Kathmandu, Sept. 15 -- The August 26 flash floods in the Bhotekoshi river swept away roads, homes and bridges, and damaged hydropower projects, causing one of the costliest climate disasters. Beyond the visible devastation, however, the floods have exposed a stark economic reality: more than two-thirds of the estimated losses fell on the private sector.

A preliminary Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) prepared by the government estimates that the floods caused Rs408 billion in total damage and economic losses across five districts. Of that, nearly Rs300 billion-more than two-thirds-is believed to have fallen on private businesses, households and privately owned infrastructure.

The findings underline how increasingly destructive cl...