Nepal: Search Continues for Missing Hydropower Workers as Flood Fatalities Top 900
Is climate stress a root cause of this disaster or are poor international development choices to blame?
Above: Rescue operations transitioned to search and retrieval efforts in Devighat, Nepal, following flash floods on Aug. 29. Image credit: Ezra Acayan/Getty Images
The Spin
Climate-concerned narrative
Climate change is fueling the deadly glacial collapse risk responsible for this catastrophe. Nepal must abandon risky hydropower projects in these vulnerable areas before more lives are lost.
Climate-skeptic narrative
Nepal's hydro projects failed due to poor planning, lack of redundancy and inadequate early warnings — often exacerbated by poor USAID decision-making. There must be a more thoughtful investigation into the international development aspects of this disaster and not knee-jerk climate alarmism.