Experts say Nepal needs stronger early-warning systems, stricter land-use planning and better enforcement of building regulations to reduce risks in fragile Himalayan river valleys. The call follows concerns that roads, hydropower projects, hotels and market towns are increasingly being built on flood-prone land near riverbanks.
Alton Byers, a mountain geographer at the University of Colorado who was not involved in the study, said it should serve as a “starting point” for putting more effective early-warning systems and other preventive measures in place.
However, achieving that will be difficult. Activists say building regulations have not been enforced on the ground, while development has been haphazard in too many areas for years.
Professor Surya Raj Acharya, an urban planning expert and registrar at Nepal University, said roads, hydropower projects, hotels and market towns are expanding on low-lying, flat land along rivers because it is accessible and easier to build on.
Those responsible often ignore safety measures, including guidance to keep developments away from riverbanks, he added.
“Fragile ecosystems like the Himalayas require stricter planning and building regulations than other regions, but these rules are weak and poorly enforced,” Acharya said.
Nepal plans new riverbank restrictions
Nepali authorities said they are working to address the risks. Settlements within 15 meters (49 feet) of the riverbank along the recently destroyed Rasuwa-Botekoshi corridor will soon be prohibited, the National Disaster Authority said. Similar rules will soon be introduced in other river basins.
“This is a challenging job because in many places people have emotional attachments to their land and property, but we cannot ignore the increasing risks,” said CEO Dharam Raj Upreti.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
