Nepal Faces Recurrent Floods, But Disaster Is Not Inevitable
Environmental historian Dan Haines argues that the Himalayan floods in Nepal are driven by a mix of climate trends and human choices—unregulated development, deforestation, riverbed disturbance, and vulnerable infrastructure—so disasters occur when people live in flood paths. He urges Nepal to shift from mass tourism to high-value, lower-impact models and to strengthen disaster preparedness, including evacuation training and trust in warnings, drawing on earthquake-response lessons to reduce future devastation.