Leveraging Collaboration for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Koshi Basin

The rich natural resources of the Koshi Basin support over 40 million people. The transboundary basin is, however, prone to natural disasters. Floods, landslides, and droughts affect millions of people every year, and disrupt sustainable development. Disasters in the region often have a transboundary impact, and hazards upstream lead to disasters in downstream areas. An increase in the incidence of extreme weather events due to climate change and environmental degradation is expected to magnify the frequency and impact of such disasters. Women and marginalized communities are most vulnerable as they lack access to information and capacity to prepare for disasters and deal with their aftermath. Often, communities affected by disaster continue to struggle to resume their livelihoods or take up alternative livelihoods only several years after the disaster.