Floods and debris flows across Nepal have killed 682 people. Roughly 3,000 are reported missing, a figure likely to move given how many areas remain out of communication.

Nepali authorities have committed more than 15,000 military and police personnel to rescue work. They also reversed a position of relying on domestic capacity, announcing they would accept foreign technical assistance.

Behind the reversal

Initial reluctance reportedly reflected coordination costs and sovereignty considerations. But as the scale of damage far exceeded early estimates, shortages of heavy equipment and specialist search teams became evident.

Landslide-dammed lakes in particular demand specialized equipment and experience. When a temporary lake formed by a slide blocking a valley collapses, it triggers a second disaster downstream, so water-level monitoring and controlled release are required.

The climate factor

Nepal's foreign minister warned that threats from climate change are intensifying. Glacial retreat in the Himalayas has multiplied glacial lakes, and extreme rainfall on top of them enlarges debris flows.

Disasters in the region cross borders: an upstream collapse becomes downstream flooding in another country, which makes hydrological data-sharing a practical form of disaster prevention.

International response

Several countries are sending rescue teams and supplies. China sent a message of condolence in the name of its president, and Chinese rescue teams are searching in the border area near Gyirong. South Korea dispatched a rapid response team to search for its nationals.

What remains

The monsoon has not fully ended, which is a variable. Further rain could bring secondary collapses on already weakened slopes. Sheltering the displaced and controlling infectious disease remain immediate tasks.