‘Change the development model’: Nepal’s ‘River Man’ Megh Ale after deadly floods

Nepal must rethink its development model and hydropower expansion amid worsening climate risks, conservationist Megh Ale has said after deadly Bhote Koshi floods. Known as Nepal's “River Man”, Ale urged Himalayan nations to prioritise river conservation, climate adaptation and safer infrastructure

Kathmandu: Nepal must urgently change its development model and reconsider its rapid expansion of hydropower projects in the face of a worsening climate crisis, conservationist and social entrepreneur Megh Ale has said, warning that the devastating Bhote Koshi River floods are a sign of a much larger threat facing the Himalayas.

Speaking to IANS, Ale, widely known as Nepal’s “River Man”, said that the country’s lawmakers must move away from what he described as a pursuit of “hydrodollars” and place greater emphasis on protecting rivers and adapting development to changing climatic conditions.

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“Change the development model. Don’t think of hydrodollars. Also, India must not encourage our business people and government to build all those dams,” Ale said, outlining his message to Nepal’s political leadership following the latest flash-flood disaster.

The death toll from the devastating floods in the Bhote Koshi River had risen to 177 by Thursday, according to Nepal Police. More than 800 people remained out of contact. Police said the bodies had been recovered by 10 a.m. from several areas affected by the flooding.

The massive flood originated in the Tibetan region of China before sweeping through the transboundary Bhote Koshi River system. The disaster caused widespread destruction downstream, with bodies recovered from riverbanks in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Chitwan, Gorkha, Tanahun, Nawalparasi East and Nawalparasi West. Chitwan accounted for the highest number of recovered bodies.

Addressing questions regarding whether the tragedy could have been anticipated, Ale explained that scientific investigations are ongoing to determine the specific triggers of the ice and rock collapse high in the mountains.

“In terms of why that rock fell, scientists are yet to figure it out. Obviously, this is ice-rock from the mountain, and researchers are determining whether a glacial lake was involved. It is both a manmade and natural disaster. When the two combined, the impact became huge, triggering a disaster of this scale,” Ale stated.

He stressed that a series of under-construction dams exacerbated the catastrophe.

“As the flood hit, the destruction of all those infrastructures caused an even bigger problem as debris began floating downstream.”

According to Ale, once the flood struck, the destruction of these structures created additional debris and intensified the downstream impact as infrastructure and materials were swept away.

The conservationist linked the latest disaster to a series of extreme events witnessed across the Himalayan region over the past decade. He cited disasters in Uttarakhand and along the Teesta River, as well as flooding along Nepal’s Seti River, as warnings of the changing environmental conditions.

“This is a huge warning. This is just the beginning,” Ale cautioned.

“The rivers of the Hindu Kush Himalayas are the lifeline of over 1.5 billion people. All nations in this region really need to wake up and act before it is too late, and in many ways, we already feel it is too late,” he added.

He called for governments across the Himalayan region to recognise the risks posed by rapid warming and climate change and to strengthen measures to protect river systems.

Ale said Nepal, which has about 6,000 rivers and rivulets, needs to respect the natural behaviour of its waterways while developing infrastructure. He argued that disaster preparedness must be accompanied by a fundamental rethink of how development projects are planned and constructed.

“We need to live with it,” he said, referring to the realities of global warming and the climate crisis.

He urged Nepal to adapt its development policies to current environmental conditions rather than continuing with projects without adequately accounting for increasing climate risks.

Ale also called for greater responsibility from India, given the importance of Nepal’s rivers to the wider Ganges basin. He said a substantial share of the water flowing into the Ganges originates in Nepal and argued that India therefore has a responsibility to support river conservation and management.

“If all these disasters happen one after another, what will happen to the Ganges?” he asked, stressing that governments on both sides of the border must work together to protect transboundary rivers.

Ale said the latest catastrophe should serve as a warning for Nepal and other Himalayan nations to act quickly on climate adaptation, river conservation and safer development practices before increasingly frequent extreme events cause even greater loss of life and infrastructure.