A river does not know the language of development. A mountain does not understand a building permit. A glacier recognises no political boundary, yet human beings increasingly behave as though nature must adjust itself to our plans. The devastation in Nepal should make us ask a more uncomfortable question than simply, “Why did it rain so heavily?” or “Why did the glacier collapse?” An extreme natural event may trigger a disaster, but human decisions often determine its scale.

When settlements, roads, bridges and economic assets are placed in vulnerable locations while natural protection is destroyed, a hazard becomes a catastrophe. We have become good at predicting hazards but poor at respecting warnings. We are engineering the landscape to make civilisation possible while simultaneously engineering away its capacity to protect civilisation. This is not merely an engineering failure. It is a failure of responsibility – a willingness to ignore nature in the name of progress. Modern development asks, “What can we build here?” It should first ask, “What can this landscape safely carry?” Climate change makes this question more urgent.

Burning coal, oil and gas, deforestation and destruction of natural ecosystems increase greenhouse gases and warm the planet. In the Himalayas, warming is affecting glaciers, snow and rainfall, increasing the risks of floods and landslides. But climate change should not become an excuse for poor decisions. A forest is not merely a collection of trees. It is a living community of trees, shrubs, grasses, insects, birds, fungi and microorganisms that protects the land and regulates water. Roots hold soil, vegetation slows rainfall, organic matter stores water, and biodiversity helps forests recover from disturbances.

Destroying forests or their biodiversity........

© The Statesman