COMBATING AGAINST NATURAL DISASTER

Due to the constant abuse of nature, we are experiencing the wrath of nature in the form of natural disasters. Photo: Alamy 

By LB THAPA

Perhaps due to the constant abuse of nature to such an extent that now we are experiencing the wrath of nature in the form of natural disasters. The increasing rate of deforestation, belching smoke from ever-increasing numbers of vehicles, digging out the length and breadth of the mountains to make motorable roads, water pollution, mismanagement of garbage, and many more have only aggravated the environment and made it worse. 

Many reports have duly confirmed that Nepal is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. However, none of the governments in the past or present has ever taken this warning seriously. Instead, they have just confined their activities to the periphery of rescue and rehabilitation. They never thought of developing the necessary infrastructure to mitigate recurring problems like floods and landslides. Every year, scores of people die due to floods and landslides across the country. 

In the danger zone

According to the research, Nepal has been put in fourth place in terms of vulnerability to climate change. It is even so scary to know that over 80% of people in Nepal are at high risk of some kind of natural disaster. And every year during the monsoon, many people, both from the hilly and tarai regions, lose their lives and property beyond calculation. It is beyond one’s comprehension that when disasters like floods kill so many people and trigger a humanitarian crisis almost every year, no serious approach has been taken to find a final solution to the problem. Every year during monsoon time, helicopters will fly and rescue a few stranded people here and there. And army boats will carry some flood victims to a safe place where they are kept under tents until the flood water subsides. Sometimes, those people who lose their family members in a disaster get compensation. This is the way our governments have been tackling natural disasters, like floods. 

The situation has already turned dire for Nepal; this can be better understood by a report published last year by NASA. According to this report, about 30 to 70% more landslides will occur along the Nepal and China border regions. As a result, those who live near the riverside will be under direct threat from floods. In addition, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has already made its forecasts about the warmer and wetter climate in the days to come. According to this department, the average annual mean temperature and average annual rainfall will soar regularly in the coming years. This will only add more debt to the people who live beside the rivers and across the hilly region. Moreover, according to a very recent global report, precipitation may increase by 11 to 23% and temperature might hike by 1.72 to 3.58% degrees Celsius. 

Need strong willpower

Over the years, it has been found that average rainfall has unexpectedly increased in the north-western and north-eastern districts. These intense downpours have been the cause of floods and landslides. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Authority (NDRRMA), the incessant rainfall since June 14 has affected 17 districts of the country. This is just the beginning of the monsoon with such magnitude of destruction. What we can expect in the days to come is only more loss of lives and property beyond imagination. Can we stop any more losses of lives and property? Of course, why not? It is still possible. A concerted effort must be initiated, and the government must come up with strong willpower to tackle the problem. 

Now the time has come for our government to take a serious step against incurring floods. With the help of national and international environmental and disaster management experts, the government must form an expert team to work on disaster management. Strong policies with proper legal provisions should be made. And those provisions must be implemented without any compromise. 

On top of that, a proper survey should be made to ascertain the regular paths of different rivers. After that, no human structures of any kind should be allowed to be built near the paths of the major rivers. Strong embankments should also be erected wherever the chances of soil erosion and landslides are high. 

Throwing a glance at the present disaster, it has been noticed that many human settlements were built near the river’s path. Thus, looking at the first week of monsoon havoc, it can be said that it was not a river that entered the human settlements. People had reached too close to the path of the rivers. Thus, no human settlements should be allowed within close proximity along the path of the river. 

Roads in the villages

Nowadays, many villages have begun digging roads to connect their villages with the national highways. We can see this trend across the hilly and mountainous regions of the country. To make roads, many trees are being cut down, and heavy dozers smash mounds and hills, taking out heavy boulders from their places. As a result, the soil in such areas becomes loose, and during heavy rainfall, such soil easily falls apart. Thus, such roads in hilly and mountainous areas should be made, but only after a proper survey conducted by experienced engineers and geologists. 

Some people welcome the idea of road construction in the hinterlands, whereas many others hold a different opinion altogether. Such motorable roads have already reached many remote villages. As a result, many foreign trekkers strongly dislike trekking on motorable roads, where many vehicles leave behind hazardous smoke for trekkers to inhale. These foreign trekkers don’t like to inhale the dirty black smoke belched out by those rickety buses. No one can deny the fact that several popular trekking routes have now turned out to be busy routes that ply several jeeps, vans, motorbikes, and microbuses. As a result, a large number of foreign trekkers have stopped trekking those destinations, which have once upon a time been noted as popular trekking destinations. In effect, many peace- and nature-loving trekkers have already been diverted to other countries where trekking routes are still away from the meddling crowds of the cities. 

Since the contribution of tourism to national GDP is the second largest only after agriculture, a thorough study must be made to establish a healthy equilibrium between rural developments and environmental protection.

About the author

LB Thapa is the publisher and editor of THE HEMINGWAY POST, a literary magazine. He holds a Master’s degree from Bhopal University, India. He is also the bestselling author of BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY: A SURVIVOR’S TALE. The book is available on amazon.com. The author can be reached at writerlbthapa@gmail.com.

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