NEPAL’S deadly floods, which happened after the August 26 glacial and mountain collapse on the China-Nepal border, are a grim reminder to the world that climate change is no longer a distant threat — it is happening right now.
The catastrophe, triggered by a massive collapse of rock and glacial ice, demonstrates how rising temperatures can destabilise fragile mountain environments and create devastating cascading disasters.
The floods have killed at least 1,280 people and left more than 5,500 missing. What began with the devastating flash floods on August 26 has, by now, developed into a prolonged disaster, with rescue teams still racing against time to find survivors and recover those trapped or missing.
A total of 55 Malaysians are still uncontactable following the disaster on August 26. Another 77 Malaysians, who were confirmed safe in Tibet and Nepal, have been taken to Kathmandu for processing before returning to Malaysia.
Based on the latest reports as of yesterday, rescue and specialist teams assisting Nepal appear to include teams or experts from at least five countries, namely, China, India, South Korea, Australia and Malaysia. The exact number may change as more international teams arrive.
Eleven personnel and officers from the Special Malaysian Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) departed for Nepal yesterday morning to assist search and rescue (SAR) operations in areas affected by floods and landslides.
The death toll has continued to rise while thousands remain unaccounted for. Rescue operations are particularly difficult in remote Himalayan areas, where roads, bridges and communications have been destroyed.
Hydropower sites have become a major focus of search efforts, with many workers feared trapped in tunnels. The rescue of two people alive on Sept 4 — nine days after the disaster — offered a rare glimmer of hope amid the tragedy.
Beyond the immediate loss of life, Nepal, a landlocked country in South Asia, now faces the daunting task of caring for displaced survivors, reaching isolated communities and rebuilding devastated infrastructure. The sheer scale of debris and destruction will make recovery a long and difficult process.
The tragedy should also serve as a warning to the world. Extreme weather and climate-related disasters are becoming increasingly destructive.
Nepal’s experience underlines the urgent need not only to cut greenhouse gas emissions but also to strengthen early-warning systems, disaster preparedness and climate resilience.
The tragedy is therefore more than a national disaster — it is a warning to the world that the consequences of a changing climate can be sudden, devastating and measured in human lives.
Climate change refers to long-term changes in Earth’s temperatures and weather patterns.
While the climate can change naturally over long periods, the rapid warming happening today is mainly caused by human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, the cutting down of forests, industrial activities and agriculture and livestock farming.
These activities release greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide and methane, into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat from the sun, causing the Earth to become warmer.
The effects of climate change include rising temperatures and more heatwaves, heavier rainfall and severe floods, more droughts and wildfires, rising sea levels, more extreme weather events and damage to ecosystems, wildlife and agriculture.
Nepal’s recent catastrophic floods offer a stark warning that disasters can unfold rapidly and overwhelm communities when hazards, infrastructure failures and climate risks combine.
For Malaysia, the tragedy reinforces several important lessons.
• Strengthen early-warning systems so communities receive alerts quickly and clearly, followed by immediate instructions on what to do.
• Prepare for cascading disasters, where heavy rain, landslides, floods, infrastructure failures and communication disruptions can occur together.
• Make development risk-informed, particularly when building roads, bridges, settlements and critical infrastructure in flood- or landslide-prone areas.
• Invest in community preparedness, ensuring residents know evacuation routes, emergency procedures and how to respond before disaster strikes.
• Improve coordination and communication among government agencies, emergency responders, local authorities and communities.
• Build resilient infrastructure, rather than simply rebuilding damaged facilities in the same vulnerable way.
• Turn lessons into action, with every major disaster followed by reviews, improvements and concrete preparedness measures.
Malaysia already faces increasingly unpredictable weather, including intense rainfall, floods, landslides, drought and haze.
Recent disaster-management efforts have emphasised proactive preparedness but Nepal’s tragedy is a reminder that preparedness must be continuously tested and strengthened—not only activated when disaster strikes.
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at adelinel888@gmail.com.
