New Delhi, Oct. 7 -- Lately, India's news media has been flooded with heart-breaking visuals and stories of rain-activated disasters that have resulted in immeasurable damage to human and animal lives, infrastructure and the economy of Himalayan states.

Headlines scream of the numerous dead and missing, and ascribe these events largely to cloudbursts, extreme weather, landslides, deforestation, infrastructure expansion and lack of early warning systems: the 'what' question, i.e., with a few exploring the question of 'why.' There is also very little discussion on 'who' should be held responsible.

Undoubtedly, the vulnerabilities of a young and fragile mountain system like the Himalayas have been exacerbated by a multitude of inexplicable...