31 | The Challenge of Rebuilding After Nepal Flooding with Shana Scogin

On Aug. 26 of this year, a catastrophic flash flood and debris flow likely triggered by the collapse of a glacier impacted populated areas in Nepal near the border of China. By the time the rushing waters slowed, more than 1,350 people were dead in Nepal alone, with another 5,300-plus missing. In Tibet, there were more than 40 deaths and more than 500 missing. Videos of the flooding have been shocking to say the least. The sheer power of nature roaring through valleys at speeds of upward of 110 MPH erased buildings and bridges all along the flood route and left as much as nearly five feet of silt along the main disaster zone. In Nepal, the Roads Department estimated more than 65 bridges has been damaged, including 33 suspension bridges that had been damaged beyond repair. Farmland, electrical grids, roads, and infrastructure of nearly every kind was impacted with billions of dollars worth of damage. Again, the footage is shocking to see, and people and governments worldwide reacted by offering a wide variety of aid. The initial shock fades and the news cycle moves on, but Nepal will be facing enormous challenges to recover and rebuild from this disaster. How does a country begin to bounce back from such destruction in a practical sense? We’re joined today by one of the newest members of the O’Neill School, Shana Scogin. Shana is an Assistant Professor at the O’Neill School who interests focus on governance, environmental politics, disasters, and public goods, with a particular focus in South Asia. She also has studied the politics of disasters in three urban centers in Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. O’Neill Speaks is the official podcast of the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. All opinions and comments on O’Neill Speaks belongs to the host and guest of the O’Neill School and don’t necessarily reflect those of the school itself. Music for O’Neill Speaks is by Manos Mars.