KATHMANDU: The Chinese Embassy in Nepal has clarified allegations that China failed to provide Nepal with advance information about the risk of floods and landslides in the mountainous areas of Rasuwa.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the embassy said Chinese experts had been continuously monitoring, assessing and analysing risks in the Himalayan region within the limits of available technology and had provided important information to the Nepali side in a timely manner.
The embassy said risk points across the Himalayas are widely dispersed, with a large number of glacial lakes and ice formations located in remote and extremely cold areas at elevations of 4,000 to 5,000 metres or higher.
It said regular ground surveys and extensive monitoring in such areas are difficult due to their remoteness and challenging terrain.
The embassy also noted that image-based monitoring of steep mountain slopes can have limitations, while maintaining high-precision monitoring across vast and complex terrain remains a challenge internationally.
China further said the April 25, 2015 earthquake affected rock formations along the southern slopes of the Himalayas, increasing uncertainty over the risks posed by rocks in high-altitude areas.
Cross-border disaster management
The Chinese Embassy said Nepal and China have maintained close communication on cross-border disaster management.
According to the embassy, a delegation from China’s Ministry of Water Resources and the Department of Water Resources of the Xizang Autonomous Region visited Nepal in May this year.
The delegation held discussions with the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority on establishing a mechanism for cross-border disaster information sharing. China said significant progress was made during the discussions.
Similarly, a team from a mountain risk and environmental research institute under the Chinese Academy of Sciences visited Nepal in August for scientific research and exchange of experience.
The team also shared China’s practical experience in monitoring glacial lakes with Nepali authorities, according to the embassy.
Emergency weather meeting on August 26
The embassy also highlighted developments on August 26, saying China’s National Meteorological Administration held an emergency virtual meeting with Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology on Wednesday to jointly assess the disaster situation.
The two sides exchanged relevant data during the meeting, the embassy said.
China said it continues to exchange hydrological and meteorological information with Nepal, including monitoring data related to an artificial lake formed following the landslide.
The embassy also said China has provided Nepal with an initial customised service under its Chinese intelligent meteorological early warning solution to support disaster prevention and rescue efforts.
The Chinese Embassy said these measures demonstrate the importance China attaches to Nepal’s disaster risk reduction needs and its commitment to cooperation with Nepal.
It expressed confidence that cooperation between the two countries in disaster management, scientific research and information sharing would be further strengthened, with the aim of making such collaboration more effective for the safety and interests of the people of both countries.
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