Khalte, Nepal, October 16: Nepal’s devastating floods have exposed the risks faced by communities relocated to vulnerable areas following natural disasters, raising fresh questions about the safety of temporary settlements and the need for secure, permanent rehabilitation.
Chheku Lama, a resident of Khalte village in Nepal’s Rasuwa district, recalled desperately urging people to flee as floodwaters surged through the settlement on August 26. According to him, a group followed him uphill, but none survived.
Khalte had been established as a temporary settlement after the 2015 earthquake destroyed nearby villages. However, the settlement’s location along the Trishuli River in a narrow valley left residents exposed to flooding, with limited escape routes when the water surged.
Residents reported that at least 375 people were missing after the village was devastated.
Nepal is still grappling with the consequences of severe flooding that has killed more than 1,400 people and left thousands missing in its mountainous border region with China. Another flash flood in north-central Nepal last week reportedly left at least five people missing.
Over the past decade, tens of thousands of people in Nepal have been displaced by earthquakes, floods and landslides. The destruction of Khalte has highlighted how survivors can remain vulnerable when relocated to settlements that lack adequate protection against natural hazards.
Survivors are now urging the government to move beyond emergency assistance and temporary shelters and provide safe, permanent housing where displaced families can rebuild their lives.
Unsafe Resettlement Raises Fresh Concerns
The 2015 earthquake killed nearly 9,000 people across Nepal and destroyed villages where families had lived for generations. Under a government relocation programme, around 257 vulnerable households were moved to Khalte.
However, geological assessments later classified the area as a “red zone” because of landslide and avalanche risks.
Bam Bahadur Tamang, a Khalte resident now living at a government relief centre, said many residents had opposed the relocation but were eventually compelled to move there.
He stressed that any future resettlement must prioritise safety while ensuring access to essential services.
“Wherever the government resettles us now, it must first ensure that the place is safe,” Tamang said. “We are not cattle to be moved from one place to another.”
His concerns underline the challenges of rehabilitation, which extend beyond finding safe land. Displaced families also require schools, healthcare facilities, roads and sustainable livelihoods to establish permanent homes.
Nepal Plans New Settlements for Flood Survivors
The Nepalese government has announced plans to develop a new city for flood victims, with industries, hospitals and schools. Officials have said displaced residents would not be sent back to settlements destroyed by the floods.
The government is also considering involving private developers in reconstruction, including arrangements under which developers could build houses in cooperation with landowners.
Dharam Raj Uprety, chief executive of Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, said officials were identifying safer locations for new settlements.
Experts would assess land suitability, and areas vulnerable to flooding could be declared uninhabitable. The government is also considering converting high-risk riverbanks into forest areas and constructing homes on safer ground.
Uprety emphasised that disaster management authorities must work closely with agencies responsible for infrastructure, land use and urban planning to ensure that disaster risks are incorporated into future development.
He said the disaster management authority’s role was largely to coordinate efforts and help other agencies integrate risk reduction into their planning.
Climate Risks Add to Nepal’s Challenges
Nepal has introduced measures to reduce flood-related risks, including river monitoring, early-warning systems and community preparedness programmes. However, remote mountain valleys remain vulnerable to sudden floods triggered by landslides and glacial lake outbursts.
Scientists have warned that rising temperatures and increasingly unstable mountain environments make stronger monitoring systems, improved infrastructure and effective early warnings increasingly important.
The destruction of Khalte has renewed calls for disaster-resilient settlements and long-term rehabilitation policies that account for geographical risks before families are relocated.
Survivors Face an Uncertain Future
For Khalte’s survivors, finding a safe place to rebuild remains a major concern. Many are reluctant to return to areas associated with the loss of family members and homes.
Norchi Ghale, who survived both the 2015 earthquake and the recent floods, suffered devastating personal losses. His father died in the earthquake, while his mother and wife were killed in the floods.
Before the disaster, Ghale owned a small plot of farmland in Khalte and raised cattle to support his family. When he recently returned to the village, he could barely recognise the place where his home and livelihood had once stood.
“I could not even trace where things used to be, just like my future now. I don’t know where I will go or how I will raise my children,” he said.
His experience reflects the uncertainty facing many displaced families as they await decisions on permanent housing, livelihoods and rehabilitation.
The tragedy has underscored a critical lesson for disaster-prone regions: relocation programmes must not only move people away from one disaster but also ensure that their new homes are safe, sustainable and equipped to support their future.
