'Nepal floods are man-made': Disaster lays bare climate and wealth inequality
Kang Dae-seok, head of the Nepal branch of the Um Hong Gil Human Foundation, speaks during an interview with the Hankook Ilbo at the foundation’s office in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Nam Byeong-jin
“The 2015 earthquake was a natural disaster. This catastrophic flood, however, is essentially man-made.”
Kang Dae-seok, head of the Nepal branch of the Um Hong Gil Human Foundation, made the comparison during an interview in Kathmandu on Tuesday. Looking back on the two massive disasters that struck Nepal over the past 11 years, he warned that man-made disasters could happen again unless adequate preparations were made.
The two disasters may seem similar in that both claimed thousands of lives, Kang said. But unlike the 2015 earthquake, which was beyond human control, the recent flooding was triggered by a glacial collapse linked to global warming and therefore bears humanity’s fingerprints.
The Um Hong Gil Human Foundation's Nepal branch is where Kang heads conducts educational aid projects in Nepal, including overseeing the building of 19 schools across the country. Kang is an expert on local affairs, having served as a secretary at the Korean Embassy in Nepal during the 2015 earthquake. The foundation is currently helping Korean companies affected by the flooding assess conditions on the ground and search for missing people, while also raising funds for displaced Nepalis.
Asked what distinguished this disaster from others he had witnessed, Kang pointed first to inequality. Despite accounting for only 0.01 percent of global carbon emissions, Nepal is bearing the consequences of global warming.
“People here are asking why we must suffer because of the carbon dioxide emitted by wealthy countries,” Kang said.
The irony is that another layer of inequality exists within Nepal itself. The 2015 earthquake devastated areas across the country. This time, the floods swept mainly through the mountainous north, one of the country’s relatively poorer regions.
“The affluent capital of Kathmandu remains intact, while the damage has been concentrated in the poorer Rasuwa region,” Kang said.
In other words, two layers of inequality, one global and the other domestic, were at play in the latest disaster.
Kang Dae-seok, third from left, head of the Nepal branch of the Um Hong Gil Human Foundation, poses with staff members at the foundation’s office in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Nam Byeong-jin
Kang stressed that the catastrophic floods are not the end of the disaster, but the beginning.
“In 2021, around 20 people were killed when melting glaciers caused flooding in Nepal’s Melamchi region,” he said. “We should have heeded that warning, coordinated with neighboring countries and prepared in advance, but adequate preventive measures were never put in place.”
“Nepal alone has more than 200 glaciers, but the country lacks the resources to inspect them one by one,” he added. “The international community must step in.”
The devastation continues to mount. Northern Nepal, in particular, is running short of drinking water after overland supply routes from China were cut off.
“The list of necessities is endless, from clothing to hygiene products and medicine,” Kang said.
He appealed for attention and assistance from Korea as Nepal works to recover.
“Whether through volunteering or fundraising, any form of help is welcome,” he said. “Even a small contribution would mean a great deal to Nepalis suffering through this tragedy.”
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.