India, Sept. 6 -- The flash floods in Nepal are a grim reminder of the unforgiving power of nature. The recurring devastation raises a larger question: are natural disasters becoming more destructive, or are these disasters are our own making? In the fragile Himalayan landscape, rapid urbanisation, unplanned construction, and a changing climate converge, can quickly turn into a disaster. The Himalayas are sending a warning, but are we listening?

Nepal's disaster on August 26, and India's own history at Kedarnath, point to the same lesson: an extreme event in the Himalaya may be unavoidable, but catastrophe is not. What decides the outcome is risk-informed planning, timely action, and treating the Himalaya as one connected system rather t...