<
https://theconversation.com/nepal-floods-chinas-strict-control-of-tibet-makes-it-harder-to-prepare-for-himalayan-disasters-290659>
"Within the space of a few minutes on August 26, the border crossing between
Nepal and China – Rasuwagadhi on the Nepali side and Gyirong on the Chinese –
was destroyed by a flash flood caused by a collapsed glacier. Villages, bridges
and roads on both sides of the border were washed away.
Hundreds are dead and many more missing, including tourists and pilgrims. The
full toll will not be known for days as the worst-hit areas are hard to reach.
In the case of Tibet, given the history of China’s draconian control over
information, the true toll may never be known.
Already impoverished, Nepal faces grave challenges of rebuilding once the
relief effort is over. This is the first real test for the government that took
power in March after a successful gen Z revolution swept away the traditional
parties.
Prime Minister Balen Shah’s government has tried to avoid becoming dependent on
either large neighbour, China or India, or trapped in their rivalry. It has
asserted some strategic autonomy by dealing with New Delhi, Beijing and
Washington on an even footing.
The fact that Nepal’s neighbour is Tibet, a previously self-governing region
that China took over by force between 1950 and 1951 and has administered ever
since, makes flooding in this border region harder to prepare for."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
