas near rivers, as recommended by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) research.
The World Weather Attribution (WWA) group is an international collective of scientists that analyzes and communicates the potential impacts of climate change on extreme weather events such as storms, heavy rainfall, heatwaves, and droughts.
This study was conducted by 20 scientists affiliated with the WWA, including experts from universities and meteorological organizations in Nepal, India, Sweden, the U.S., and the U.K., according to a statement from WWA.
The WWA report stated, “Climate change was responsible for the extreme three day downpours in Nepal about 10 per cent more intense. Bursts of rainfall will become even more heavier, risking more destructive floods until the world replaces fossil fuels with renewable sources of energy.”
The floods occurred after three days of torrential rain, starting on September 26. Record-breaking rainfall in central and eastern Nepal, with some stations measuring over 320 mm on September 28, led to devastating floods and landslides, resulting in at least 244 deaths and widespread damage.
Eyewitnesses described the flooding in the Kathmandu Valley as highly unusual. The heavy rains that struck the capital city caused property damage amounting to billions of rupees.
The investigation highlighted that rapid urban development significantly worsened the effects of the floods. Kathmandu, the largest city in Nepal, was one of the most affected areas. Located in a bowl-shaped valley around the Bagmati River, the city has experienced rapid growth in recent years.
To prevent future disasters, researchers recommended enhancing early warning systems and acting swiftly. They stated, “Limiting development in flood-prone urban areas will reduce the number of people in harm’s way and save lives when floods occur in the future.”
Mariam Zachariah, a researcher at the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London, noted, “If the atmosphere wasn’t overloaded with fossil fuel emissions, these floods would have been less intense, less destructive and less deadly.”
Additionally, the study underscores the increasing rainfall in Asia, particularly in 2024. Zachariah mentioned that research has confirmed the impact of climate change on devastating floods in Nepal, the UAE, China, Taiwan, India, and Oman.
