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The natural disaster that occurred in Nepal due to “glacial collapse” on the Nepali side of the country’s border with Tibet raises a few questions regarding environmental damage, the cross-border impacts of nature’s fury and lack of institutional cooperation among the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) countries. 

Human actions that damage the environment and cause climate change are often considered a major reason for triggering natural disasters. In Nepal’s case, however, the link between disaster and climate change has not yet been established. A study by Gunjan Silwal et al. shows that glacier loss has accelerated in the Langtang region since 1964. But there has also been an increase in the number of glaciers due to the fragmentation and separation of larger glaciers over the years, the study says. 

One of the major human interventions damaging the environment is the obsession with hydropower and other structural construction projects to exploit natural resources.

In the HKH region, there seems to be competition among countries to construct structures on shared rivers.

For instance, soon after the disaster, some Nepalis accused Beijing’s construction work on the course of the Trishuli river of contributing to the flooding. In April this year, Nepal’s government asked China to halt building a safety wall along the Bhote Koshi river, fearing that it may affect the river’s course and may cause damage........

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