Statement from the Global Water Partnership Organisation on the Flash Floods in Nepal
Photo credit: Times of India
The Global Water Partnership Organisation (GWPO) conveys its deepest condolences to the people of Nepal and the People’s Republic of China following the catastrophic flash floods that struck Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading districts of Nepal and the Gyirong area on the China–Nepal border on 26 August 2026.
The speed and magnitude of the flood wave were extraordinary. According to ICIMOD, water levels on the Trishuli River at Galchchi rose by as much as nine metres within 30 minutes, while at Malekhu they rose by seven metres in a similar period. The disaster has claimed hundreds of lives, left hundreds more missing, devastated communities, and severely damaged transport, hydropower, and transmission infrastructure.
As the Government of Nepal and its partners assess the causes and full impacts, GWPO acknowledges the emergency personnel operating under exceptionally difficult conditions and the work of Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, Nepal Army, Armed Police Force Nepal, Nepal Police and other national institutions in monitoring the situation and disseminating timely information. These efforts underscore the critical importance of monitoring, early warning and rapid communication to protect communities from fast-evolving hazards.
GWPO will support GWP Nepal and GWP South Asia to work with national and local partners to translate lessons from the disaster into risk-informed water and infrastructure investment planning. In collaboration with the Associated Programme on Flood Management (APFM), a joint initiative of GWP and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) engaging 30 partner institutions, this will include strengthening early warning and integrated flood management, embedding disaster risk in urban and rural systems planning, and identifying priority investments in high-risk river corridors. The objective is to connect risk information directly to investment preparation, reducing future exposure and vulnerability rather than simply rebuilding after disasters.
This disaster is a sobering reminder that rivers and mountain watersheds do not observe political boundaries—and neither can effective risk management. It demonstrates the urgent need for stronger regional cooperation on real-time hydrological and meteorological information exchange, joint monitoring, harmonised early-warning systems and data-sharing among riparian states.
Mr. Surya Nath Upadhyay, former Secretary for Water Resources, Government of Nepal, and Secretary General of GWP Nepal, states: “With their unique natural character, the Himalayas are a global heritage. Rising temperatures pose a continuous threat to the people and the region’s precious ecosystems, endangering their distinctiveness. Immediate global action is required to preserve the sanctity of the Himalayas for future generations.”
Mr. Tejendra G C, Country Coordinator of GWP Nepal, emphasises: “Given that glacial and flash-flood hazards frequently originate at high altitude in one jurisdiction and manifest their most severe consequences downstream in another, often within a matter of hours, regional cooperation constitutes not merely good practice but an essential safeguard for the populations concerned.”
As glacial retreat accelerates and weather systems intensify, mountain and downstream communities face increasing exposure to glacial lake outburst floods, flash flooding and critical infrastructure failure. This reinforces the urgency of scaling up climate-resilient water investments combining physical infrastructure with early-warning and information systems, risk-based planning, strong institutions and governance, and regional cooperation.
Through the G20 Water Investment Platform (GIP), GWPO will work with partners to translate these priorities into pipelines of well-prepared, finance-ready investments, connecting risk identification and upstream preparation to financing and implementation. Investing before disaster strikes is essential to protect lives, livelihoods and infrastructure while building long-term water and climate resilience.
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