Prachanda Pradhan

Microfinance has played an important role in expanding access to finance in Nepal, particularly among low-income households, women, small entrepreneurs and people living in rural and underserved areas. However, the sector has reached a stage where expansion of credit alone is no longer sufficient.

On 26 August 2026, Nepal experienced one of the most devastating high-mountain flash-flood disasters in its history. A catastrophic cascade unfolded in the Bhote Koshi–Trishuli river system following a large rock–ice mass failure in the high Himalaya near the Nepal–China border. Satellite observations and rapid scientific assessments indicate that a massive ice-and-rock avalanche descended into the LhendeKhola, mobilizing water, ice, rock and sediment and temporarily obstructed the river.