Two Climate Disasters, 150 km Apart: How Drought in Terai and Floods in the Hills Are Devastating Lives and Livelihoods in Nepal

 

Madhesh Battling Severe Drought (25 July 2025) 

Madhesh Province is currently grappling with a severe drought. The paddy plants in the fields are starting to dry up, and cracks have begun to appear in the soil. The situation has become so dire that the government has officially declared the region a disaster-affected zone and deployed technical teams to assess the impact. According to the Center for Crop Development and Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation under the Department of Agriculture, only 46% of the total paddy fields in Madhesh had been planted by mid-July. As the region is one of Nepal’s major rice-producing areas, this delay poses a serious threat to food security and the livelihoods of thousands of farmers unless urgent relief and long-term solutions are implemented.

Flash Flood Strikes Rasuwa, Disrupts Life (8 July 2025) 

On July 8, 2025, a sudden flash flood surged down from Tibet’s Lhende River and struck Nepal’s Rasuwa district with devastating force. The floodwaters swept away the iconic Friendship Bridge (Miteri Pul), overturned container trucks and electric vehicles at the customs dry port, and knocked out power, internet, and road access along the crucial Rasuwagadhi–Timure corridor. Tragically, nine people lost their lives, and 19 others, including Chinese workers, remain missing.

The destruction was widespread: over 1,100 meters of roadway were damaged at ten different points, several hydropower plants were severely impacted, and local officials confirmed extensive damage to infrastructure. Experts from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) have linked the disaster to a glacial lake outburst caused by the rapid draining of a supraglacial lake in Tibet, as confirmed by satellite images. This event highlights the increasing dangers posed by climate change and accelerating Himalayan glacier melt.

Beyond the immediate human and material losses, the flood disrupted cross-border trade and forced hydropower plants offline, underscoring the urgent need to improve transboundary early-warning systems and strengthen climate resilience in the region.

Reference news and sources. 

https://www.onlinekhabar.com/2025/07/1730435/ponds-of-hope-in-kakakul-madhesh-photos

Stimson Center.

YouTube+13Kathmandu Post+13The Tribune+13.

The Times of India+2Kathmandu Post+2The Tribune+2

SANDRP+10Reuters+10World Meteorological Organization+10. 

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