The Bhotekoshi debris flow and flood of August 26 have left the whole country in a state of shock. Not only Nepal but also our northern neighbour, China, was caught unawares despite its economic and technological might. So far, more than 900 people have died, while about 4,000 remain incommunicado. The flash flood washed away several settlements along the riverbanks and demolished bridges that connected several cities. Many hydropower projects were affected, resulting in the loss of more than 450 MW, or over 10 percent of the country's total power output. Preliminary losses have been estimated at Rs 2 trillion. The cause behind this sudden mishap remains shrouded in mystery. Initially, it was reported that the area upstream of Rasuwa was jolted by an earthquake measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale, which triggered a huge mudslide that dammed the Lhende River. It has now been reported that a glacier ice mass north of Langtang market skidded 5,000 metres downhill at a velocity of about 180 kilometres per hour –faster than the fastest ball ever bowled by Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar, nicknamed the Rawalpindi Express. The mass was estimated to weigh about 100 million tonnes, generating an event equivalent to an earthquake of magnitude 5.2. It had energy comparable to that of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, known as Little Boy, which is said to have released 64 terajoules (10¹² joules) of energy. A colossal amount of heat was generated, violently melting the ice and causing it to collide with debris in the Lhende River. Its descent towards Rasuwagadhi, covering a distance of about 20 kilometres along the river, resulted in the huge disaster. A similar event in Chamoli, northern India, in 2021 paled in comparison. The disaster was so unprecedented that it attracted the attention of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who responded by sending relief materials the very next morning. US President Donald Trump also found time to pledge support to Nepal despite being heavily engaged in the US-Iran conflict. Another global leader, Chinese President Xi Jinping, promised to do everything possible after discussing the unfortunate disaster in the Politburo, the highest body in the Chinese political hierarchy. It has become glaringly clear that a lack of preparedness has resulted in the depressing state of affairs. Nature had already provided warnings by repeating such events regularly and, more frequently, in recent years. Rasuwagadhi itself was dealt a deadly blow, albeit a comparatively lilliputian one, in July last year. In the east, Thame, the birthplace of legendary mountaineer Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, was similarly swept away by a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in 2024, triggered by the breaching of the Upper and Lower Ngole Cho glacial lakes. Our indifference is glaringly evident in the failure to move vehicles travelling towards Kathmandu to higher ground, even though several vehicles met a similar fate only last year. Such events are likely to become more frequent in the future for two reasons. First, according to an ICIMOD study, some 25,000 glaciers, both small and large, exist in Nepal, of which 40 are vulnerable to sudden outburst at any time. The year 2027 has been predicted to be the hottest in history, which may further raise temperatures in glacier regions. As a result, many of our rivers are likely to swell dramatically following glacial outbursts, affecting riverbanks as could be seen in the Trishuli River. What can be the way out? One solution could be to shift settlements to the midlands rather than the lowlands, as our ancestors practised for generations, keeping them beyond the reach of even the fiercest debris flows and floods. This can be vividly seen in the locations of Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur, which are situated above the floodplains. To prevent local flooding caused by heavy rains, our ancestors also constructed ponds, many of which can still be seen, particularly in the cities of the Kathmandu Valley. Nepal is now in a much better position than it was during disasters in the past. It has the experience of undertaking a mammoth reconstruction task in the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake. Some 48 regulations were newly drafted, and Rs 300,000 was provided to each family for reconstruction in three tranches. While the earthquake affected 24 districts of Nepal, this flood has impacted only five districts lying within the watersheds of two rivers, the Trishuli and Narayani, making the reconstruction task comparatively easier. Reconstruction, however, is a task for the future. At present, the focus should be on rescue and relief. The government has displayed an unparalleled level of commitment by mobilising 20,000 security personnel. Some 10,000 people have already been rescued, including a six-year-old girl who was found buried under debris. But the disaster is so huge that it will dwarf the government's modest interventions. The government was not prepared for a disaster of this magnitude, although it should have been, especially after the Thame and earlier Rasuwagadhi incidents. The government's efforts have therefore begun to appear inadequate. People's frustration has already started surfacing. If there is an outbreak of disease, which is very likely as several dead bodies have begun to decompose, it will further fuel public frustration. But the country can certainly prevail in the future if it prepares for disasters worse than this one. For example, the lake formed upstream could trigger a much larger debris flow if it were to burst completely. It was predicted to do so, but it merely overflowed. Moreover, there are several glaciers upstream whose impacts could be many times greater because of the worsening effects of climate change. The lesson is clear: Nepal must prepare not only for the disaster that has already occurred but also for something far worse that may yet come.