Sep 14, 2017-About a month ago, I received news about a flood in Pokhara which I understood was surface water flooding due to rainwater not being drained properly.
I remembered there was not a single house there, in the area in question, until about 30 years ago, and the rainwater would run into streams.
With a change in rainfall patterns with a higher frequency of extreme rainfall intensity, incidences of urban floods have increased as excess runoff is not being absorbed into the ground and water flows into the drainage system has been blocked.
The problem of floods in urban areas is not specific to Nepal.
Apart from urban planning and urban expansion that did not respect the water system, climate change is also believed to have caused this problem.
Most of the flooded areas used to suffer from a rainfall deficit.
But it is a long-term problem as its impact continues for some time.
Therefore, it is generally the poorer and marginal areas that suffer most from floods, and this suffering can continue for a long time.
It is also seen that open green spaces and open public spaces are vital for absorbing excess rainwater.
Nevertheless, Nepal is now at the best time to use local governments for developing plans and governance mechanisms to reduce the risk of urban floods.