Nepal floods expose shared Himalayan climate risks for India

Nepal's devastating floods have exposed a transboundary risk for India, as the two nations share a vast and increasingly volatile Himalayan river system. Experts warn the disaster signals a growing threat that does not stop at the border. The relationship between floods in Nepal and disasters in India is complex, depending on rainfall, river levels, embankments, and development on the Indian side. Bihar is the most exposed state, with the Kosi river the most notorious, followed by eastern Uttar Pradesh and other regions. The 2008 Kosi disaster, which killed nearly 400 people in Bihar, was caused by an embankment breach, not an exceptional flood, highlighting structural failures. Experts say the real warning is about Himalayan hazards, including sediment-laden debris flows and climate change intensifying extreme rainfall.