Flood damage in Nepal exacerbated by underlying conflict with India
Authors: Anup Uprety, Akihiko Ozaki, Yuki Senoo, Izumi Yoshida, Claire Leppold, Asaka Higuchi, Tetsuya Tanimoto
Journal: The Lancet Planetary Health (2017)

Since Aug 11, 2017, large-scale floods and subsequent landslides have hit South Asia, including the southern plains of Nepal, causing damage to the lives and safety of affected residents.1Rural Reconstruction NepalNepal flood-2017: situation report.http://www.rrn.org.np/phocadownloadpap/Nepal_Flood_2017/rrn_strep_3.pdfDate: Sept 1, 2017Google Scholar According to the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nepal, as of Sept 7, 160 people have been killed and 29 people are missing.2UN Office of the Resident Coordinator NepalFloods 2017—Office of the Resident Coordinator situation report no. 7.http://un.org.np/sites/default/files/Nepal%20Flood%20Sitrep%207%20September.pdfDate: Sept 7, 2017Google Scholar More than 192 000 houses have been reported to be partially destroyed.2UN Office of the Resident Coordinator NepalFloods 2017—Office of the Resident Coordinator situation report no. 7.http://un.org.np/sites/default/files/Nepal%20Flood%20Sitrep%207%20September.pdfDate: Sept 7, 2017Google Scholar In total, 1·7 million people have been affected by the disaster, and more than 21 000 families have been displaced.2UN Office of the Resident Coordinator NepalFloods 2017—Office of the Resident Coordinator situation report no. 7.http://un.org.np/sites/default/files/Nepal%20Flood%20Sitrep%207%20September.pdfDate: Sept 7, 2017Google Scholar In terms of health, as of Aug 20, 2017, approximately 17 600 cases of illness, including diarrhoea and skin infections, have been reported.3Nepalese Epidemiology and Disease Control Division Department of Health Services Ministry of HealthHealth sector response to flood and landslide—2017 situation update report 8.http://nheicc.gov.np/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/8th-Situation-Update-Report-220817.pdfDate: Aug 22, 2017Google Scholar Basic medical supplies, water, or food are insufficiently available.2UN Office of the Resident Coordinator NepalFloods 2017—Office of the Resident Coordinator situation report no. 7.http://un.org.np/sites/default/files/Nepal%20Flood%20Sitrep%207%20September.pdfDate: Sept 7, 2017Google Scholar As such, the disaster has led to catastrophic consequences for the daily lives and safety of those affected. Nepal faces floods every monsoon season, alongside other types of natural disasters, including earthquakes. The Climate Risk Index, which quantifies the effects of extreme weather events in terms of vulnerabilities and economic losses, estimates that the loss of assets incurred by disasters in Nepal in 2014 was more than US$140 million.4Kreft S Eckstein D Dorsch L Fische L Global climate risk index 2016. Who suffers most from extreme weather events? Weather-related loss events in 2014 and 1995 to 2014.https://germanwatch.org/fr/download/13503.pdfGoogle Scholar The country was ranked as the seventh most affected nation against climate-related disasters in the same year.4Kreft S Eckstein D Dorsch L Fische L Global climate risk index 2016. Who suffers most from extreme weather events? Weather-related loss events in 2014 and 1995 to 2014.https://germanwatch.org/fr/download/13503.pdfGoogle Scholar As illustrated by the devastating 2015 Gorhka Earthquake, the disaster vulnerability of Nepal is shaped by its geography. Most people reside in hilly places, where the risk of landslides is high, or in the lowlands of the southern plains, where inundation during monsoon is inevitable. To make matters worse, a long-lasting bilateral conflict with India has complicated Nepal's response to disasters. One representative example of exacerbated disaster damage due to bilateral conflict can be seen following the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake. Following Nepal's promulgation of a new Constitution in September, 2015, 6 months after the earthquake, the border between Nepal and India has been blocked.5Mishra SR Sharma A Khanal V Health diplomacy to tackle the crisis in Nepal.Lancet. 2016; 388: 463-464Summary Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (3) Google Scholar The blockade has disturbed production, transportation, and distribution of medicines, as well as other products across the countries, restricting the provision of basic health and emergency services, and reducing the quality of daily living; all of which have probably complicated the disaster response and recovery of Nepal.5Mishra SR Sharma A Khanal V Health diplomacy to tackle the crisis in Nepal.Lancet. 2016; 388: 463-464Summary Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (3) Google Scholar The effects of the most recent flood were also exacerbated by the bilateral conflict between the two countries,6The Kathmandu PostDisastrous disaster preparedness.http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2017-08-14/disastrous-disaster-preparedness.htmlGoogle Scholar particularly a new conflict around water management. A major source of the present conflict is the 18 dams and 1355 km long embankment constructed by India parallel to the India–Nepal border.6The Kathmandu PostDisastrous disaster preparedness.http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2017-08-14/disastrous-disaster-preparedness.htmlGoogle Scholar Disagreements have been reported about how often the barrage gates should be opened, and the ways in which the dams might affect inundation of Nepal's southern plains.6The Kathmandu PostDisastrous disaster preparedness.http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2017-08-14/disastrous-disaster-preparedness.htmlGoogle Scholar Nepal and India have worked together to achieve successful transboundary water management in the past, as accentuated in the successful example of the Mahakali River Treaty, and there have been calls for further cooperation in the general river management and flood control, which could equally affect the safety and daily living of people in both countries.7Salman SMA Uprety K Mahakali river.in: Van Puymbroeck RV Conflict and cooperation on South Asia's international rivers: a legal perspective. Kluwer Law International, Hague2003: 97-118Google Scholar As the effects of global warming continue to increase, the health burdens of climate-related natural disasters, including floods, hurricanes, and cyclones, are on the rise worldwide.8Forzieri G Cescatti A e Silva FB Feyen L Increasing risk over time of weather-related hazards to the European population: a data-driven prognostic study.Lancet Planet Health. 2017; 1: 200-208Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (151) Google Scholar Furthermore, political conflicts, particularly water conflicts, are thought to be intensifying because of population growth and climate change worldwide.9Petersen-Perlman JD Veilleux JC Wolf AT International water conflict and cooperation: challenges and opportunities.Water Int. 2017; 42: 105-120Crossref Scopus (96) Google Scholar Given that water conflicts between countries can worsen the damage associated with natural disasters,9Petersen-Perlman JD Veilleux JC Wolf AT International water conflict and cooperation: challenges and opportunities.Water Int. 2017; 42: 105-120Crossref Scopus (96) Google Scholar as seen in the current case of Nepal and India, more attention should be paid to the detrimental effects of conflict on human safety in disaster settings. Unfortunately, existing international organisations, such as the International Court of Justice, might not be well prepared to handle bilateral conflicts in disaster settings, especially when urgent responses are required to protect individuals affected by disasters.10International Court of JusticeList of all cases.http://www.icj-cij.org/en/list-of-all-casesGoogle Scholar We underscore the necessity to accelerate a wide range of discussions on how disaster preparedness and management should be undertaken, with an emphasis on its humanitarian aspect, as increasing climate-related disasters are likely to be additionally complicated by current political conflict, leading to new risks to the lives and safety of human beings. We declare no competing interests.