A Holistic Approach to Flooding Impacts in Sudurpaschim Province, Nepal
Anmol Pant, RYN 2024 Fellow
Climate change is severely impacting vulnerable regions worldwide, with floods being one of the most devastating natural hazards. Nepal’s Sudurpaschim Province exemplifies a region facing flood-related risks due to its geographical positioning, monsoon patterns, and melting glaciers in the Himalayas. There have been over 350 major flood events in Nepal between 1980 and 2015 alone. Recent trends show that monsoon floods have increased, with glacial melt contributing to their severity (Pokhrel et al., 2021). This article first explores resilience-building challenges using statistics, and then offers adaptation measures based on local data, physical infrastructure improvements such as sustainable urban planning, and psychosocial support strategies.
Nepal is one of the most flood-prone countries in the world, and these risks are particularly acute in Sudurpaschim Province. According to a study conducted by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Nepal experienced over 350 major flood events between 1980 and 2015. In the past decade, Sudurpaschim Province alone has seen an increase in monsoon floods, exacerbated by glacial melts from the Himalayas. In 2021, floods in Nepal affected over 600,000 people nationwide, causing the displacement of nearly 200,000 people, with much of the damage concentrated in flood-prone regions like Sudurpaschim (Nepal National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, 2021).
According to the Water Resources Institute (WRI) Aqueduct tool, 30% of Sudurpaschim’s land is at high risk for riverine flooding in both urban and rural areas. Around 75% of flood-related damages in the province have been caused by riverine floods, which have devastated homes, farmlands, and essential infrastructure (Bajracharya et al., 2021). Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach, including community engagement, early warning systems, sustainable urban planning, and infrastructure upgrades.
1. Improved Flood Protection Infrastructure
Nepal has already initiated efforts to protect flood-prone areas, with the construction of levees, floodwalls, and improved drainage systems. In Kathmandu, construction of these flood protection systems reduced flood damage by 60% in 2020 alone, and similar measures are being planned for Sudurpaschim. According to the World Bank, every $1 invested in flood protection can yield up to $7 in economic returns by minimizing flood damage and reducing recovery costs (World Bank, 2020).
2. Early Warning Systems
The government of Nepal has collaborated with international partners to develop early warning systems across flood-prone areas. By 2022, over 80% of high-risk areas in Sudurpaschim were equipped with real-time monitoring systems for floods. These systems have already saved thousands of lives by allowing timely evacuations (Smith et al., 2016). According to UNDRR data, early warning systems can reduce flood-related fatalities by up to 60% in vulnerable regions.
3. Sustainable Urban Planning
Sustainable urban planning practices have gained traction, with the government of Nepal investing in green infrastructure such as wetlands and parks to absorb floodwaters and channel these volumes out of transportation corridors and essential infrastructure service zones. In addition, the restriction of development in flood zones has been crucial. This strategy was implemented in the city of Dhangadhi, resulting in significant reduction in flood impact in recent years.
4. Community Engagement
Community engagement is essential in flood resilience. Local flood response teams have been established to promote water conservation and small-scale flood defenses (Bishop, 2014). These teams are responsible for constructing small-scale flood defenses, conducting evacuation drills, and promoting water conservation practices like rainwater harvesting.
In addition to physical infrastructure disruptions, flooding also significantly impacts mental health and household wellbeing. Around 70% of flood survivors in Nepal reported post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental health challenges after flood events. Mental health support was integrated into Sudurpaschim's disaster response, with over 3,000 individuals receiving psychological first aid (Acharya et al., 2006). The government’s efforts to implement Climate and Mental Health Integration Policy leads to 20% more timely mental health care during disasters (Welton-Mitchell et al., 2018).
Investing in psychosocial support, therefore, should be a key priority moving forward. To tackle future calamities and prevent collateral damage, mental health support should be integrated into disaster resilience plans. The following section outlines a series of approaches to meet these goals:
1. Climate and Mental Health Integration Policy
In 2022, Nepal introduced policies that include mental health services in disaster preparedness plans. This has resulted in a lot more people receiving timely mental health care during climate-related disasters.
2. Community Resilience Training Programs
Nepal has also implemented various climate resilience training programs such as community awareness and preparedness training on flooding across risk hazard areas of Sudurpaschim Province, with a focus on teaching communities how to manage climate stress and build mental resilience during extreme weather events. All of these measures to improve long-term resilience require substantial financing and foresight to save human lives and economic damages in the future. Nepal receives international funding from organizations such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the World Bank to support flood resilience and climate adaptation efforts. Nepal's Disaster Risk Reduction Strategic Plan (2018–2030) estimates that an investment of $100 million annually is required to bolster climate resilience efforts, a significant portion of which goes towards Sudurpaschim’s flood protection and mental health programs. The World Bank approved $150 million for Nepal under the Nepal Disaster Resilience Development Policy Credit with Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (Cat DDO) on October 8, 2024. This funding supports policy reforms aimed at enhancing disaster resilience, strengthening institutional response mechanisms, and improving early warning systems. It also aids in creating risk-informed investment frameworks for critical infrastructure and boosts preparedness for health emergencies. The contingent financing allows immediate liquidity post-disaster, crucial for Nepal's disaster response across its federal system. (World Bank, 2024).
The resilience challenges posed by flooding in Sudurpaschim Province require a comprehensive approach. By investing in both physical infrastructure improvements and psychosocial support, Nepal is taking meaningful steps to address the growing threats of climate change; however, there is much room for improvement in the strategic allocation of financial resources. The combination of community engagement, early warning systems, sustainable urban planning, and mental health support will ensure that the region can better withstand the immediate and long-term impacts of floods. With sustained investment, Sudurpaschim Province can become a model for resilience-building in other flood-prone regions.
About the Author: Anmol Pant is pursuing a BSW in Psychology at St. Xavier's College, Kathmandu. A curious enthusiast who aims to create positive change, he is excited to be part of the RYN Fellowship and looks forward to collaborating with the team to make a meaningful impact.
References:
Acharya, L., Upadhya, K. D., & Kortmann, F. (2006). Mental health and psychosocial support aspects in disaster preparedness: Nepal. International Review of Psychiatry, 18(6), 587-592.
Bajracharya, S., Khanal, N., Nepal, P., Rai, S. K., Ghimire, P., & Pradhan, N. (2021). Community assessment of flood risks and early warning system in Ratu watershed, Koshi Basin, Nepal. Sustainability, 13(3577), 1-20.
Bishop, D. (2014). Resilience in Nepal: Evaluation of mainstreaming disaster risk reduction and enhancing response capability. Oxfam.
Mukherjee, M., Wickramasinghe, D., Chowdhooree, I., Chimi, C., Poudel, S., Mishra, B., Ali, Z., & Shaw, R. (2022). Nature-based resilience: Experiences of five cities from South Asia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(1911), 1-20.
Pokhrel, K., Khatiwada, S., Paudel, N., Dhakal, K., Chidi, C. L., Timilsena, N., & Mahat, D. K. (2021). Innovative practices for the promotion of local/indigenous knowledge for disaster risk reduction management in Sudur Paschim Province, Nepal. Journal of Geographical Research.
Smith, P., Brown, S., & Dugar, S. (2016). Community-based early warning systems for flood risk mitigation in Nepal. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 17, 423-437.
Welton-Mitchell, C., James, L., Khanal, S., & James, A. (2018). An integrated approach to mental health and disaster preparedness: A cluster comparison with earthquake-affected communities in Nepal. BMC Psychiatry, 18(1), 1-12.
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