We Must Rescue First. Rebuild Next. But Build Differently.

Only hours earlier, there had been a bright blue Himalayan sky, sunshine and the familiar tranquility of Rasuwa. Then, with terrifying speed, devastation swept through the valley.

Our first and most urgent responsibility is human: to find the missing, rescue those stranded and bring relief to families confronting unimaginable loss. But as the rescue effort continues, the scale of what has happened is beginning to come into focus.
And it is immense.

Preliminary estimates put infrastructure damage at around Rs 200 billion. Nineteen bridges and some 40 kilometres of roads have been damaged or destroyed. Thirteen hydropower projects have suffered direct damage, with 933 workers initially reported out of contact.

These are not merely statistics. They represent lives, livelihoods, investment and years of economic development.

Rasuwa is also one of Nepal’s most important economic arteries. Rasuwagadhi is a critical gateway for trade with China. Nepal imported more than Rs 400 billion worth of goods from China last fiscal year. Now, the customs yard has been devastated, cargo has been swept away and the route is effectively severed just as traders prepare for the country’s biggest festival season.

The consequences will travel far beyond Rasuwa.

Higher transport costs, disrupted supply chains, lost inventories, stranded capital and potential shortages could eventually translate into higher prices for consumers. Businesses that financed goods through loans and letters of credit now face losses they may struggle to absorb.

Then there is energy. The hydropower projects affected are part of the infrastructure on which Nepal has staked a significant part of its economic future. Their destruction forces us to confront a question we have perhaps not asked seriously enough: what is the true cost of building infrastructure in an increasingly unstable Himalayan environment?

The Finance Ministry now estimates that rebuilding the flood-ravaged areas could require US$4-5 billion, nearly 10% of Nepal’s economy.
That is not simply a reconstruction bill. It is a warning about the vulnerability of our economic model.

Nepal contributes little to global emissions, yet lives on the frontline of a rapidly changing climate. The Himalayas are not passive backdrops to our development. They are dynamic, fragile systems, and our roads, hydropower plants, settlements and trade corridors are increasingly being built within that risk.

We must rescue first. Rebuild next. For now.

But when we rebuild, we cannot simply put back what the water took away.

We must build differently with better risk assessment, stronger infrastructure, early-warning systems, smarter land-use planning and a far greater understanding of the forces shaping our mountains.

Because Rasuwa is not only a deep tragedy that will not leave our memories for long. It is a warning about the price of ignoring risk, and about the choices Nepal must make before the next mountain moves.