New Delhi, Sept. 2 -- The devastation that swept through Nepal and China's Xizang Autonomous Region (the Sinicized name for Tibetan Autonomous Region) on August 26 was a stark reminder of an uncomfortable Himalayan reality: a disaster may begin on one side of a frontier, gather destructive force within minutes, and leave communities across several jurisdictions to deal with the consequences.

The mountains are interconnected. The systems for understanding and managing their risks remain largely national. That mismatch should now be a regional policy priority.

Much of the discussion following the Bhote Koshi-Gyirong catastrophe has centred on whether better satellites, sensors or artificial intelligence could provide earlier warnings. The...