Category - Science and Environment

On August 26, 2026, Rasuwa District, Nepal, was struck by a powerful outburst flood, a devastating reminder of the challenges in our mountain regions. This event, triggered by an ice avalanche near Timure, sent a torrent down the Bhote Koshi River. The scale of the impact has been captured and analyzed by international and national Earth Observation programs, and these satellite maps provide critical insights for understanding the event and coordinating response.

The initial view identifies the general path, tracing the red line from the ‘Ice Avalanche Location’ above Timure, down past Syabru Besi. Post-event images from August 27th and 28th show the dramatic changes to the riverbed.

A key analysis from the Earth Observatory of Singapore uses a ‘Damage Proxy Map’.  This map highlights ground surface changes, with a heat map from yellow to red showing increasing damage. It points to critical infrastructure impacts, including damage at the ‘New Trishuli Bridge’ downstream.

A detailed summary from GIC-AIT is a stark representation of the human and infrastructural toll, citing 903 deaths and over 4,200 missing. Their damage proxy map, alongside before-and-after satellite views, shows extensive damage to the waterway and roads.

Further assessment by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre  through Sentinel Asia focuses on specific points of interest. It highlights the vast area affected by comparing pre-and-post-event satellite imagery, quantifying the impact with concrete statistics like a potential 0.42 sq.km affected area near a specific monitoring site.

Finally, a visualization from TASA and Sentinel Asia  uses false-color composites to contrast the ‘normal’ state in mid-August with the flooded area on August 28th. The dense white areas indicate the flood-affected zones and mud deposits covering previously vegetated land, showing a total affected area reaching approximately 10 square kilometers.

For a deeper understanding and ongoing discussion, these resources from international agencies like Copernicus, TASA, and Sentinel Asia are invaluable.

Gobinda Prasad Pokharel

Today, a photograph released by the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) caught my eye. It was a captivating shot of Kumbhakarna Himal. Struck by its beauty, I found myself digging deeper into the story behind this peak. What I discovered was a fascinating blend of culture, mythology and mountaineering history that I felt compelled to share.

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Nepal is again in the forefront of ‘wildlife diplomacy’—from gifting gharial eggs and rhinos earning international goodwill. For the first time ever, elephants have taken center stage in Nepal. In my recent Op’ed Article for Diplomat Nepal Magazine of 2025, August Issue, I explore how this diplomatic pivot—from rhinos to elephants—signals changing times, deeper conservation ties and a new chapter in Nepal’s global engagement.

Gobinda Prasad Pokharel
August 10, 2025

Nepal’s wildlife diplomacy has taken a new turn with the decision to gift two elephants – Khagendra Prasad and Rudrakali – to Qatar. This will mark the first time Nepal has gifted elephants to another country. In the past, Nepal has gifted rhinos, leopards, red pandas, and other wild species.

Nepal continued its tradition of wildlife diplomacy during K.P. Sharma Oli’s first term as Prime Minister. On July 10, 2016, his cabinet decided to gift rhinos to China, making it the first live animal gift since Nepal became a federal democratic republic. Previously, such gestures were mostly made by the Royal family during the monarchy. The decision followed a meeting in January 2016 between then Forest Minister Agni Sapkota and Zhang Jianlong, Director of China’s National Forestry Administration.

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