Nepal, Aug. 31 -- As we mourn the loss of more than 900 people and the disappearance of over 2,000 individuals after the catastrophic flash floods that swept through the region along the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, I cannot help but question whether this loss was truly unexpected and sudden. Just a year ago, a massive flood struck Rasuwagadhi along the same Bhotekoshi River, triggered by the sudden bursting of a supraglacial lake. It swept away the Nepal-China Friendship Bridge, killed at least nine people, and left 19 others missing, along with significant infrastructure damage.

The warning bells have been ringing for a decade and more. For instance, the 2017 monsoon floods drowned roughly 80 percent of the Tarai, killed more than ...