When the Rivers Turned Against Us: Remembering Nepal

There are some landscapes that stay with you long after you have left them.

For me, Nepal is one of those places.

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to experience the magnificent rivers of Nepal through white-water rafting. I still remember the mesmerising beauty of those mountains, the valleys, the sound of the rivers and the incredible feeling of being surrounded by nature in its most powerful and beautiful form.

I also remember an incident that gave me a very personal understanding of the power of a river.

During one of our rafting trips, I was toppled out of the raft and carried away by the current for nearly 500 metres.

Those few minutes were not easy.

Fortunately, I was wearing a life jacket, and we had trained safety kayakers around us. I was also aware of what I needed to do—stay calm, keep my breathing under control, protect myself from obstacles and wait for the opportunity to be rescued.

Eventually, I was brought back to safety.

But even with all the training, equipment and support around me, those 500 metres were an experience I will never forget.

And yet, looking at the devastation caused by the floods in Nepal today, I realise that what I experienced was only a very small glimpse of the power of moving water.

A flood is completely different.

There is no raft to protect you. No controlled route. No safety kayaker waiting nearby. No assurance that help is just a few metres away.

The force of floodwater is difficult to comprehend until you see what it can do.

Nepal is now facing a devastating disaster, with more than a thousand lives reportedly lost and thousands of people still missing. Search and rescue teams continue to work under extremely difficult circumstances, while families wait desperately for news of their loved ones.

My heart goes out to every family that has lost someone, to those still waiting for their missing loved ones, and to everyone who has lost their home, livelihood and sense of security.

My deepest condolences to the people of Nepal.

But this tragedy also reminds us of something that we sometimes take for granted:

Disaster preparedness saves lives.

We cannot prevent every natural disaster. We cannot always control when a river will rise, when a landslide will occur or when extreme weather will strike.

But we can prepare.

We can understand the hazards around us.

We can learn how to respond to warnings.

We can have evacuation plans and emergency communication systems.

We can train Emergency Response Teams.

We can learn first aid, basic rescue techniques and survival skills.

And most importantly, we can practise through drills and simulations so that when a real emergency happens, people don’t have to stop and ask:

“What do we do now?”

They already know.

Through my years of involvement in emergency response training, fire safety, first aid, mock drills and disaster preparedness, I have increasingly realised that preparedness is not simply about equipment or procedures.

It is about people.

A trained person can remain calmer.
A prepared community can evacuate faster.
An organised team can respond more effectively.
And sometimes, those few minutes can make the difference between life and death.

The rivers I once experienced in Nepal remain beautiful in my memory.

But today, they also remind me of the enormous power of nature—and of our responsibility to respect that power and prepare ourselves for it.

We may not be able to stop every disaster.
But we can prepare people to survive one.

As Nepal begins the long and painful journey of rescue, recovery and rebuilding, let us remember not only those who have been lost, but also the importance of creating safer, more aware and better-prepared communities.

May those who have lost their lives rest in peace.

May those who are still missing be found.

And may strength and courage be with every family facing this unimaginable loss.

With deepest condolences to the people of Nepal.